The Plumbing Story

Photo: Michael Coghlan/Flickr

Earlier this month, it was my week to give a 10-minute presentation about my business to the members of the BNI networking group I'm in. For a few weeks, I thought about what I would say and how I could get people to understand the value of what I do. I decided that it had to start with a narrative - a story that has a beginning, middle and end. It's human nature to be drawn in by a story, with plot and characters.

So I introduced myself and said, "I am a freelance writer and so, naturally, I'm going to start with a story about ... plumbing."

This is, more or less, my plumbing story:

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About 20 years ago, my garbage disposal died. Clearly, living without one was not an option and it had to be replaced. I thought, "y'know, I'm fairly handy. I've twisted a wrench here and there. How hard could it be?" So I made the decision to do it myself. Plus, I'd save a little money by not having a plumber come out and do it.

I went to Home Depot and bought a new garbage disposal. A few days later, I took a day off work and I figured I'd knock this out in a few hours. I'd have it done by lunch and then enjoy the rest of my day. So about mid-morning, there I was, lying on my back with my head under the sink, trying to hold a flashlight with one hand and the instructions in the other. I'm looking up at the bottom of a garbage disposal that looks nothing like the drawing in the instructions. Meanwhile, that ledge from the floor to the bottom of the cabinet under the sink is digging into the middle of my back, killing me.

That was about the time I realized that I'd made a terrible mistake.

The problem was that I didn't know exactly what I was doing, so I was fumbling through every step, trying to figure it out as I went along. Also, I didn't have the right tools. I had three or four wrenches and none of them was the right size.

I finished installing the new garbage disposal at about nine o'clock at night and, yes, the disposal worked just fine, but I felt like I had been taken out to a back alley and had the crap kicked out of me. I hurt everywhere! I thought, "Thank goodness I don't have to do that ever again!"

Flash ahead a few years... I'm in a different house and, once again, the garbage disposal dies. Remembering what I had gone through several years earlier, I called a plumber.

That guy was in and out in about an hour and it cost me, maybe, $200.

​So why did I start a presentation about my services as a writer with a story about plumbing? Because there are a few parallels between me, the lead character in that story, and business owners out there who know without a doubt that they should be blogging on their websites. That said, not everyone really understands why blogging is so important. Here are the three most important reasons:

• First, blogging drives traffic to your website because it keeps the content on your site fresh. That helps you rank better on Google and any other search engine. If you never make changes to your website, it will sink lower and lower in the ranking until it disappears from the page. Their search algorithm interprets the lack of new content as a sign that the website doesn't really provide value to the user. And that makes sense because it shows that the company doesn't really make their website an ongoing priority. Plus, the longer the site has remained unchanged, the more likely it is that the content is out of date. 
  
  Blogging helps with website traffic in a couple of other ways, For example, you can boost traffic even more by linking to the blog post in your social media. You can also re-purpose blog posts as articles on LinkedIn, which has its own publishing platform. These articles tend to be shared frequently if people find them interesting.
  
  
• Second, posting to your blog is a way to connect directly with your customer and provide something of value, which builds trust. By value, I mean information that is valuable to them, without trying to sell something. This is difficult for most business owners because it's not how how they're used to communicating with the market. Remember that you are an insider in your field and you have knowledge that can help other people. If you share it openly, without trying to leverage it to get a sale, readers are more likely to trust you.
  
  
• Third, you position yourself as a voice of authority. In other words, the market starts to perceive you as the go-to expert in your field. You become a reliable source for the knowledge people need about topics in your field if you do it consistently, which continues to establish confidence and build trust. For example, if you're an attorney and a new law is passed that is going to affect lots of people, post a blog about the law and what people can expect. Similarly, an accountant can blog about new tax laws that are about to take affect and what people should do.

So what does all this have to do with plumbing? Well, even if you're a good writer who got A's in English in school, writing a 500-word blog post is hard work because you don't do it every day. A lot of people start with good intentions and blog for a month or two, but then taper off or abandon it completely. In fact, go look at a handful of small businesses' websites and take note of when they're last post was. You won't have to look for long until you find one that's eight or nine months old. This happens not just because the writing is hard work for them, but because coming up with new ideas every week or two is also a challenge.

I'm like that plumber who came in, got the job done in a couple of hours and didn't cost me much money. I sit in front of a blank page on the screen at least once a day. And because I do it every day, I have a process that works for getting started, doing the research, coming up with a compelling introduction and writing the blog. That means what might take most people all day takes me a couple of hours and my clients are always happy with the results.

So if you know you need to blog on your website, and you dread the thought of doing it or simply don't have time, let's talk!