Blogging
"Don’t ever try and sell me on anything. Give me all the information and I’ll make my own decision”. Kanye West in a tweet
(Sonja Jefferson and Sharon Tanton, Valuable Content)
Why you should blog as a business owner?
We have all become a bit like Kanye West in that we hate being sold to. The Always Be Closing method of sales that usually comes with little value upfront has become stale and dated. The new buyer is now part of the on-demand generation where they expect all the information but will only act when they are ready.
Therefore as a business owner you have to be aware of this and be prepared to sell passively to this new buyer called The Passive Buyer.
The passive buyer expects to see that you:
- Know your stuff
- Are ready to help
- Can demonstrate how quickly you can get your product/service to the customer.
A valuable blog can help demonstrate these 3 points in a cost effective way.
What is a blog?
A business blog is where you can write for the benefit of the people you do business with and give your opinion. However to be valuable, it requires you to regularly share your content that is both helpful and interesting.
Reasons to Blog
1. Trust
Although we have had a digital revolution, people still need to trust you before they do business with you. Trust is the thing that you can develop but you can’t buy. As a strategy, blogging is long term strategy and requires you to give more value than is necessarily required. I would suggest that everybody at least gives away some of their secrets.
Secrets, I can’t do that?
Through giving secrets away means that you are transparent with customers. For instance, Heston Blumenthal does it through his website but people still buy his cookery books and still go to his restaurants.
Why?
It is because Heston is so confident in his ability to create an experience that is unique and different. You need to sometimes give secrets that nobody else in your sector will and this will inevitably show confidence in your ability.
2. Give people a reason to return.
“Treat having a blog like a shop...keep replenishing the shelves”
An active blog gives a person a reason to revisit your website. A simple way of keeping your blog active is to write about current developments in your industry and join the conversation.
3. Become the expert
Lay your stake in the ground as an expert in a particular area. There is no better time to become an expert. People buy from experts who know their area of business and can show teachings from past mistakes. A blog helps you to show your expertise and this can tell people how they can do things more effectively.
4. Be human and approachable
The great thing about a blog is that it you can show a human touch. This lets the customer have an insight into your life and your why of being in business.
Q “But, I thought you have to be professional?”
A Being approachable and human shows that you have empathy. Through having empathy you get your audience to resonate with you and trust is formed.
5. Answering client’s queries
“Make sure you answer the question”. Numerous Teachers at school
One of the easiest ways to create a valuable blog is to answer the questions of clients or potential prospects. Answering questions of clients’ means that you are serving the client and this is important when thinking about creating new products or services to aid the client.
6. Build your reputation
“It takes many deeds to build a good reputation...” Benjamin Franklin.
Blogging is a cost effective way to build a reputation but it requires an incredible amount of patience. The best thing about blogging is that most of your competitors will not bother because of this fact. The fact that you as a business take time to blog will put you leaps and bounds ahead of your competitors.
7. To help make your client’s lives easier
The main reason why most people are in business is to solve a problem for a client and make their life a lot easier. Through blogging you can give somebody the tools to make decision.
Tip: Make sure you put a call to action if the reader needs further help.
8. Improve your web ranking.
The more valuable you are to people and the more you engage in the global conversation will help improve your web ranking.
9. To get even better at what you do.
Through being more helpful to clients, you become better at what you do and this means that you start wanting to get better to benefit others.
Conclusion
Blogging is a long term strategy a business can use to build trust. People might not read all of it but the fact that you have a blog shows that you have: enthusiasm, passion and pride in what you do.
Any Questions?
Contact me: Mak Mulenga at Makanka@magicmakmedia.co.uk
Trackback from your site.
