I started writing this article about 10 blog Ideas to help you rank your online service business higher. Then I began writing the ten ideas, but I couldn’t help myself. So, I kept going, and before I knew it, the list was longer. Before I knew it, I had 14 blog ideas that help online service providers get found online.
Why Do I Need to Write These?
Let me first discuss the main reason you should write blogs. The reason you should write blogs as an online service provider is that they can help you get found online.
Another reason is that if you design them correctly, they will help your SEO (search engine optimization). Especially if you design the titles to coincide with questions your potential clients are asking search engines.
The final reason I will bring up is that all of this can, obviously, help you attract new clients. That’s a win-win in my opinion.
Alternative to Actual Writing
There is no downside to writing blogs. If you do not like to write but don’t mind making videos, then use the ideas here to help you create videos as an alternative to writing. Then add the videos to your blog page or at least an introduction with a link to your YouTube channel (that is another discussion for another day, but it is a great platform to use, especially for SEO).
You can also produce podcasts if you prefer, but always add them or a link to create a new blog. Add an introduction, and if you like, you can include the transcript as your blog article.
These 14 blog ideas were designed for the online service provider. So, whether you call yourself a virtual assistant, Executive VA, OBM, Freelancer, Writer, Copywriter, Coach, Physician, or other virtual professional, writing these can help you; that’s the bottom line.
The following are blog ideas to help online service providers get found:
- Write SEO Blogs
- Explain 1 Service You Provide
- Blog About the Problem Your Potential Client is Trying to Solve
- Blog About the Solution You Help Your Clients Achieve
- Write About A Specific Industry You Service
- How To Work With You (& When – explaining the process)
- What To Expect When They Onboard With You
- Write a How-To Post Geared To Your Client Base (this one can give you multiple blog posts)
- Explain When Someone Might Be Ready for Your Services
- Explain the Benefits of Working with You Versus Elsewhere
- How to Work With a Virtual Professional
- Why a Potential Client Should Work with You Versus Someone Else
- Finding the Right Virtual Professional
- Why Your Ideal Client Should Not Try to Do the Work Themselves
- Interviewing Entrepreneurs in Your Audience
1. Write SEO Blogs
Writing SEO blog articles is a great way to show up online. One of the best ways to do this, as mentioned above, is to create titles that answer questions your prospective clients are searching for in the search engines.
Today, search engines are not just Google and Bing. They also include all the social media platforms. People are using all the platforms they visit to find answers to their questions.
Therefore, it serves you well to know your buyer persona (prospective client) well.
If you have never done a workup for your buyer persona (ideal client), please take a few minutes to go to my Free Storyboard (scroll down the free offers page).
The storyboard will help you map out your ideal client and how to create dialogues for them (including writing blogs).
When mapping out your buyer personal you should include the following:
- Their gender
- Their age range
- Their preferred social platforms
- Where else might they be online
- Their income range
- Why they should work with you
- How you stand out above others
- What problem you solve
- What will be the successful result for them
- What if they don’t take that step to work with you – what will happen
- Any obstacles in their way to working with you
It is important, when writing SEO Blogs, that you complete all of the SEO components. I always suggest using the Yoast Plugin if you have a WordPress site. Regardless of where your site is housed, it will have some SEO features. This will allow you to add in the keyphrase and meta description for search engines to pick up.
2. Explain One Service You Provide
Another of the blog topic ideas is to explain one service you provide in more detail. This can include any of your services explained to help prospective clients understand why they may need these services.
You can take this and expand it or make it a series if you offer more than one type of service. Explain one service each week for a month or similar.
Include why they should use your services over others who provide similar services.
3. Blog About The Problem Your Potential Client Is Trying To Solve
Another blog idea to help online service providers is to write about the problem your potential client is having. They are desperately trying to fix or solve this problem.
You may even write about ways you’ve seen your clients try to solve it themselves prior to coming to you.
4. Blog About the Solution You Provide and How it Helps Clients
Blogging about the solution you provide and how it helps your clients.
Give case studies if you are able. At very least, show reviews and testimonials within this article when you write it.
Explain why your solution is the best and the results your clients receive in what time frame.
5. Write About A Specific Industry You Serve
This blog idea should be easy to write about and is geared toward the specific industry you serve. Whether you serve coaches, speakers, or other online entrepreneurs, write directly about their industry.
You might also want to explain some of the problems this industry has and how you can solve one (or more) of these issues.
I would also offer a referral link (if you have one) for another provider who solves another problem they often have, but that is not one you offer a solution for at this time.
It is always a good idea to set up referrals with other providers who offer other solutions. For instance, if you do not offer email marketing, but you know a colleague who does. In the article, you can offer a referral link if the provider offers one. You can also ask them to mention your name when going to the provider.
Then the article is not lopsided or heavily weighted in your services alone. You should, of course, weave in ways you help this industry, when possible.
6. How To Work With You
People often wonder, “What’s next if I want to move forward with you?” An article designed to answer this question is a good idea.
You may have a free offer or free session for prospective clients, but they may want to know what to do when they are ready for the next step.
After writing an article like this, you can then link it to your website’s home page, highlighting how to work with you. Offer the next steps after your free offer. This is a general next step in the funnel.
When someone has already taken the initial steps and is now ready to take it further and work with you, you must provide the steps. That may mean numbered steps or it could mean emailing you to let you know.
You should, however, add in what comes after that, as they will wonder. Also include a timeline. Let them know if it will be one day or two weeks.
I always provide a welcome email that includes the next steps in the process of onboarding them as a client. This helps them understand what will come next so they can be looking for it.
It takes any guesswork or assumptions out of the process.
7. What to Expect When They Onboard With You
A client wants to know how to onboard and what to expect when they do.
This is included in my welcome email. As I said above, I give my new client information about what comes next after the welcome email. For me, this includes their contract, an intake survey, and an invoice.
I also inform them that once the invoice is paid, they gain access to a client portal. This is where I will give them a summary of our sessions together as well as their action steps to do before our next session. They can communicate with me through this portal as well. Not to mention, one of the biggest benefits is the numerous resources housed within the portal.
8. How-To posts Geared Toward Your Client Base
Another great article to write is a how-to post geared to your client base. It can be as in-depth as you want.
It should be related to the solution you provide, but in a way that walks your potential client through step by step how to do this on their own. Yes, this is giving away some information, but realistically, most of your audience will not or cannot provide the solution themselves.
Some of the reasons they will not or cannot do these steps themselves may be…
- They are not tech-savvy
- They don’t have the time to put into doing it properly
- They realize that their time is worth more; therefore, it’s worth paying you to do it
Within the article, it is wise to include how much time it may take to do the steps you are giving them. I would include how long it takes you (or your team) to do it and then a range of how long you’ve seen it take others.
Also include a comparison of their hourly rate versus how much your package rate is so that they see it costs them more to try to do it themselves than to just hire you.
9. Explain When Someone Might Be Ready for Your Services
Another good blog article is explaining when someone may be ready for your services. I used to explain that most clients are actually in need of my services (when I did digital marketing) at least 12-18 months prior to when they actually come to us.
Explaining the markers that can indicate they should begin looking at your services can help prospective clients become onboarded clients much quicker.
10. Benefits of Working With You Versus Others
This article is all about how you stand out compared to others. What are the benefits of working with you versus someone else who provides similar services?
You could even include a competitive research document showing the comparison in a chart. Show them what they get from you (all the benefits) compared to other providers.
Tell your prospective clients why those benefits are important for the services they need. Explain why they should onboard with you. This is your time to shine.
11. How to Work with Virtual Professionals
This is all about processes and systems. In this article, you can explain ways to prepare for onboarding with you. Help them understand what they will need to onboard with a virtual professional.
Include access to apps and project management systems. If you provide a specific type of service based around a specific program, make it clear how they can add you to their account to give you access.
Explain the processes they should document so that your team can provide the services they need in the way they want to see them.
12. Why Should a Potential Client Work with You
Although this is similar to number ten above, it is different because you are focused on the ‘why,’ not the ‘what they get’ here.
You should focus on client testimonials and the results you provide, as well as a timeline they expect from you.
List out the reasons why someone should come to you for these services. Also discuss the package pricing and the reasons why this is good for them. You can even link it back to blog number eight above (if you do these in order).
Include any award you may have received along with the great reasons you will tell them about.
13. Finding the Right Virtual Professional to Work with You
This is a wonderful article that includes a lot of what I would call ‘meat’. You should give important specifics about how they should shop for a virtual professional to work with today.
This is where you can really hone in on the type of client you work best with so that potential clients also consider carefully who they should look for in a freelancer (VA, OBM, etc.). Not every potential client is a right fit for you either.
Explain how to find a good virtual professional and where they can find them. Also discuss characteristics they should see in this person. Just as you are looking for the right client, they should be seeking the best person they can work with so that both have success.
You can discuss trustworthiness, integrity, guarantees, and other specifics here.
14. Why Your Potential Client Should Not Do The Work Themselves
This can tie back into other articles, like number eight (how-to post) but here you really bring out the reasons they should not do the work themselves.
Bring out the comparison in their hourly rate versus a tech-savvy virtual professional (freelancer, VA, OBM, etc.). Show how it can save them money. Discuss how long it will take your business to do it for them. Then, based on past client experience, talk about how much longer it will take them. This also shows that it may cost 2, 3, or 5 times as much if they do it themselves based on the average salary for that industry.
15. Interviewing Entrepreneurs in Your Audience
Lastly, a great idea for blogs is interviewing other entrepreneurs in your potential client audience. This can make for a wonderful article for many reasons.
When you do interviews like this, you are…
- Connecting with your audience base
- Getting to know new potential clients
- Asking to add them to your email list
- Asking questions that will help you define their pain points better
- Finding new ways to speak to your audience (in the terms they use)
- Finding possible new clients to draw into your funnel
- Sharing the solutions you can help them with now
I could go on and on, but you get the idea. This can also give hundreds of potential articles, videos, or podcasts, depending on what you want the finished product to be.
If you do not write, then this one is perfect for you. You can do a video interview and post it on your YouTube channel (create one if you do not have one). This can also be transcribed and added to your blog with a quick introduction and the link to the video.
The other great benefit to doing this type of interview is that they will share it on their social channels as well. This can help attract new clients for you.
Final Thoughts
I could probably have listed more ideas, but these should get you on your way. The journey to discovering ideas for your audience can come from so many places. Keep your mind open and your eyes peering for ideas.
You can turn an experience into an entire article from a personal story. People want to read about your story and how it may apply to them and their needs.
I love helping women online service providers grow a scalable business. Empowering You to Work Less and Earn More!
Tammy Durden is an award-winning business coach and consultant who specializes in helping women online service providers grow a business to fit their lifestyle rather than squeeze a life around their business.
Tammy has established herself as an authority figure over the last 18 years while creating and growing several online service businesses. She is also a sought-after thought leader, course creator, and speaker in the online service industry.