Effective small business blogging — blogging that generates organic search traffic and qualified website leads — isn't about you.
It's about your customers.
You'd think that would be a big, fat "Duh!" concept.
But few small businesses get it.
As the saying goes, "It's hard to read the label when you're stuck inside the bottle."
Small businesses who blog from inside the narrow confines of their lonely "bottle" routinely commit these three cardinal sins of small business blogging:
Do you need to repent? Then follow these three commandments of an effective small business blog:
In other words, speak to felt needs. Write about what your prospects and customers care about. Speak to their pain, problems, goals, and desires.
If you're a hairdresser, do your customers want a haircut, or do they want to look and feel fabulous?
If you own storage units, do your customers want a place to dump their junk, or do they want peace of mind?
In other words, once you've identified and are catering to their problems and needs (relevance), show them how to solve their problems and meet their needs.
So hairdressers, what tips can you give your audience for looking and feeling fabulous? What products do you recommend to meet that need, and why?
Owners of storage units, how can your customers pack their goods into their unit without damaging them? What types of locks should they use? What should they look for in a storage unit to get the peace of mind they seek?
Don't hold your secrets back: The business that educates is the business that wins the hearts and minds of customers.
In other words, tell them where and how to solve their problems and fulfill their needs.
And make the call-to-action compelling by adding even more value.
Speak to felt needs. Provide valuable educational content. Tell your readers what to do.
Simple? Yes. Easy? No.
At least not when you're locked tight inside your bottle.
It's about your customers.
You'd think that would be a big, fat "Duh!" concept.
But few small businesses get it.
As the saying goes, "It's hard to read the label when you're stuck inside the bottle."
Small businesses who blog from inside the narrow confines of their lonely "bottle" routinely commit these three cardinal sins of small business blogging:
- They write about what's important to them, not what's important to their prospects and customers.
- They offer rehashed, generic, ho hum pabulum, rather than creating legitimate, substantial value.
- They fail to provide a clear and compelling call-to-action.
Do you need to repent? Then follow these three commandments of an effective small business blog:
1. Be Relevant
In other words, speak to felt needs. Write about what your prospects and customers care about. Speak to their pain, problems, goals, and desires.
If you're a hairdresser, do your customers want a haircut, or do they want to look and feel fabulous?
If you own storage units, do your customers want a place to dump their junk, or do they want peace of mind?
2. Be Valuable
In other words, once you've identified and are catering to their problems and needs (relevance), show them how to solve their problems and meet their needs.
So hairdressers, what tips can you give your audience for looking and feeling fabulous? What products do you recommend to meet that need, and why?
Owners of storage units, how can your customers pack their goods into their unit without damaging them? What types of locks should they use? What should they look for in a storage unit to get the peace of mind they seek?
Don't hold your secrets back: The business that educates is the business that wins the hearts and minds of customers.
3. Provide a Direct, Clear, & Compelling Call-To-Action
In other words, tell them where and how to solve their problems and fulfill their needs.
And make the call-to-action compelling by adding even more value.
"Set Your Haircut Appointment Now to Get a Free Hair Washing & Coloring"
"Call Us Now to Get Your First Month of Storage for Free"
Speak to felt needs. Provide valuable educational content. Tell your readers what to do.
Simple? Yes. Easy? No.
At least not when you're locked tight inside your bottle.
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