It’s easy to think you can run a business entirely from social media these days. And I know some businesses do this very successfully, but your social media feeds should be driving people to your website. Why? Because you can own your website. You can never own Facebook or Instagram. Algorithms change, platforms become less popular, or your account gets hacked, leaving you high and dry.
Your website, on the other hand. Stable. Owned by you. Updatable by you only. Your social media is a great introduction and ‘getting to know you’ tool, but your website is what really shows you as an expert and closes the deal. That’s where blogs come in.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
There are a few simple tricks to SEO that you need to make sure your web developer included when they built your site (starting by ticking the box to make it visible to google – but that could be a whole separate blog!). Assuming your site is visible to google and loads fast enough to keep potential clients interested, you can now consider which words or phrases your target audience is searching for.
SEO is now, and pretty much always has been, focused on solving customer problems. It just gets better and better at working out exactly what customers want to see. Now, it’s moving towards answering their questions directly. So, for example, if you work in flooring, you might consider writing about ‘How to get red wine stains out of carpet’ or ‘How to care for wooden floorboards’.
Your homepage and services page should be ranking to catch clients who already know they want your services. Your blog is an opportunity to build a brand reputation and catch customers looking for information you can provide.
A Professional Introduction
I know SEO can be intimidating, but it’s not the only reason you need regular content like blogs on your website. Your website is also a way of introducing yourself to clients and potential clients. It might be the first anyone knows of you. If it is, or even if they have heard good things, they will come looking for proof that you are an expert in your field. If they stumble upon your well written and informative blog, you have an opportunity to build the Know, Like and Trust connections required for a lucrative sale.
Know, Like and Trust are the cornerstones of good relationships with clients and potential clients. Your brand personality should be consistent across all your social media platforms and all pages of your website so that clients know who they are dealing with. Regular blogs are an excellent way to showcase the nuances of your values, your persona and your expertise.
Don’t leave your clients to the competitors. Sell yourself through engaging conversation you would have had if you met them in person. Let them know who you are. Tell them all the things you have learnt along the way in your business. Share your tips and leave them wanting to get in touch and hire you or buy your products. That’s how they will get to Know, Like and Trust you.
Your Monthly Client Email Update
I hope by now you are already repurposing your blogs to use on your social media platforms to get the most out of them. Now I invite you to share them with your mailing list (don’t have a mailing list? Get on that now! Your clients need to hear from you every now and then or they will forget you when they need you the most!).
Having a regular, helpful and informative blog gives you a reason to get in touch with all those wonderful potential clients who signed up for your discount code or purchased from you a few months ago. To get the best results, send them a little teaser with the key points from your blog and an invitation to read the full piece on your website. Don’t forget to include reminders of any sales you have on, or special timely offers in your business too. This way, they are thinking of you and have multiple reasons in the one email to click and head back to your website.
As usual in business, the best bet is to be yourself. Don’t write your blog so that people are shocked when they meet you. Write it in such a way that makes sense to everyone who has anything to do with you. Keep it easy and personable, don’t sweat the details; just start writing. It gets easier, I promise!
Beth Baldwin is a Canberra Copywriter specialising in regular blog content for her clients.
