Why Blogging is Good For Your Business

So, you have an amazing site… Great, well done you.

You may also post regular sales messages through your own social media channels.

In fact, there are a myriad of sales options out there, designed to show your clients that one irresistible offer that will make a huge difference to their lives and to your bottom line.

So why introduce blogging into the mix? What purpose does it serve?

I’d like to start by stating the obvious… Your clients are people.

Let’s think about that for a second. Whether they are the CEO of a major corporation, the owner of a chip shop or a single parent struggling to make ends meet, they all share that one common quality.

As ‘people’, they will base their relationships on perception, trust and familiarity. This works not only in their personal lives but also transcends into their purchases too.

Remember, your website is a sales platform pure and simple. It is the showroom for what you have to offer to satisfy your clients desires.

Trouble is, yours is not the only website out there, and the chances are you are not the only one offering the same product or service.

Having a blog takes you out of the rat race, in which thousands of businesses are standing on their own little patch of land screaming:

“Buy from me… Buy from me… BUY FROM ME!!”

When you have a blog, the clients come to you. They seek you out – Why?

Let’s look at the stats. Then I’ll help you understand why those impressive figures are entirely logical:

Firstly, the blog is NOT a direct sales tool and (barring a few minor exceptions), should never be used as one. It’s there to build a relationship between you and your clients:

• You wouldn’t walk up to an attractive lady or gentleman at work and suggest marriage and children over the water cooler (I hope).
• You’d get to know them and they choose to get to know you (based on their initial perception). You might even offer them a small gift in the form of a FREE refreshing cup of water.
• When your relationship has reached a certain level of familiarity and trust, you can take your communication to a new venue (coffee shop or restaurant) then move on from there.
• After a few restaurant dates, your level of commitment may move to the next level, perhaps eventually leading to marriage.
• Heavy couple of days eh?

So, when designing a blog think initially about what it is that your clients want to see. Be aware that they are constantly barraged by numerous metaphorical marriage proposals which they automatically ignore.

Look for initial opportunities to serve your clients for free, offering them content that they really want (the chat and cup of water at the water cooler).

Make your blogs regular. This sets you up as the resident and reliable expert in their mind’s eye.

Encourage those who can’t get enough of your content to sign up to your mailing list (taking them away from that water cooler and into a coffee shop to offer them something of more value for free. The metaphorical cup of coffee).

Once they are on your mailing list:

• They already know and trust you.
• They are comfortably familiar with your brand.
• They WANT to buy from you.

Now your free content can point towards a bigger offering, whilst still adding value.

If you follow this, then more than likely you will begin to receive comments and emails from potential clients who have loved your free content and are eager to purchase your bigger offering.

On the subject of what specifically to put into your blogs, this will be covered in a future post. I will say for now though, that my rule of thumb is the same as it is with social media:

Your content has to either inspire, educate or entertain (or a combination). If it does none of those then it is a waste of a post.

There should be some sort of call to action (To like a Facebook page or join a mailing list perhaps).

And I know this was mentioned earlier but beyond the branding, your blog should not be a blatant self-promoting sales document.

Remember you want your clients to WANT to buy from you not ignore you.

Good luck with your blogging. Comments and questions welcome below, as always.

Till next time…

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