To blog or not to blog? That is the question. And the answer is yes.
So you’ve decided to start a blog and you sit down to write, but more questions arise. The biggest and most challenging is “what do I say?” To answer this question, first think of the main reasons for communicating to your customers. You want to generate brand awareness, acquire and build relationships and gain a foothold in content marketing. It’s important to remember you are providing a voice to your business. The best starting point is to write to your customers – what will they want to read?
Find your home base
Before you venture into the blogosphere, research blog sites that will be the best fit for your business. We recommend using WordPress, Tumblr or Blogger. These sites are easy to use and give you the ability to customize your blog’s look to fit your brand. As with all marketing efforts, tracking your progress is imperative. With WordPress and Blogger, you can view how many site visits you receive and what posts and pages are most popular. Each platform allows you to search for fellow bloggers who post topics related to your business, and follow their blogs.
Content, content, content
A great place to start for your first blog post is an introduction to your blog and to the culture of your store. This provides a window into your store and is especially valuable to new customers. Your blog posts thereafter can be used for whatever you deem necessary. Test ideas and see how your customers respond. Your blog can be used as a way to announce new lines, write reviews, promote events, spotlight staff or give advice relevant to your business. Your customers trust you enough to shop in your store, with your choice of products, also be the voice of information to them. Avoid solely promoting sales on your blog. Customers are on your blog to learn, not hear about deals on every post, which is also true in social media. Also similar, post regularly on your blog, often 2-3 times a week. For example, if you have a grocery store, provide them with a recipe – this not only includes items you sell in the store, but it’s something your customers can use and share! If you’re an interior designer, give them the latest decorating trends or tips on quick fixes for the home. Same thing goes if you have a salon/beauty store; share the latest trends and tips with your customers. This gives them something more valuable to read, than a sales page. Social media is another great tool to leverage to find out what your customers want to hear from you. Ask a question about content like, “Who is looking for a new summer recipe?” This gives you a clue on how customers will react to your post.
Promote it
Now that you have an understanding on content, it’s time to promote your blog. The easiest way to get the word out about your blog is through (where else?) your social media channels and email. Utilize your email list by sending out a quick email to gain more blog subscribers and traffic. Also, sharing information via Facebook and Twitter gives you a great start for followers. According to Social Media Examiner, the advantage of Twitter is to reformat your tweets to share content multiple times. For example, you can use the title of the post in the first update, create a variation of the title for a second update and then ask a question related to the post in the third update. In turn, include social media buttons on your blog for customers to locate your pages. If a customer finds your blog, but is not a follower on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest, they can easily become a fan. Speaking of fans, as best practices go for your social media channels, respond to your customers if they comment on your blog – good or bad.
And you’ve finished! Well, almost. You’ve reached the end of the road for starting your blog. Now it’s time for the best part – writing, writing and more writing!
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