5 Ways a Blog Can Attract Clients
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A business blog is a great way to attract clients to your website. If you haven’t already started one, I highly recommend that you do, even if you don’t consider yourself a writer.
There are many good reasons for blogging – here are just a few.
1 – Make a personal connection
Your blog gives you a chance to connect with prospective clients on a personal level. While your website simply tells them about your business, your blog is interactive. It provides a platform to start a dialog where they can leave comments and get to know you better.
Your blog gives your business a human face. Make sure that you use it that way and reply to each comment your readers leave!
2 – Demonstrate expertise and credibility
A business blog gives you an opportunity to establish your expertise and build your reputation. By finding out what you know through your blog, website visitors will come to know, like, and trust you.
3 – Customize your marketing
Blogging is more effective and less expensive than many other methods of promoting your business. Advertising on other websites can be costly, and usually doesn’t have as much impact as a blog. In addition, you can learn a lot about your target market through their reading behavior and the comments they leave on your blog.
4 – Attract search engine traffic
Adding a blog to your website is a great way to attract traffic from search engines. The search engines favor sites that have fresh, updated content. Even writing just one blog post per week will bring more search traffic your way, especially if you choose a few good keywords for each post. Write two or three blog posts a week and you’ll really see your traffic climb!
5 – Gain visibility for your products and services
Through your blog, you can let people know about your special promotions, new products and services, and events that you’re hosting or participating in. Adding a feed to your social media sites will ensure that every blog post shows up there as well, further increasing your visibility.
If the thought of writing makes you anxious, just remember that you’re not writing the Great American Novel! Simply focus on the wants, needs, challenges, interests and questions of your clients, and write short, conversational pieces as if you’re speaking directly to them.
If you don’t have a blog, what is the main reason you haven’t started one? If you do, what was the main factor that led you to take the plunge?
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I like your last point about writing a conversational piece. I often read my blog posts out loud to get a feel for what it sounds like and how it’ll be received. It’s always my goal to have it sound authentic and engaging. Good points, Janet!
I’ve never tried that, but it sounds like a great idea! Apparently reading your work aloud is also a good way to spot errors that you might otherwise miss.
This is great, Janet. I have several clients that are so intimidated by writing a blog. They think it will take them really long but depending on the topic it can take an hour or two max.
I like your statement your not creating a novel. When I started, I had to remind myself about that every week and just stick to the facts. Smaller DIY projects topics were easier to write and reviews on products I purchased was fun and easy to breakdown to write.
Those are great topics, too, because they really show your own slant on the topic rather than just a rehash of what’s been said many times before.
I have come a long way since I started blogging, especially the amazing connections I have made. A great way to get your message and personality out to potential clients.
Yes – potential clients, and referral sources too!
I think blogging definitely gives readers an insight into who you are… the first step in building trust. If you are regular, it also keeps you in front of your potential audience, so that you are top of mind when they are ready to move forward! I also just like having the platform to help people and get to know others in my profession.
That’s another great benefit, Seana. I really think folks who don’t blog are missing out on a lot!
Great post Janet and so many good points! The more I write and blog, the more I find that it’s so important to reach your readers in a way that is relational and conversational. I struggle with consistency but am making it a goal to improve that this year. Thanks for the wonderful insights!
“Relational and conversation” is a great way to put it. I’ve been to blogs where each post is basically an ad and I feel bad that they just don’t get it.
2b — If you meet someone who is not yet a client or subscriber, and they are talking about an organizing issue they’re having, say, “I wrote a blog article about that. Would you like me to email it to you?” Gives you an excuse to contact them, keep the conversation going, and impress them with your expertise and helpfulness.
I’ve done that too. And another benefit is when you receive a question by email, if you’ve addressed it in your blog, you can either send them the link or simply copy and paste the relevant section into the email, which makes it look like you took the time to craft a well thought out reply.
I started blogging to demonstrate expertise. Now that I have posts under my belt I can forward appropriate posts to clients to help us along in our journey together. I love getting in-person comments on my posts. It always takes me by surprise that people are actually reading and that what I am writing is connecting with them.
It feels good, doesn’t it! Many people won’t leave a comment on the post, so you may not even realize they read it, and it’s a lovely surprise to have them mention it later on.
Many of my clients knew me first through my blog and book. Seana mentioned how that is a first step in building trust. I totally agree. I always write with my clients in mind. Even if they aren’t participating in the conversation on the blog, they are thinking about and processing ideas in the posts.
As Heather said, the posts are also useful for follow-up emails or conversations. If clients, colleagues or friends are having a challenge, I often will send a link to a post that might help.
Originally when I began blogging it was to establish a wider reach for my expertise and bring exposure to my book. Six years later, it has become so much more including all the points that you wrote about Janet.
Linda, I first “met” you when one of my clients sent me a copy of your book, then I started reading your blog, and now the rest is history — in fact, I think we’ve both connected with new people as a result of knowing each other.
Wow! I love this post and all of the comments! I started blogging to promote my organizing business in a local paper. Then I realized I was able to serve so many more people with my blog. As Linda said they may not be commenting but they are processing the ideas from my posts and learning new ways to organize, blog, decorate, and more.
Blogging really is a labor of love for me because it’s time away from my family. I won’t take time away from my family for just anything.
I love that my blog lets people get to know me first. Especially since I post a lot about my own challenges. I have had clients call me just because they have been reading my blog and are finally brave enough to do the work. That’s an amazing feeling that I crave more of!
Autumn, I also consider my blog a “labor of love.” I enjoy it so much that I don’t always remember to pay attention to the ROI, even though I know how important it is to be strategic.
I started couple of blogs, but they had 3-4 posts and I left them aside. I suppose I have to find my passion 🙂 When you have a passion, or a business you want to promote through blogging, you are more willing to not give up, and you give people more valuable information on the subject you write for. And value is the most important. The rest will follow.
You’re absolutely right, Samantha. I’ve started a few blogs on various topics over the years, but since I wasn’t passionate about the topics, they just fizzled and died.