One of the most effective ways to draw traffic to your website, and to convert some of that traffic into sales, is to work at becoming recognised as an expert in your field. People value sound, unbiased information and websites which consistently offer the kind of information that consumers want will inevitably build a following.
Think of your company website as your shop window; people browsing the web, potential customers, can look into that window and see what you have to offer. But then there are so many other shop windows offering similar products or services. Becoming an expert, offering something of value for free, will help you stand out from the crowd.
Whatever your business, whether you sell a product or provide a service, you already have a degree of expertise in the area in which you specialise. Offering up some of that expertise for free through a business blog and associated social media is a simple, cost-effective way to provide your business with a competitive advantage.
A Business Blog
I’m a copywriter so my business blog is about copywriting. I also run a small business, so I blog about the kinds of things that concern other small businesses. The aim of this post is to convince business people of the value of blogging, of how it can be used as a tool to promote you as a ‘go to’ expert, thereby stimulating traffic to your website and increasing sales.
But before diving into a business blog there are a few key points to take on board:
Answer the questions that people always ask – The point of a business blog is to provide content for your readers, the kinds of things they want know about. Make an effort to find out the questions people are asking, the kinds of search terms they use when they want to know something relating to your field of expertise. There are a number of free tools on the net to help you find the right keywords. You might also find inspiration in the types of questions your customers ask you.
Blog frequently – My heart sinks when I visit a blog where the most recent post is from several months previously; I don’t tend to visit that blog a second time. A successful blog needs to be fresh and up-to-date; frequent short posts are better than irregular rambling ones. It’s the quality of the content that matters, so offer your readers something of value: the kind of information they are looking for. Frequent posting will also help improve your blog’s Google ranking making you more visible to potential customers.
Develop your own voice – ‘Your own voice’ is one of those elusive qualities that is hard to describe, but it’s something your readers will recognise when they see it. So be consistent in the way you write, focus your attention on the reader’s needs not own and make sure your content is clear, readable and that your spelling and grammar are both correct. Above all, write as yourself and let your blog reflect your personality. You can learn from following other blogs, in fact that’s essential, but don’t try to imitate them.
Offer real value – The aim of your blog is to position yourself as an expert in your line of business, so you need to offer content that is accessible, reliable and authoritative. For the casual reader your business blog should offer interesting, potentially useful information. For those who want to know more, make sure you provide signposts for where to go next.
Social Media
You will be missing a trick if you do not promote your business blog on Twitter, Facebook and other social media. Also, readers who enjoy your blog will want to share it with others. Make it easy for them by providing social media buttons, like those at the top of this page.
Check Your Performance
In order to continue improving your blog and to stimulate traffic you need to know which of your posts prove to be of most interest to readers. Most web hosts provide a tool for analysing the statistics of your business blog. Google Analytics also provide an excellent free tool.
Get Started
Having lots of useful knowledge about your industry is one of your business’s key assets. But that knowledge can only be converted into a competitive advantage if you have a strategy for sharing it with others. A business blog is one very important way of ensuring you are the person others will come to when they want expert information.
Think of your company website as your shop window; people browsing the web, potential customers, can look into that window and see what you have to offer. But then there are so many other shop windows offering similar products or services. Becoming an expert, offering something of value for free, will help you stand out from the crowd.
Whatever your business, whether you sell a product or provide a service, you already have a degree of expertise in the area in which you specialise. Offering up some of that expertise for free through a business blog and associated social media is a simple, cost-effective way to provide your business with a competitive advantage.
A Business Blog
I’m a copywriter so my business blog is about copywriting. I also run a small business, so I blog about the kinds of things that concern other small businesses. The aim of this post is to convince business people of the value of blogging, of how it can be used as a tool to promote you as a ‘go to’ expert, thereby stimulating traffic to your website and increasing sales.
But before diving into a business blog there are a few key points to take on board:
Answer the questions that people always ask – The point of a business blog is to provide content for your readers, the kinds of things they want know about. Make an effort to find out the questions people are asking, the kinds of search terms they use when they want to know something relating to your field of expertise. There are a number of free tools on the net to help you find the right keywords. You might also find inspiration in the types of questions your customers ask you.
Blog frequently – My heart sinks when I visit a blog where the most recent post is from several months previously; I don’t tend to visit that blog a second time. A successful blog needs to be fresh and up-to-date; frequent short posts are better than irregular rambling ones. It’s the quality of the content that matters, so offer your readers something of value: the kind of information they are looking for. Frequent posting will also help improve your blog’s Google ranking making you more visible to potential customers.
Develop your own voice – ‘Your own voice’ is one of those elusive qualities that is hard to describe, but it’s something your readers will recognise when they see it. So be consistent in the way you write, focus your attention on the reader’s needs not own and make sure your content is clear, readable and that your spelling and grammar are both correct. Above all, write as yourself and let your blog reflect your personality. You can learn from following other blogs, in fact that’s essential, but don’t try to imitate them.
Offer real value – The aim of your blog is to position yourself as an expert in your line of business, so you need to offer content that is accessible, reliable and authoritative. For the casual reader your business blog should offer interesting, potentially useful information. For those who want to know more, make sure you provide signposts for where to go next.
Social Media
You will be missing a trick if you do not promote your business blog on Twitter, Facebook and other social media. Also, readers who enjoy your blog will want to share it with others. Make it easy for them by providing social media buttons, like those at the top of this page.
Check Your Performance
In order to continue improving your blog and to stimulate traffic you need to know which of your posts prove to be of most interest to readers. Most web hosts provide a tool for analysing the statistics of your business blog. Google Analytics also provide an excellent free tool.
Get Started
Having lots of useful knowledge about your industry is one of your business’s key assets. But that knowledge can only be converted into a competitive advantage if you have a strategy for sharing it with others. A business blog is one very important way of ensuring you are the person others will come to when they want expert information.
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