If you use your own website to promote your teaching business, publishing blogs is a fantastic way to stretch your content marketing skills and draw new customers to your site. Blogging boosts organic traffic from search engines, builds trust with your audience by sharing your topic expertise, and provides you with content to share across multiple marketing channels.
In this article, we’ll cover:
- Why blogs are important for building your teaching business
- How to write a blog post
- Different types of blogs used by educators
Why write blogs to promote your teaching business?
By bringing more traffic to your website, blogs have the power to boost enrollments from new learners in your Outschool classes. If a parent searches for “science activities to do at home” or “can a 5-year-old learn to speak Chinese?” and you have the answer — you need to get them to your website! Publishing valuable content around certain keywords related to your business helps you master search engine optimization (SEO) and connect with more prospective customers.
Even if users end up at your site another way — maybe they followed a link on social media or a search engine to your home page — blog posts can help you build trust with any site visitor by demonstrating your teaching expertise. They also serve as great inspiration for social media posts promoting your teaching business and can continue to drive engagement with your website long after you put in the work to write and publish each article.
Ultimately, blog posts on topics related to your class material and relevant to your target audience should move potential customers one step further on their journey to enrolling a learner in your classes.
If writing just isn’t your thing, there’s no requirement that you need to author your own blog posts (many businesses hire outside writers). Most solopreneurs start out doing everything themselves, but if you’re working with a larger business budget there are plenty of experienced freelance writers on the web who can take up the task.
What should teachers blog about?
Teachers are already ahead of the game when it comes to blogging: You know how to explain, engage, and entertain all at once. Now you just need to put it into words. Write about your shared passions with your learners, advice for parents, educational activities… whatever lights you up and aligns with your brand’s mission. Just stay focused on the end goal: promoting your classes and increasing your credibility as an expert at what you do.
Most importantly, write with your audience in mind. What do they want to know? What problem can you solve or question can you answer? Use good keyword research to fine tune a list of blog ideas that are both in your wheelhouse and will help you show up in search engine results.
Pro-tip: In addition to using SEO keyword tools, type in your blog topic to a search engine and scroll down to the “People also ask” section. Here you may find a wealth of keyword ideas related to your topic that you could include in your post! Or check out this tool to find out what the search volume is for your keywords (you want to use keywords or phrases with at least 100 searches/month).
Types of blog posts
While a blog post can be any sort of long-form article published online, there are a few main types of content that perform well on search engines and can help you match up with popular keyword searches.
1. Instructional posts (“How-tos”)
Answer question-style searches like “How to make a paper snowflake” or “How to add value to your class” with your own how-to blog posts related to your teaching topic. These instructional posts should answer questions your target audience is likely to type into a search engine. If they end up on your website and read a fabulous, helpful blog that answers their question (and has a call-to-action to sign up for your classes), you may have just landed yourself a brand new learner.
2. Listicles
The word “listicle” (yes, it’s in the dictionary) is a portmanteau of “list” and “article,” and it’s one of the most popular blog post formats on the web. You’ve probably seen blogs pop up in your own searches with titles like 4 ways to… or 20 ideas for… — including on the Educator Library! Ever read The 5 Steps to Building a Brand?
Listicles can be on pretty much any topic under the sun and should include a number in the blog title signaling to readers that this article is in a list format.
3. Current events
Harness interest in a recent event, idea, or trend with a blog post that includes your insights on the topic. Is there a new curriculum on the market related to your topic? Review it! Did scientists just make an amazing discovery in your field? Talk about it, and include a link to your newest Outschool class on the subject!
This type of content demonstrates to both users and the search engine algorithms that you have expertise in a certain topic area. If you can link the concept you’re discussing to a specific class you teach on Outschool — even better.
3. Deep dive
Deep dives into a single topic, also called pillar pages, are generally longer than a typical blog post and go in-depth on a single subject that is strongly related to your business. These are a worthwhile investment if you see an opportunity to rank high on search engines for a specific group of keywords. Many websites will only have a few (if any) pillar pages with around 2,500 – 4,000 words of copy.
For example, say you teach math using a unique approach that’s just starting to trend in schools. You may try creating a comprehensive guide for parents helping kids with math homework that uses that new system. Then, of course, you include a link to your Outschool classes for parents who would rather have a tutor do the work for them!
Blog writing basics
A great blog gives your audience the info they’re looking for with engaging, focused writing that matches your brand identity. Each of your blogs should include a few key components:
1. Title
The title of your blog should usually include your focus keyword (to help with SEO) and be no more than 50-60 characters. Google won’t display more than around 60 characters in search engine results, so avoid extra-long titles that may get cut off.
2. Intro, body, & conclusion
What you probably learned in school about writing an essay still rings true for blog posts. Set your audience up with a short intro that grabs their attention and immediately confirms that this is the info they’re looking for. Your target keyword should be used in the first sentence of the blog, and the next 1-3 sentences (or bullets) should give an overview of the article’s insights.
To boost your performance on search engines, try using bulleted lists, subheadings, bolded text, and links to internal and external resources when possible. This makes your writing more digestible for the reader and helps search engines understand your content. Weave in related keywords and phrases throughout your body section headlines and text, then wrap it up with a concise conclusion.
Which links you include will depend on your blog topic, but you should aim to have 1-3 internal links to other pages or blogs on your website, Plus, include external links to reference material when needed (for example, if you cite a statistic or quote, include that resource).
While there’s some debate over the perfect length for a blog, you generally want to aim for a bare minimum of 300 words. High-ranking blogs tend to have at least 1000 words on the page.
3. Call-to-action (CTA)
The ultimate reason you’re even writing blog posts is to expand your network of new learners and parents signing up for classes, right? Make sure it’s easy for any person who’s ready to hit “enroll’ to access your Outschool profile. This is your call to action, or CTA, and you may have more than one throughout a blog.
CTAs are essential for telling your reader what you want them to do next. Most blogs include CTAs throughout the body copy that link to additional resources and a stronger “sell” toward the end of the article.
Now “sell” doesn’t have to be an icky term; you are selling your classes to families! It’s how you approach the sale that matters. As an entrepreneur, you have the freedom to direct readers to your Outschool profile or classes using whatever language feels right with your brand.
A CTA in a blog can be something as simple as, “Would your preschooler love to learn more about bugs and butterflies? Check out this Outschool class!”
Once a family enrolls in one of your classes, remember to keep all further communication on the Outschool platform.
Before you publish
Wait — are you really ready to publish? If you haven’t edited your content, then no! Go over what you’ve written with a fine-toothed comb to check for typos, grammar mistakes, or places where you can tighten up the text. Do what the professionals do and run your copy through free editing tools like Grammar.ly, Hemingway App, or Natural Readers. Lastly, don’t forget to test any links and preview your blog within your website platform to make sure it looks right.
Now you’re ready to show the world what you know and boost class enrollments while you’re at it! And blogs are only the beginning. Find out how educators can build a following on social media and write class listings that show up better in searches.
