Use Your Business Blog to Create Better Customers

Summer Series: Building a Better Business Blog

Part 1 of 5: Why a blog?

You know that communicating regularly with customers can lead to stronger relationships and more business. You also know that you have information about your business that will make them better customers. So why don’t you give it to them?

Because you don’t really believe it.

If you did, you would put that information in a business blog and update it every week. You would also use social media to promote your blog and send a monthly email newsletter highlighting the best of your blog for those who may have missed it.

It’s not rocket science, but it is work.

If you have been thinking about stepping up communications to your customers and prospects, summer is the perfect window. It is a great time to take advantage of a less hectic schedule to begin providing the kind of content that makes a difference to the people most important to the growth of your business.

Let’s be honest, though. Blogging can feel like cleaning out your garage — you did it not that long ago and are not terribly motivated to do it again. That’s because you are not looking at the big picture. Blogging is not a chore but a unique opportunity to communicate directly with customers and prospects, as well as complete strangers who are searching the Internet for information on your blog topic.

Say for instance that you own a lawn service in L.A. (Lower Alabama) and it is time to fertilize. A blog post on how to fertilize a residential lawn in late May will help educate your customers about what fertilizer to use, when to apply it and how to best water it in. And by using the right keyword phrases and links, that same post will attract readers who have never heard of your business but are looking for the same information.

With a strong and consistent blog presence, you become more than a seller of goods and services. You are the expert — a trusted source for all your customers’ lawn care needs, far beyond how much nitrogen they should use on their grass.

There is no question that for some even the thought of writing a regular blog post is intimidating — either because of lack of time or confidence that it will be worth reading. If you are an expert in your field but not necessarily an accomplished writer, then consider outsourcing the job of the actual writing to someone else in your office or an outside content marketing firm. You can outline your main points and thoughts, and a professional can fill in the blanks and prepare it for posting. They will also make sure people will find it online.

Either way, the object must remain to increase meaningful communications with the people who mean the most to your business. Summer is here, so take full advantage of this window to remind your customers about the value you provide and your interest in making them a smarter consumer.

Next in the Summer Series:

Part 2: Who are you blogging for?