No matter what industry you’re in, one of the first pieces of advice you’ll hear when setting up shop is that a blog can get you more business.
In the digital realm, it’s as tried and true a piece of advice as don’t counting your chickens until they hatch or saving money for a rainy day. Of course, just blogging at random is not going to bring new customers into the fold. Your blogging strategy should be like every other component of your business plan: well-thought-out, consistent, and flexible.
So what strategies should you take to blog successfully to attract business to your firm? Herein, we will discuss seven ways that blogging can get your business through your front door.
Get Personal, Get More Business
The personal touch is a big draw for many consumers. Being able to connect with a business owner or employee on a one-to-one basis enhances the emotional bond between the company and the customer.
For that reason, it’s great to blog about things that draw out the human connection: Family, relationships, holidays, anything that tells the story of the business or its founders. Pull back the covers and let your customers see what’s going on inside the office, even if you’re just a one-woman show.
The more your customers know you, the more they’ll want to connect with you.
Spread the Good News
Lots of companies rely on social media like Instagram or Twitter to update their customers when the company expands, starts selling new products, or has other important news to share.
The problem with that is twofold: First, social media is so pervasive that’s it quite likely your intended audience will entirely miss what you’re tweeting or posting because they’re getting such a massive influx of data from other sources.
Second, social media by nature is limited in the amount of space you have to fill while sharing a post. Why limit yourself to 140 characters when you can write as many words as you want and add as many photos or graphics as you need to deliver the news to your customers on your website?
Additionally, sharing news on social media keeps your customers on social media. Sharing it via your blog brings them to your site and gives you a better chance to keep them interested in something else there.
Slow cook upcoming promotions and campaigns
One of the best ways to get more business is to offer special deals that bring in new customers or bring back existing ones. You can use the slow burn method of teasing the upcoming promotion over the course of several blog posts, even to the point of asking for customer feedback on how the promotion can take place.
For instance, you can ask your blog’s readers if they’d prefer a huge one-day sale or a series of smaller deals over the course of the month. Would they rather have a day of everything 25% off or your best-selling product 50% off? Or if you’re planning on giving something away, make it a talking point or a ballot-casting product.
Would people rather have a gift card to a local eatery or some sort of SWAG with your company logo on it? Make these blogs fun and engaging.
Turn up the Buzz
Curiosity is one of the driving forces behind nearly every web search out there. If your blog can add value to what your customers are looking for, you’ve got a chance to make them customers not just today, but in the future as well.
What is buzz-worthy in your company’s niche varies by what you do, create, or supply? With the world so connected, you might consider getting a well-known name in your industry to visit your location or put on some workshop for your customers.
If yours is a smaller operation, consider adding video blogging or a podcast to your rotation. You can undertake these yourself or consider cross-promoting your business with another in your area or in your industry. If you sell organic dog biscuits, consider asking a local vet to let you interview him about proper nutrition for dogs through different stages of their lives.
Increase your SEO terms
Search engine optimization (SEO) does not refer only to the copywriting on your static front page. Every time you blog about something, you can weave specific keywords into your writing that bump your ranking up on Google search pages.
The more value your blog possesses, the more weight it will carry. If people like what they’re seeing, they’ll connect to your blog through their own along with through social media and strengthen your position.
Expand your Business Network
Think of your blog as an extension of your LinkedIn page. The more people you connect with, the more chance you have to bring in more business. By nature, entrepreneurs are always looking for ways to expand their business and solidify their brand.
A great way to do this is by connecting with other business owners whose needs intersect with our own. If you struggle with logistics or transportation costs, write a blog about the problem. Not only are you revealing more of your personal side, which makes you more relatable, but you’re explaining what your needs are as a business owner.
You’re also making yourself a focal point for would-be investors on the lookout for promising companies that they are interested in joining.
Prove that You’re With It
It might sound a bit petty on the surface, but consistently blogging on your website also sends the message that you’re aware of what 21st-century business is all about.
The ability to harness a site to provide customers with what they need in a digital environment shows that you grasp how technology has changed business. Marketing techniques are evolving all the time, but the ability to plan out, write, and deliver blogs anywhere from 1-3 times a week will set your business apart.
It also gives the perfect format for potential customers to address you in a stress-free environment. You can position yourself as an industry thought leader and deliver valuable information to visitors that starts them down the funnel towards becoming customers.
