By Sharon A.M. MacLean who invites your comments following this blog. You can also find more modern marketing strategies for business here. http://bit.ly/1cKPcjn
“Don’t bring up the word ‘blog’ to me anymore,” said a rather ruffled wealth management CEO,” in a discussion about sales and marketing. “I don’t have time.”
I hear the complaint every day. This executive knows that writing is time consuming and he’s not clear about results for all the effort. He would rather pick up the phone and make arrangements for lunch or have his assistant set up a list of appointments for an upcoming sales trip.
It reminds me of a high-end retailer who once told me that he didn’t need to advertise in my print magazine for clients because his relationships were developed on the golf course. He was right, of course—until his funnel of golfing clients started drying up due to retirement or company “right sizing.”
Of course, younger executives are not in the habit of answering the telephone, at all. You want an appointment? Protocol says to ask for a meeting—either on mobile, by Skype, or in person—through email or a business platform such as LinkedIn. Except you don’t have their email address…and they’re not about to answer a query from someone they don’t know or trust. Your message falls into junk mail.
Yes, prospecting for new customers is more complicated.
Southwest Airlines VP of Communications and Strategic Outreach Linda Rutherford said,“The way the world used to be, when you tuned into television news, 90% of the population saw it. That’s simply not the world of today. There are so many different ways to reach people, to share with them, and to tell them about your brand.”https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindarutherford
Jerome Hiquet, Vice-President of Marketing at Club Med North America agreed with her in the same discussion: “Customers are multi-channel, they use lots of channels to reach us…To engage, we must be everywhere…”https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeromehiquet
High quality blogs establish credibility
Blogs are an integral channel today because every new piece of content helps to index your company website pages on Google. It’s how your website gets placed at the top of a Google search without paying for advertising. And if your blog, website and social media are set up properly, you’re able to capture email addresses and mobile numbers of those who may want to stay in touch with you over time. Blogs also help to convey professional credibility on LinkedIn and Twitter.
There’s a catch, though: The content is not about you or your products and services. It’s really the opposite of old-school selling.
Here’s an example of what that means. I recently noticed a business client who launched a new service. They decided to promote the initiative on their website. Great, right?
But this particular business never blogs. The only time they promote something is when they have something to sell. Trouble here is they don’t attract visitors because the people they want to reach don’t really know you so well.
Here’s 3 steps to remember when you start a blog.
- It’s not about you, your products or your services: People won’t buy from you just because you think they should do so. Writing for your audience is harder than it sounds say many pros. Great content helps your audience and engages them in a human or emotional way. Most marketing content is self-promotional and boring, and that’s why it largely gets ignored.
- Strive for reliability: Writing with regularity suggests that your audience can depend on you and trust the source. It shows you’re trying. If it’s October and your most recent blog post is two years ago, that’s a problem. It makes readers feel like you don’t care about your business.
- Find your own voice: Writing with regularity helps develop a style. Again, individuals cannot begin to know and trust you, if you show up late or when the mood strikes. Relationships are strengthened when your friends know they can count on you.
Blogs mean business
Need more evidence? HubSpot http://bit.ly/18Ave8O is a company that tracks relationships between marketing activities, the volume of traffic, and leads that correlate with those activities. CEO Brian Halligan (pictured above) saw his company’s 2014 revenue score of $115.9 million–up 49 percent compared to the year prior–show these sample results.
- Companies that blog 15 or more times per month get 5x more traffic than companies that don’t blog
- The average company with 100 or more total blog articles is more likely to experience continued growth in prospects.
- B2C companies see a 59% increase in traffic after growing total blog articles from 100 to 200 total.
Think you don’t have time to blog? Try trading in the time you spend trying to connect using old-school methods with some new ways that work today.\
Need help with modern marketing? Contact me through LinkedIn or by email:sharon@worldgatemedia.com.
Life-long communications strategist Sharon MacLean owned and published a traditional print magazine over 21 years for business people. She now applies her enhanced knowledge in digital marketing to the needs of her clients and believes in the value of combining the best of both worlds.
Gisele J Grenier
This is a fantastic article and it’s so great seeing in right in front of me. I don’t think we can afford “not” to blog quality content. If people are looking for time savings, they should log how long they spend on social media playing games 😉
Sharon A.M. MacLean
It’s always about setting those priorities for our time, Gisele. Thanks for your comment!
Cathy Jennings
The time issue is a real one for most small business owners that I work with. They are stuck in a hard spot — too small to hire someone to blog for/with them and too busy working in their business to do the blogging themselves. Showing REAL ROI for blogging is an important step in converting them to blogging and some of the “newer” marketing strategies.
Sharon A.M. MacLean
I see the same thing, Cathy. The other thing I didn’t talk so much about was how to acquire content…yet, the biggest response I get is with original content that gets re-purposed 5 times.
rozbeads
I have a love-hate relationship to blogging. When I hit on an interesting topic that relates to my product and I can weave a story, I’m in love with blogging. Then I’m let down because this great blog, despite keyword in title, doesn’t get organic traffic. I follow your 3 great points and am waiting for my tipping point. Probably some actions I should be taking & not waiting. Hmm.
Sharon A.M. MacLean
Here’s to you and me and OUR tipping point, Roz! Keep it up — your stuff is good.
Clive
So often businesses focus on the quick win. They splash out money on advertising and leaflets but only something like 3% of your ideal audience is looking for you and ready to buy. Those are the people most businesses go after. It’s cat and dog getting those prospects.
You’re far better to build a connection with your target audience and work to build a relationship with them as well as educate them about how you can help them. Blogging is one way to do that. It’s not pushy and it’s not too salesy, but it does get your prospects closer to wanting to buy from you. If you don’t have a blog for your business you’re missing a trick!
Great post Sharon.
Sharon A.M. MacLean
It takes time to build those relationships, Clive. But it’s SO worth it. 🙂
Beverley Golden
Those stats on increases in both visibility and business, are pretty staggering Sharon. I never would have imagined blogging 15 times a month or more, would get that big an increase in traffic. Wow, that means lots of writers, (like me), might be needed to actually create relevant content for a business or company in a voice that is uniquely their own. This is definitely a fabulous article and very eye-opening indeed. Something all business owners would be very wise to pay attention to. And soon. Thanks again for a powerful article!
Sharon A.M. MacLean
Good writers have a fabulous future, Beverly. Web marketing now is demanding higher quality content. You’ve got it!
carundle
I, too, thought I had nothing to say and even less time to blog. But just making the decision to do it consistently every week has made the juices flow more easily.
Sharon A.M. MacLean
It can be the nucleus of a solid marketing plan, right?
Cassandra McIntyre
Sharon blogging is the best way to increase exposure and attract targeted customers. Great information here. Thanks
Sharon A.M. MacLean
Thank YOU, Cassandra. Blogging is BIG for business.
Beth Niebuhr
Writing a blog that gives value, not just spammy self-promotion is worth the time that is takes. Why should anyone want to buy from you if you don’t demonstrate that you have ideas worth your time and theirs?
Sharon A.M. MacLean
You’re right, Beth…It’ so much about give-to-get.
Michael Kawula
With everyone on social media how can we not blog? Established business or not it’s a great way to reach large numbers of people and have those people get to know what you are about. Sharing valuable content about your expertise and what you do will attract people who will trust you by getting to know you and make you credible in your niche.
Sharon A.M. MacLean
Totally right, Michael. Another element to keep in mind–especially for local biz–is how a blog serves their own community.
Sherri Frost
It seems like we have so many things to do but a blog is a really important priority for your time if you are in business.
Sharon A.M. MacLean
It definitely is the nucleus of what I do, Sherri.
Kristen Wilson (@k10wilson)
Blogs surely have their value… and if the CEO doesn’t have time to blog, for goodness sake, doesn’t he/she have an employee that could? Or pay for a blog and revise it… what the heck people.. it’s not rocket science, but ever so valuable!
Sharon A.M. MacLean
Kristen — I LOVE your practical view of life. 🙂
Beth Blacker
I am going to start to write regular blogs for my husband’s mortgage company’s website but first the website needs a refresh. It has been two years and lots of the components are “broken” it seems so no amount of blogging will help at this point. Sigh…it never ends does it???
Sharon A.M. MacLean
I hear YOU, Beth. We’re in similar boats…and somehow I don’t think it does end.
rubyrusine (@SocialSMktg)
I so agree about keeping the audience in mind.
It would be necessary for some to optimize blog for two audiences: humans and bots.
Great stuff!
Sharon A.M. MacLean
I learned about the one-two hit of writing for humans/bots some time after starting in this biz, Ruby. That was a BIG one.
Jackie Harder (@keydynamics)
To your point — I was just asked to contribute a UK magazine for start-ups based on my content, my blog and social media. I didn’t even know this publication, with 200K subscribers, existed. But they found me through my content.
Sharon A.M. MacLean
Brava!! Jackie. It’s exciting how this works, eh? (Eh – that’s a bit of Canadian for you.)