Business blogs are no longer the novelty that they once were. As a matter of fact, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find a business website that doesn’t have a blog attached to it. But just having a blog isn’t enough. It’s really kind of cool when people actually read your blog. So how do you make that happen?
It starts with your mindset. Are you a vendor or a problem solver? Too many businesses and organizations look at their blog as another opportunity to sell their products and services. That’s a huge mistake because people don’t read blogs to make purchases. People (and this means your customers, too) read blogs to glean information. They have a problem or a question and they are looking for information that will help them solve that problem.
Very few people like to be told what to do. Most people prefer to be empowered to make their own decisions. They want to gather information and then decide for themselves what makes the most sense for them. Most conventional marketing and advertising, however, is very directive: “Buy now! Act today! Order by Friday!”
There is a time and a place to ask for the order. But it’s not in your blog. Your blog is a chance to help potential customers gather the information they need to make a good decision. Are you going to solve all of your customers’ problems in your blog? No. But if you’re able to demonstrate that you understand what they want—and that you understand what’s necessary to solve their problem you just may win their trust. And then when it’s time to make a purchase to actually solve whatever problem they have, they will be more inclined to turn to you first.
Take a look at your own blog. How do you think your customers view you? Are you a vendor, or are you a problem solver?