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Why Most Business Blogs Miss It And How To Fix It
- By Lynette Chandler -
What if I told you, the reasons people give you for having
a business blog are inaccurate
or misguided? It's a huge generalization but give me a few
minutes and I'll tell you why. In the earlier days, when
businesses were just beginning to explore blogs as a possible
marketing media, there is much need to educate business
owners about the more technical aspects how blogs can work
to their advantage.
It is true, a blog can help bring you traffic much faster
because it can notify search engines you have added new
content. It is true that blogs with the power of RSS built
right in, help bring people back to your website and yes
it's true that blogs are easier to update and do search
engine optimization for. If you build a blog for these reasons,
you are certainly not wrong and are probably reaping some
of its benefits. However, you may be missing out on perhaps
the more powerful use of a blog and that is – To Win
Friends And Influence People.
In case you haven't noticed, marketing today has changed
considerably and if you want to do business online, that
change is even more distinct. It's no longer about a company
telling people about their products it's about customers
discussing and sharing experiences about a product. People
do not want to interact to machines or customer service
reps who seem to have no authority to do anything but answer
and log phone calls. What people want is to become part
of a company's business process, be heard and to communicate
directly. In short, winning friends and influencing people
work a lot better.
Your blog can and should do just that. Do not try to hard
sell on your blog – it doesn't work. You can include
a friendly, no pressure note or two about special offers,
products or your joint ventures but if sales pitch is the
theme of your blog, you probably won't get many repeat readers
or interaction. Your blog's ultimate goal should be to share
your knowledge, get people comfortable with you, gain friends
and better yet, fans. Have you ever recommended a friend
for a job or a friend's product to others not because she
is your friend but because you have intimate knowledge how
she operates, you know she will do the employer or customer
right? That is the kind of relationship you want to build
with your blog readers.
Maybe you're thinking – why do it with a blog when
you are already applying the same principles to your newsletter?
Good question. Email is an awesome marketing tool, nothing
comes close to it. Unfortunately, nothing comes close to
email spam either. People are weary and with fake emails
threatening to rob people of their identities, bank accounts
and what not, it's scary and makes people guard their email
address even more closely. By blogging, you aren't forcing
them to give you anything. If they are interested in what
you have to say, what you have to offer, they can return
to read your insight at their convenience without any kind
of commitment. This is a very important time in the sales
process especially online because people can't be in your
presence and experience you for what you are. Since blogs
are so informal, where your personality often comes through,
it gives you a chance to warm up your prospects. When they
are ready, they will not only give you their email, they
will be loyal customers.
The other thing about blogs is, they allow comments which
is a great way to allow your customers to be more involved
with your business. Unlike a forum where the discussion
is group centered, when you participate in a discussion
with prospects and customers on your blog, it feels much
more like a direct one on one communication which is what
people are seeking.
Put this to the test right away. Center your blog
around the prospects; blog to make friends. You'll be surprised
where it might take you.
Moms: How to Start your
own Blog!
A lot of moms write me asking about how to start
their own blog. Actually, starting your own blog is
much easier than starting a website. You just need
to find the right blogging software, name your blog,
and start making blog posts. Then when you’ll
got a good start on it, promote it to the blog search
engines.
A good friend of mine Lynette Chandler has a super
guide called, The Blogging Starter Pack that totally
walks you by the hand step-by-step to starting your
own blog. Seriously, I wish this was around when I
started my blog.
The Blogging Starter Pack has valuable audio and
video lessons that are updated regularly that show
you how to setup your blog, using blogs as an effective
business tool, and how to drive traffic to your blog.
And you don’t have to be a techie to get this.
Lynette makes it so simple, that your kids could probably
start a blog!
Learn
how to start your own blog! |
Other related Blogging Articles:
Why Blog: Aren't
Websites Enough?
What's Wrong with Your Blog
and How to Fix it
What to Blog About
Blogging Your
Way to Loads of Content
Making Money
on your Blog
10 Ways to Boost
your Brand on your Blog
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