Every time I run I am reminded that I am not a runner. It hurts. I kind of hate it. But, still, I run.
I run because like most people I am constantly on the go. I wear many hats. I work here at HubSpot. I am a spouse. I am a new mom. I am a sister, a daughter and a granddaughter. I am an aunt and a niece.
For me, running seems to be the most efficient way for me to stay in somewhat fair condition. In about 45 minutes, I sweat out toxins and stress, I give my heart a good workout and I burn (at least some of) the excess summertime beer, margherita and ice-cream calories.
As a busy person, I know that doing my best to stay in shape is important. I feel better at the beginning of the day, I am more alert and I make better decisions.
I also know that the more I run, the more I get better at it. When I slack, it stays really, really hard. When I am consistent and committed, it gets easier, though never easy. The bottom line is, I run because it works.
My relationship with running is not unlike a lot of small business owners' relationships with marketing. They are not Marketers. They are business owners. They wear many hats, too. They are CEOs, CFOs, sales people, customer service reps, account managers -- and probably daughters, granddaughters, nieces and aunts. They are not marketers. But, like I need to exercise, they need to market.
It is important for any business of any size to build, grow and nurture a strong funnel of leads to keep the business healthy. In my experience as an Inbound Marketing Consultant, I would argue that as a small business owner, blogging is your running .
Blogging is probably the most efficient and most effective way to drive traffic to your website. An hour or two per week and you are creating a marketing annuity . Like running guarantees to burn calories, blogging absolutely guarantees more, free, search-based traffic .
If you are smart about your posts, you can assure that this new traffic is well targeted and qualified for lead generation . It just works. And, like running, if you are committed and consistent, it will get easier.
So, small business owners, though you may not be marketers, you do need to maintain a healthy business. I say blog. It just works.
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Catie Foertsch 9:02 AM on August 10, 2009
You are so wise! Being a small business owner is all about taking the marathon view, not the sprint view. Success comes slowly, the way your time improves as you train, and the way you start to feel stronger and better. It doesn't happen overnight, and it WON'T happen unless your running/blogging is consistent AND unless you challenge yourself to go a little further each time. But it will happen, and it will sneak up on you and surprise you.
Great post, Colleen!
Tandem 9:14 AM on August 10, 2009
What an excellent blog and an inspired, accurate comparison.
Liz Gallagher 9:25 AM on August 10, 2009
I feel your pain, Colleen! I too am a runner - not because I love it but because it is the most efficient way for me to stay in shape. Likewise, I think blogging is the most efficient way for small businesses to get found in the search engines. The more blog posts you write, the more opportunities you have to be found in the search engines.
Kim Kolb 9:33 AM on August 10, 2009
Thanks Colleen, Just what I needed this morning! A good case of motivation!
Deb 9:58 AM on August 10, 2009
What a great article! This is a great comparison which many people can relate to. Thanks for sharing.
@bhalligan 10:59 AM on August 10, 2009
Great analogy Colleen!
Derrick Strode 11:55 AM on August 10, 2009
Good stuff. Simple as that. You could make a series off this analogy! You're Turnkey Approved. Excellent illustration.
Mike Bruno 12:02 PM on August 10, 2009
Colleen,
Awesome post and so true. I started Hubspot in June 09 and I experienced some sore muscles for sure. As time goes on it does get easier and once you build up the blogging momentum is easier to come up with new ideas and keep it going.
Thanks
Colleen 12:13 PM on August 10, 2009
@ Mike Bruno - thank you for supporting my point. :-) I am so happy to hear that things are progressing well for you. Keep up the great work!
Colleen 12:16 PM on August 10, 2009
@ Rick Roberge - Thank you. So true. In all of these areas it is important to try and maintain momentum once you get started. Starting is the hard part, so if you only have to do it once, you'll be much happier and much better off. ;-)
Suzanne Vara 12:19 PM on August 10, 2009
This post feels so familar. As a small business owner who consults and works with small businesses I find that many hats is the new wave. It used to be that we were all Type A's who could not relinquish control but nowadays it is the norm.
I was a runner years ago and I see the running v blogging this way. When you first start out running it hurts, it is painful, it takes an hour to get you to even get your running sneakers on but after a few weeks you are shooting out of the gates first thing for that morning run. You cannot complete your day without that run. The same goes for blogging. The first few blogs are rough and very time consuming however after a few months it is what you want to do first as you are excited about it.
Matthew Trogdon 12:22 PM on August 10, 2009
Great analogy and right on target!
Mike Campbell 12:31 PM on August 10, 2009
I started running and blogging this year. The more you run, the more you can run in the same amount of time. At first, I could run just under 2 miles in 20 minutes; now I can run 2.5 miles in 20 minutes. The analogy aptly applies to blogging, too. I enjoyed reading your post and have been pushing my company to embrace blogging.
Sam Wildt 1:35 PM on August 10, 2009
Hey Colleen, we all know this, but my biggest block is like writers block...what to blog about? Where to start? I need Help, but then again you knew that!
Sam
Colleen 1:48 PM on August 10, 2009
@ Sam - Great hearing from you! Gosh I feel like there must be So much for you to write about. I imagine every project you work on has a back story. A school fundraiser, a charity event, a family reunion. Whoever you are working for at the time, there is definitely a story. Your posts don't need to be specifically about your products or services. Share some stories about things you have seen or learned from the different projects you work on. These can make for some real interesting posts and they can be great for local optimization. :-)
Gil 7:22 AM on August 11, 2009
I've never heard anyone describe it like that but I believe you're spot on.
Blogging seems to brand you more than anything. And it's that consistent branding that will get people to like you and trust you so they'll do business with you.
Great insight.
- Gil
kashif ali 6:51 AM on August 12, 2009
Very well placed.
i recently stared my blog having these tips in my mind, i think, here i can have one of best tips regarding inbound marketing.