Is Blogging Worth the Effort?
I do it, preach and teach on it every week.
Attract the right kind of prospects by creating and distributing the right kind of information.
Engage your audience so they come to know, like, and trust you. Let them know you’re the expert who’s going to give them the information (and eventually the products and services) that won’t let them down.
Then use indispensable marketing techniques to convert those prospects into customers.
This is a proven, systematic way to build your business.
But sometimes I hear people say, “Patrick, that sounds like a lot of work.”
Well, OK, I’m going to give it to you straight. You can make a living without a job, but it takes a lot of work.
So let’s break it down …
Many people are confused as to what a blog is?
It used to be (about 15 or 16 years ago) a blog was someone’s online journal. Let me start by saying that blog (back then) and the blog (of today), are not the same thing.
Today a blog should be thought of in terms of a resource center and positioned as such. Businesses of all sizes and industries are being encouraged to put relevant and useful information online, and much of this content is freely available to view. Each time a company adds something about their brand, product, or service on the internet they enlarge their own digital footprint. Whenever a prospect or customer mentions them, they enlarge that company’s digital footprint.
In sum, a business should only add a blog to their site in order to help customers find answers to the problems they seek.
For example, if your small or midsize business offers Technical, Plumbing, HVAC, or Electrical services you may want to offer content that tells customers how to troubleshoot before calling a service representative. Providing this information could save the customer money on a service call; and, positions you, the small or midsize business, as an expert. It also demonstrates that your small or midsize business cares about its clients, not just the money involved.
These are the components of a successful website that will drive conversions and offer prospects and current customers the information they truly want and seek out.
Note: For today’s post I used Technical, Plumbing, HVAC, or Electrical services as an example, but the help customers find answers to the problems they seek mentality applies just as surely to a financial planner, homemaker, waitress, staffing firm, consultant or executive coach as it does to those.
Here’s the thing — work is what makes it worthwhile
I’m not saying you’re going to love all the aspects of running your business. Even my business has elements that don’t play to my strengths, or are just plain tedious to me.
But because my business Indispensable Marketing — like every great business — is about providing real value and helping people, the real work is like red bull—it gives me wings.
- Giving a compelling presentation that educates and inspires people — that’s remarkable.
- Writing an article or an email message that helps someone connect the dots and make a real change — that’s remarkable.
- And yes, doing what works for my business, making it better, and having confidence that our profitability remains strong and healthy — that’s remarkable too.
And you don’t have to be Indispensable Marketing to do that in your business. You can do it today. You can be that authority — that expert — in your own business. You don’t have to wait for more viewers, subscribers or more Likes or some kind of gimmick system.
