The busy holiday season always makes me reflect on my own buying habits. We are all inundated with a constant barrage of marketing for products and services that businesses want us to buy.
Facebook ads, email campaigns, billboards- everywhere we look online and on the street, someone is trying to sell something. This constant onslaught of advertising has made me a very decerning shopper, not just during the holidays. but all year long.
Like everyone else, I buy things for one of two reasons, to fulfill a want or a need. I turn to Google to find information on the best place to buy what I desire. I’m looking for a few different things before I decide where I’m going to spend my hard-earned money.
But, there is one major thing that tips the balance for me to leave my home and go purchase or finally click the “buy now” button on a website.
It’s something that some companies have and some don’t. That something is a blog and having one is what set’s the businesses I buy from apart.
Here’s why your business, be it brick and mortar or solely online, really needs to have a blog.
A Blog Makes you Memorable
Consumers most often start their buying journey with recommendations from friends and family. Everyones got an opinion, right?
After considering their peer’s preferences, studies show 72% of consumers go online to further educate themselves on the best places to buy the products or services they’re interested in. But, it isn’t enough to just have a website for your business. These days it’s easier than ever to build one, just about anyone can do it.
Not every business website has a blog though. Many just list services they offer and pricing- here’s what we sell, what it does, and how much it costs. Not very warm and fuzzy, eh?
Studies show 60% of consumers feel more positive about a business after reading their blog, 60%! That’s a lot of potential customers feeling good about your brand! People tend to remember businesses that make them feel good.
The bottom line is a blog helps people get to know what sets your business apart from other businesses in your industry. Having one gives you a chance to share things that are unique to you and your business and that’s what they’ll remember when they’re ready to buy.
It Gives You a Real Chance to Establish Yourself as an Expert
Sharing what you know is part of selling your product or service. A blog is a perfect medium to teach people about your products and offer real value to potential customers when they want to receive it. Think about it, a person that is already on your site is someone who’s interested in something you sell. That is the perfect time to teach them more about your products!
Print ads just aren’t as effective for sharing your expertise. People come across them all the time even when they’re not in the market to buy what your selling. I’m not saying print ads don’t work but sharing information about your business in a variety of different mediums will appeal to a wider audience. Print ads vs blogs are kind of like cold calls vs warm calls.
Warm calls always convert better than cold calls when selling a product or service. A blog is a means to provide potential customers with lot’s of helpful information all in one place. Educating people and sharing all of the things relating to the benefits of your products on your blog will help establish you as an expert in your field.
A Blog is the Fuel Your Social Media Channels Need
The whole point of social media for business is to drive traffic to a website or a brick and mortar store, right? An active blog provides a treasure trove of valuable content for your social media channels that relates directly to your business. Having shared your expertise on your blog- social media gives you the means to market it.
Being active on social media is important so it’s good to share a healthy mix of your own content and quality content from other sources as well.
It’s not enough just to post content from outside sources that relate to your business. Sharing your blogs encourages engagement. It helps people get know what you and your business is about. The key to success on social media for businesses is having a personality not just being a brand robot pushing out content.
Having a blog is the best way I know how to build customer trust
Ultimately a blog humanizes a business. This is the most effective way to build customer trust and loyalty. It gives businesses a personality, something people can learn from and relate to.
You (your personality, your quirks, your expertise, your opinions) is what sets you apart from your competitors.
The bottom line is, a blog is a place where businesses can connect and share new and relevant information with potential customers. The content from it will become the heart of all of all of your marketing efforts. A blog builds consumer confidence and relationships. Customers will view you as a reliable source of information then come to you when they’re ready to buy.
