Hello, there!
Do excuse me for a moment, but I’ve got a bone to pick. I love so many of you time tracking startups, but you’re not taking advantage of content marketing to blow the roof off the app store.
There is a lot of competition in the software world. The competition for time tracking startups is no exception. I have a secret to share with you about this. This secret will help you smoke the competition. You’ll be so far gone they won’t even know you’re in the race.
Ready? Here it is: the most simple, easy way to get ahead of the competition is to get noticed.
Wait! I know that seems mind-numbingly obvious. But guess what? You’re not getting noticed. At least, most of you aren’t. Do you want to know why not? Because setting up a website and throwing your app on the ITunes store isn’t going to do diddlysquat for catching anyone’s eye.
[Tweet “The most simple, easy way to get ahead of the competition is to get noticed.”]Look, you’re smart. Heck, I’d be totally lost if someone told me to run a software company and develop a time tracking app. But I do know this: content marketing is the key to getting noticed, to developing new business, and to kicking your bottom line in the pants.
Would you like some proof?
- Our content marketing strategy helped one mobile technology company boost website traffic 14,900% in three months.
- Another small business software company increased their website traffic 6,900% in six months with our content marketing strategy.
- 97% of our clients have acquired a lead through their blog in their first month of working with us.
But you don’t have to take our word for it.
- Demand Metric points out that content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing and generates about three times as many leads.
- Hubspot notes that 82% of marketers who blog see a positive ROI (return on investment) for their inbound marketing.
It’s not too late
The great thing about content marketing is that it is always changing. There is always something new to discover and different approaches to try. Why is this good news? Because it means that you still have more than a fighting chance to not only catch up to your competition, but to get ahead.
And we are going to help you (or we could just do it for you). If you want to take the DIY (Do It Yourself) road to blogging, we’re offering you these 10 ideas, complete with kick-ass keywords that will help you rank highly in Google search.
Just one important note – you can’t publish one blog post and then wander off thinking you’re done. A content marketing strategy is no different for time tracking startups than it is for anyone else. You’ve got to commit to posting quality content on a regular basis.
A keyword phrase primer
The keyword phrase is what you type into the search bar when you are looking for something. For instance, if I was interested in blog post ideas for time tracking startups, I would type “blog post ideas for time tracking startups” into the search bar. If our promotion and content strategy is correct, and I’ve done a good job writing quality, useful material in this post, then there is a good chance that this very post will come up on the first page or two.
The same goes for the keywords in the following post ideas. The keywords are in red, along with suggested ideas for a call to action, and real life examples of corresponding blog ideas from other time tracking software company blogs.
Feel free to use these as you see fit, just bear in mind that it will take strategy and time and additional work for these phrases to work for you.
10 blog post ideas for time tracking startups
1. Features
Title: Employee time tracking app features you don’t know you need
Suggested Call to Action: “A successful business thrives on efficiency. Our employee time tracking app has the features that can save you time and money.”
It’s no secret we love TSheets. They are our go-to source on the occasions we need to track our time on projects. Their blog is a good source for learning about the personality and people that make this time tracking startup run smoothly.
Incidentally, if you do use this keyword, you’ll be competing with T Sheets – they currently rank in the first and second position for this phrase.
So if you are writing for overwhelmed HR professionals, when they look for solutions for tracking employee hours, they’re going to find you, my friend. And because you’ve told them (in your call to action) that you can save them time and money, they’re going to check out your software.
2. Goals
Title: Setting business goals and using your time effectively
Suggested Call to Action: “When you are setting business goals, it’s important to track your progress. Our time tracking software can help you use your time efficiently, so you can focus on results.”
Toggl has a visually appealing blog with a focus on – take a guess – time management! It’s actually called the “Life & Time Management Blog” and it is filled with page after page of tips for using time management to enjoy life more.
However, it’s not all fun and games. Toggl is all about keeping you on track by keeping tabs on your time. How much of your work time is productive? Did that report really take you five hours, or were you hanging out at the water cooler for 45 minutes?
Sometimes, people don’t realize they need you until you pop up in a Google search with the solution to their problem. Toggl understands this, and they use their blog as a resource to draw in customers who are beginning to realize how much Toggl would help them. My one complaint is that not all of their blog posts have a call to action at the end, which wouldn’t interrupt the post, but would give them a chance to make a sale.
3. Billing
Title: This Freelance Time Tracker Will Make Sure You Get Paid
Suggested Call to Action: “Freelance work can be rewarding, but missing billable hours is anything but fun. Our freelance time tracker will help you keep tabs on billable hours so you can put the hours on your client’s tab.”
Harvest is another time tracking software company that understands the importance of a company blog. What I enjoy most about the Harvest blog is the “how to” approach. Any complication you could have or any way you could use Harvest more efficiently is covered in their blog. The instructional blog includes lots of visual elements that complement the subject matter.
This, of course, all leads to the end result of being more mindful of tracking your billable or project hours. And for other time tracking startups, the Harvest blog is a perfect example of how to engage your customers.
Harvest claims to have over 35,000 businesses using their software. I feel sure their blog is one reason customers remain with them. They are a good example of how a blog can not only attract customers but can also help you retain customers.
4. Paycheck
Title: 5 Freelance Time Tracking Tips to Keep you Profitable
Suggested Call to Action: “The last thing you want to do is work for free. Our freelance time tracking software is designed with you and your paycheck in mind.”
Paydirt is doing something right with SEO. They were one of the first results to come up in my search for freelance time tracking software. Their blog also offers good ideas for other time tracking startups trying to court the freelance worker.
One point to mention, though, is it doesn’t look like they post very often. The posts aren’t dated, so I can’t be sure, but along with keyword optimization, Google also likes frequent posting. Our own analytics suggest that posting a minimum of twice per week is crucial to getting and staying on top of a Google search.
That point aside, they do a good job of speaking to their audience with posts directed to working as a freelancer, though not all of their posts have a call to action, which is a missed opportunity. But you know this already, right? So your blog posts will all have a call to action?
5. Direction
Title: Do Online Timesheets Have you in a Bind?
Suggested Call to Action: “Your time tracking software shouldn’t be complicated. Our online timesheets are user-friendly, and we have the best customer support around.”
Freckle doesn’t want you to have questions. But if you do, their blog probably has you covered. This is another blog heavy on the how-to, which is ideal for users who just want the nuts and bolts of how to take advantage of the software’s features.
For time tracking startups that want to meet their users in a very business-like fashion, the Freckle blog provides plenty of examples and ideas.
I’m going to pick on Freckle just a bit though. Their blog is not the most easily navigable; you have to scroll all the way through one post to get to the next, nor are the posts tagged, so it is pretty tough to find out what other topics or advice I could get from their blog. (Don’t worry, Freckle, you aren’t the only one in this group with those issues, but you seem to have a humorous side, so I’m hoping you won’t mind the critique.)
But for you, time tracking startups who are about to begin blogging, this is another way that I imagine Freckle retains customers – by offering instructions on software updates.
6. Testimonials
Title: Save Your Time with Automatic Time Tracking
Suggested Call to Action: “Did you forget to track your time? No problem. Our automatic time tracking software will help you figure out just where the time went.”
There is a term in content marketing called “social proof” that uses testimonials and statistics to “prove” the choice you are making is a good one, based on the fact that other people have already made the same choice. In other words, “50 million Elvis fans can’t be wrong.”
Timecamp successfully integrates this idea into their blog with guest post from customers. You can do this, too. In fact, if they are already doing it, shouldn’t you be doing it, too? (See how we used social proof there?)
7. Productivity
Title: How to Be More Productive at Work
Suggested Call to Action: “People look at time tracking software because they want to know how to be more productive at work. Contact us and we’ll help you find the answer.”
The Timeneye blog is to productivity what lettuce is to salad – or something like that. Seriously, though, their blog is very focused on how to be more productive at work, but also just in life. There are some good ideas here for your blog, if not just for your personal use. In fact, I just bookmarked this blog, because goodness knows I could always use some productivity advice!
They do make a mistake, though – a mistake that a lot of blogs are making. Can you guess what it is? Yup. No call to action. Blogs are great – we believe they can help bring you oodles of business, but you have to give your reader the option to sign up for your newsletter, or get a trial run of your software, or something. It doesn’t have to be a hard sell, but this is valuable real estate. They just read your blog post, so they are at least somewhat invested in you. Make it easy for them to learn more.
8. Projects
Title: How Project Time Tracking Software can Keep you on Track
Suggested Call to Action: “Your project is running way over time and over budget. Project time tracking software can help you stay on track, and help you make the best choices for the best results.”
Project management is one of many places that time tracking software companies can help their blog readers. The Paymo blog, like many others, is geared toward helping their readers effectively use their software. Highlighting your assets is one of many ways you can use your blog to address your readers’ problems.
The Paymo blog offers solutions to problems. That’s good! It’s a good way to draw your readers in, and turn them into customers. Just, you know, put a call to action in there….
9. Fear
Title: Track Your Hours or Lose Your Shirt
Suggested Call to Action: “Don’t waste your money or your time. Track your hours to make sure you get paid. We can help.”
I’ve got to hand it to Hours, this headline stopped me in my tracks. Really, this is a killer headline. Overall, I like the Hours blog for a couple of reasons: the posts are aligned with their product, but they also branch out a bit. Naturally, there is some “newsy” stuff in here, but they also integrate interesting topics that are related to their software without being sales-y.
They also happen to have more good headlines, like, “Sleep is not a Luxury, Your Success Depends On It” and “10 Things Thomas Edison Taught Us About Productivity.” Yup, these folks have got this blog thing down. Take a few minutes and skim through to get some ideas for your time tracking company blog.
This a good example of how using good headlines and good content can bring you business. These folks are witty, and they know what they’re talking about. This makes me think they would be good at customer service if I ever had issues with their software. Just one thing, guys. Do I need to say it? Yeah, no call to action.
You, time tracking startups won’t make that mistake with your blog. Please. It’s kinda killing the marketer in me.
10. Focus
Title: Guaranteed Techniques to Stay Focused at Work
Suggested Call to Action: “We can’t make your work more interesting, but we can help you stay focused at work. Try a free trial of our time tracking app, and focus on the task at hand.”
Rescue Time is a great source of inspiration for a time tracking company blog. Thier blog is about focus, which is one of the many implied values of using their software. I like the soft sell approach combined with useful information and an interesting variety of topics.
Ultimately, time tracking software is designed to help us all be more efficient. Their blog embodies that ideal by offering tips and suggestions to help me focus and complete projects. And, of course, since they have a very subtle call to action in the posts, I can just click and bingo! There’s the software I need to download! Now!
See what I’m getting at with the call to action, and how it can help you turn a reader into a customer?
So what do you think? Are you ready to start on or update your company blog? Did these blogs inspire you? I hope so. I’d love to hear from you about other blog post ideas for time tracking startups. Better yet, I’d love to help you.
Get in touch to find out how we can help you make money with a blog. Our team is dedicated, focused, and excited about blogging for business. Order a BuzzAudit to get started, or email patrick@buzzfarmers.wpengine.com.
