The Ultimate Guide to Blogging for Bookkeepers
Mar 22, 2021
In this episode of Profits + Prosecco Podcast, I’m going to talk about something that I've been meaning to touch on for a while, which is blogging for bookkeepers. Blogging can have plenty of benefits for an existing bookkeeping business and it can also help get your business off the ground. So today, I’m going to be giving you the ultimate guide to blogging for bookkeepers today. Stay tuned!
But before we dive right in, welcome to the Profits + Prosecco Podcast! I’m your host, Katie Ferro, CPA, reformed rule follower, creator of Booked Out Bookkeeper, mom to 3 little ones, and Kajabi enthusiast.
This podcast is for entrepreneurs who desire to change their life through their profitable business, and for bookkeepers and accountants who want to escape the 9-5 and start a simple scalable bookkeeping business like I did.
Bookkeeping increases profits and profits change lives. So pop some bubbles and let me show you how!
In this episode, we are going to tackle all things blogging for bookkeepers. For even more juicy details, listen to ALL of episode 16 of the Profits + Prosecco Podcast on your fave streaming platform!
Why blogging is great.
Blogging allows you to serve your unpaid audience, position yourself as an expert, reduce your time spent answering the same questions over and over, sell passive products, and bring new people to your email list where you can nurture them and ultimately have them buy from you.
I began blogging in 2018 and though I've let it sit for quite some time, it still brings new people to my email list through the power of my blog and Pinterest combined.
Email subscribers not only buy my templates (to the tune of 5 figures), but they also become bookkeeping clients once they're ready for more.
Blogs last. Social posts don't. Your blog will always be available and easy to send someone to if they have a question you've already answered. Whereas your social posts get buried and forgotten, your blog lives on.
Blogging helps you map out your ideas and can be used to create every other piece of content - social posts, emails, you name it.
Your blog can work like this for you too if you're willing to play the long game. I find that a blog works best as an addition to a bookkeeping business.
The market isn't saturated. People might research the same thing 50 times and your blog post might be the only one that makes sense to them. Your voice, your perspective, and your way of doing things are going to help somebody.
How to get your blog started.
Take messy action and get started because clarity comes through action.
You may not know what to blog about but if you brainstorm and make a list, you'll find things you want to focus on.
Think about something that people do wrong in the industry that bothers or frustrates you.
Ask yourself if something's missing that you think could be done better - share that idea because, in reality, there are people out there wondering the same thing.
For example, I have blogs about what profit is because while that seems relatively simple to me, I know people struggle with it.
If you can get yourself to pay attention to the questions you're being asked and the questions that run through your head, your blog could answer those.
Keep in mind, your blogs do NOT have to be long. Take a look at my blogs for some inspiration and ideas on how to go about your own!
What the structure of your blog should look like.
Firstly, you're going to want to brainstorm an idea so that you can go ahead and outline your blog.
This will make writing a lot easier, especially when you batch your ideas.
When you go into creating your blog, the first thing you want to do is write an opening, which are a few key points that you want to touch on and questions that make people continue reading.
Remember it’s okay to keep this short. I find that shorter blogs are better for my audience.
After the opening, I like to have a section labeled, “New Here?” This is where you introduce yourself and tell people what you do.
People like to know the person they're reading and learning from. You can also link other blog posts here so they can read those as well and stay on your site.
Next, get into your points. I like to keep mine between three and five points.
Alternatively, you can ask questions to give structure and then answer those questions in the body.
Next is your closing section with a call to action (CTA). People need to be told what to do and you should think of which action you want them to take next and directly tell them to do it. Some examples for a CTA include:
- Join my Facebook group.
- Sign up for my FREE training.
- Follow me on Instagram for more details.
- Want to learn more? Book a call with me!
The number one goal with blogging.
The number ONE goal you should aim for with your blog is to grow your email list.
You can point people to your social media but make sure they can get to your email list from there.
An email list is there to help you do 3 things…
Help, nurture, and sell.
You want to nurture and help people enough to the point where they know, like, and trust you to buy from you.
Email allows you to consistently reach people but you don't want to be CONSTANTLY selling in each email. Instead, be helpful, be relatable.
Not everyone is going to see what you post on social media but they will get your email, especially if you have a good subject line. You can use the AMI Headline Analyzer, which is a great tool for creating a good subject line for emails and blogs.
If you’re building a business that is reliant on Facebook or Instagram, what would you do if those platforms were to crash one day and you didn't have anything to show for it?
Your blog works the same way your email does. It stays there for a long time, unlike IG stories that are forgotten in a day.
When you create a blog post with helpful relevant information, the last thing you want is for it to die.
Email is a seamless step that can correlate with your blog. I’m able to do all my emailing and blogs through Kajabi. They're doing an extended 30-day free trial on March 30th with a Think it, Build it Challenge that will walk you through everything. So be sure to sign up. This is normally a 14 day trial and this specific challenge has many other features that are valuable.
How Pinterest and blogging work together.
Pinterest is searchable! When you google something, images from Pinterest will come up because Pinterest is a search engine that is connected to Google.
You should have a custom domain because when people click on those pins, it'll have a brief description of your blog that they can click to get to the post.
This is how Pinterest drives traffic from Google to your blog. Pinterest allows your blog to be visual, searchable, and clickable.
After going from Google, to Pinterest, to your blog, people can then get on your email list, get on a call with you, and take the next step. Win-win-win!
Everything I learned about Pinterest was taught to me by Rachel Ngom. She has a self paced course, Pin With Purpose, that was my first purchase in the online space.
This week (March 22-24), she is also hosting a 3-day Live Pinterest Implementation Lab for only $47. If you're reading this in time, be sure to sign up for that. Otherwise, you can purchase her online course.
The Ultimate Guide to Blogging for Bookkeepers: The Bottomline
I hope this episode was super valuable to any bookkeepers who want to start blogging. And know that it doesn’t have to be over-complicated! Draft that first blog post, think about how you can share your other content, and then get it published into the world so people can start talking about it.
Don’t forget to tune into episode 16 of the Profits + Prosecco Podcast. Thank you so much for listening and I hope this episode has helped you see that blogging can really take your business to the next level.
If you enjoyed the episode, please take a second to rate and review. Each review helps us reach and inspire more entrepreneurs and bookkeepers just like you.
Don’t forget to take a screenshot, share it in your Instagram stories, and tag me at @orderlyaccountingbykatie. Cheers to your inevitable success and I’ll see you in the next episode!
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