A website without a blog....
Chances are, you have a website for your business. In fact, it was probably one of the first things you set up for your business. You made sure you were able to get the perfect domain name. And you made sure the website was on all of your marketing materials. That’s all you need to do, right?
Unfortunately, no, and it’s something many business owners don’t realize. If you have a website, you really should blog. I was having this conversation with a couple of different people recently. One was my mother, who has a degree in marketing. The other was a dear friend and mentor who helped me start my professional blogging-for-others biz. For my mother, who is not Internet savvy at all, I described having a website without a blog as a store without product to sell. You can get the best location, you can make sure you have the right business name, and have a grand opening, but if you don’t have something on the shelves to make people come in (or more importantly, back), it’s just wasted space.
I have come across a number of business websites without a blog. For some businesses, their website is just a one screen landing page, giving the address, hours and phone number. This may be a more affordable option than running an ad in the phone book, but it is not an effective option. Other businesses have their products on their site, with options to order online, and that’s great. But, they still need a blog.
Just as you would talk to the customers who entered your store or business, you want to engage with visitors to your website. Tell them what’s new. Let them know about your product lines. Give them a personal behind the scenes look at how you do something. Customers love to feel a personal connection with businesses they support.
Blogging also allows you to establish yourself as an expert in your field. Let’s say you are a therapist and you are wondering if you should take the time to blog. If you blog about the certain field you practice in, you are sharing your knowledge and expertise. When people are looking for experts in particular industries, they often find them via blogs. It's one of the best ways to 'toot your own horn!'
Using key search words will help your blog show up in search engines, so visitors will be directed to your website. You increase your visibility, broaden your audience, and grow your customer base. By blogging, you are sharing your voice with potential clients/customers so they get a feel for who you are beforehand, prompting them to pick up the phone to schedule an appointment or visit your business.
What kind of businesses should blog? All of them!
Therapists
Real Estate Professionals
Attorneys
Tattoo Shops
Beauty Salons
Car Dealerships
Restaurants/Chefs
Distributors
Suppliers
Manufacturers
Gift Shops
The possibilities are as varied as the vast number of businesses out there. If your business has a website, you need to blog!
“I don’t think my business needs a blog” is something I have heard often. Coke has 170 million consumers and they blog. Starbucks blogs. Other companies blog. If they blog, you should, too. Sure, those bigger companies have marketing teams just to handle their blogs, social media, and other marketing – with the exception of Marriot, who’s CEO actually does his own. And you may not have the budget to hire a team to handle your marketing or even a PR firm. That’s where I can help.
It’s a relatively painless process. Through phone calls or video conferencing, we will establish the voice you want your blog to reflect. (If you are local to my area, I will be glad to come in to see your business to get an in- person feel for it.) We will come up with topics, themes – whatever works best for you and your business. Then, we can determine how many blogs you want/need per month. Most of our communication will be done via email and can be as frequent as you need. Blogging doesn’t have to be a difficult, painful process – when you let Words for Hire handle it!
