Showcase Your Expertise With Problem-Solving Blog Posts

The year was 1990. Wherever you looked, you were sure to see a flannel shirt, overalls or a pair of Steve Madden platform sandals. It was also the year when Robert Van Winkle … aka Vanilla Ice … brought us this little gem: “If there was a problem, yo, I’ll solve it.”

No judgement! Who couldn’t use an occasional dose of “Ice Ice Baby?”

Vanilla Ice might have made some questionable fashion choices back in the day, but he did make a point.

Problem solving matters.

As a business owner, you want to effectively attract the right people to your blog. You want them to enjoy and appreciate your content. You want them to need the very expertise that you provide. You want them to trust you and choose you to be the one to provide it.

To do that, you must find your own way of letting them know that if they have a problem, you’ll solve it.

The key is to find that sweet spot that combines your expertise, experience and knowledge with your prospects’ needs.

So how do you find out what problems need solving?

If you’re not already clear on what your ideal clients need, here are a few ways to find out.

Survey your audience.

If you’re not reaching out regularly to ask your email subscribers what’s on their minds, you should start. Send an email to your subscribers and simply ask them to share their biggest business struggle.

And don’t limit yourself to only asking your email subscribers. Consider including this question as part of your onboarding process or website contact form.

Utilize social media.

Think about where your ideal clients and customers hang out. Which social platforms are they using? Do they like to engage on Facebook, or do they tend to connect on Instagram?

Wherever they are, a little research (ok, it might be casual stalking) can help you identify their problems and offer your expert solutions. Go to groups and accounts and pages where they likely hang out and read the posts and comments. What questions are people asking? What challenges are they sharing?

If it’s allowed, reply with your own comments and offer something that will help them. Remember, you’re not there to shamefully self-promote. But engaging and offering helpful tips and resources is a great way to both help people and showcase your expertise. You might be surprised to see the business that can result from these social connections.

Ask your current clients.

Take a minute to ask your current clients what business challenges are holding them back. It’s the perfect opportunity to learn more about their current roadblocks and gain a better understanding of what they need to overcome them. They could be facing problems that you didn’t realize they had, which – if you can offer a product or service that will help them – opens the door to repeat business.

Your Expertise + Your Readers’ Needs = The Sweet Spot

Keep in mind that you don’t have to solve a specific problem in every blog post you create. Your goal is to create an interesting mix of content that not only solves problems, but also educates, entertains, encourages, promotes, etc.

But when it’s time to solve those problems, you’ll need to be clear on which problems you’re able to solve – and which solutions your readers most need.

Get that clarity, and you’ll gain confidence knowing that if there is a problem residing in that sweet spot, (yo!) you’ll solve it.

If you want a regular dose of expert copywriting and content marketing tips, trainings and resources, follow my Instagram and Facebook pages! I provide the strategies and support you need to grow your business with words that beautifully tell your brand story, capture your voice and captivate your audience.

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