Why it’s Worth it to Have Your Business Bio Professionally Written

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I once had a client who helped a couple that immigrated to the US with nothing but the clothes on their backs purchase a stunning 4,500-square-foot home. As a child of immigrants, she knew just how important fulfilling the American dream of homeownership was for them.

They couldn’t have told that from her one-paragraph bio at the time, which matter-of-factly summed up her professional experience.

I worked with her to weave in the missing pieces—what she loves most about her job, who she likes to help and why, and how she’s equipped to do so—all in a way that holds a potential client’s attention to the last word.

Here’s what she said about the finished product:

“Melanie isn’t just a great writer, she’s also a tremendous listener. The write-up she did for me was professional and personal and far beyond what I could have put together to represent myself.”

I hear that last part all the time: Business owners hate selling themselves. They would much rather let their work do the talking for them.

But, here’s the thing: The work can only do the talking for them if they’re attracting the clients they want by relating to their needs. Business owners daring enough to write their bios miss the mark by making it all about their qualifications instead of identifying the pain point they solve and why they are passionate about solving it.

In journalism school, they call this “burying the lede,” or tucking down the crucial details. With two degrees in journalism and 10-plus years of writing and editing experience, I know which parts to pull to the surface in a business owner’s bio. I love using my zone of genius to magnify what makes my clients unique so they can spend more time in theirs.

It’s tempting for small business owners to do it all themselves, even if writing is a pain. But bios are just as crucial of an investment as headshots (and they’re often cheaper!). It’s a one-time cost that continuously gives: to your website, social media profiles, newsletter introductions and more. And you can distill it down to whatever word count you need for a specific platform. (Or I can do it for you.)

Ready to tell clients the truth about who you are in a way that feels genuine, thoughtful, relatable and professional? Let’s make it happen!

How to Better Market Your Podcast Episodes

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Have a podcast? Great. Then you also have your next blog post, a week’s worth of social media captions and more to boost your business.

The trick to easy, successful marketing is repurposing what material you already have. One transcribed podcast episode provides so much material to pull from.

With the podcast converted into text, you can:

  • Reformat the entire document into a blog to drive website traffic
  • Pull direct quotes and turn them into Instagram captions
  • Summarize the episode into a series of social media posts
  • Share key points and takeaways in a newsletter
  • Refer back to the text anytime you need more content inspiration
  • Have more material to cross-promote and link to

These are just a few of the ways my clients have benefited from my podcast-to-blog conversion service, but the options are really endless for small business owners who want to spend less time conceiving marketing content without sacrificing followers. Since your customers and target audience members only see a fraction of your posts, repurposing your existing content allows you to build thought leadership across multiple platforms with no extra effort.

Not a podcast host? You can reuse those webinars and recorded presentations you gave during COVID just as well, too. Let’s talk about what makes the most sense for your business. Schedule a free 30-minute phone consultation with me here.

What clients are saying…

I highly, highly recommend working with Melanie on this. Having her transcribe my podcasts was the foundation of my business blog for almost 2 years! She does a phenomenal job and is extremely fast.

-Melissa Barker, marketing consultant, speaker, best-selling author

This service from Melanie has been so incredibly helpful to have as both a podcaster & business owner. Thanks to Melanie’s work, we’ve seen sales growth & more opt-ins. I highly recommend working with her, and she does such an amazing job!

-Paige Kane, shaman, psychic, spiritual mentor

Types of Successful Blogs to Post During COVID-19

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I recently shared why business blogging is essential during the coronavirus pandemic. Now, let’s get into what type of content to post.

Currently, we as a society are being flooded with nerve-wracking news. Now is your chance to stand out and offer something different. When you post something more positive, uplifting, or useful to customers, you’re offering them a much-needed mental break. That may be something money can’t buy, but when your reader is ready to spend again, they’re likely to purchase things from you. Why? Because you gave them an uplifting experience when they needed it, and as I said in my previous blog post, business blogging is about selling a connection rather than a product.

So, think about what you can virtually offer consumers as we’re practicing social distancing. Here are six topics you can easily expand on.

  1. How-to tips and tutorials: These can work for almost any industry, whether it’s a restaurant sharing its recipe of a fan-favorite menu item or business coach discussing how to move services online.
  2. Your take on industry trends: Say you’re an interior designer. Anyone can find out top spring home design trends through a quick Google search, but how do those trends work for your area? Take a broad concept like this and relate it to your specific audience so you can a) capture their engagement b) demonstrate your local industry knowledge. (It’s a bonus if your readers can apply these concepts in their social-distancing downtime.)
  3. Success story: This is an excellent opportunity to take advantage of the extra time past clients may have on their hands. Ask if you can interview a particularly memorable client on a project that had transforming results.
  4. Pros and cons: Think about the questions you get asked regarding products or services. Are you a home remodeler? Perhaps you can talk about the pros and cons of sliding glass doors versus French doors. Are you a caterer? Explain the benefits of a catered buffet versus plated dinner.
  5. Myth-busting: A myth-busting blog post is much more exciting than a static FAQ page. Take this time to dispel common myths of your industry, whether you’re a web developer sharing that small website changes aren’t always an easy fix or a lawyer explaining how you hardly handle cases in court.
  6. Offering solutions: Discuss a problem you can solve with some key tips, such as how to not get overwhelmed when organizing your home office, from the perspective of a professional organizer.

Want to get started on your next business blog post but need some extra help? Get four blogs per month for $200 with my limited time offer, ending May 1.

Why Business Blogging is Essential During the COVID19 Pandemic

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Over the last two weeks, I’ve seen lots of businesses put their operations on hold entirely as a result of the coronavirus. We’re in a time of uncertainty, but one thing is for sure: companies should not be letting their online presence fade away.

How do you keep your business at the forefront of people’s minds when we’ve succumbed to social distancing? Blogging.

This is a time to tell your story—expand on the boilerplate paragraphs of your website and share what sets your business apart. Blogging is an essential tool for any business because it’s your time to converse with consumers. You’re not selling your product; rather, you’re selling a connection. By expanding on relevant topics, you’re also establishing yourself as an authority in your industry.

I’ve seen lots of businesses that start blogs, only to abandon them after a few posts. Here are a few reasons why:

  • They don’t enjoy writing
  • They don’t know what to post
  • They didn’t see an immediate return of investment
  • They don’t have the time

The key to great blogging is quality and consistency. You’re not going to see high customer engagement when you only post once or twice per year or to sell a product. In times like these, especially, you need to think about how to connect. Are you a nonprofit? Talk about why the keynote speaker at your last fundraiser left no dry eyes in the room. Are you an interior designer? Share tips on how someone can make their home more relaxing as they are sheltered in place.

A good business blog also becomes a regular news source for consumers, so you don’t have to rely on outside media to get your word across. I can tell you for a fact that right now, my fellow journalist friends are slammed with pressing news left and right. Your blog is a place to get updates out fast. (Right now, this is an incredibly useful tactic for restaurants that are continually adjusting their services to meet government-issued orders.) But, for people to read these posts, you have to supplement them with more story-like content. That’s when consumers will consider the blog a worthwhile read.

Want to start a blog for your business but need some extra help? Get four blogs per month for $200 with my limited time offer, ending May 1.