People search the internet all day long for information on a variety of topics. One way that information is being sourced out is through blogs, podcasts, vlogs, and webinars. So, an effective way for a business to increase sales and exposure is to use one or several of those options. Not only are blogs, vlogs, podcasts, and webinars wonderful sources of information, but they are great ways for your business to create a more personal connection with your audience. It's also another opportunity to drive more traffic to your website to generate new leads, interest, trust, and potential sales. By embedding videos of people using your product or explaining how to use a particular product or service you provide, you give the reader/listener a way to gain better insight into who you are as a service provider, a product developer, and just as a person who wants to help.
It's important when creating these blogs, podcasts, vlogs, and webinars not be always pitching your products and services. People are looking for information, not a sales pitch. You want them to feel welcomed, not pressured. It's important to create more value than to sell. The more value you can provide, the more it sells itself. For instance, my "business" is a bakery. It sells cakes and baked goods, but instead of blogging about my next sale or what my seasonal goods are, I'd maybe write about how to incorporate a hint of lavender into a cake or how to make my favorite Halloween cookie by giving out the recipe to it, with extra tips on how to make them extra creepy! I want those readers to feel like if they are looking for creative baking ideas for the holidays, they could check out my blog without having to purchase anything. I want my brand to be recognized for its value so that I become the first place they go went they are looking for ideas or inspiration; the sales will eventually follow. Giving out the recipes and tips provides them value. I can provide links to my site which will show pictures of my other Halloween treats, and maybe they'll think "hmmm...instead of going to the trouble of making this myself, I'd rather have someone else make and just pick it up!" Maybe they will make it and like it so much that they share it out to others on their Social Media, giving me a whole new audience. There are many ways this can play out in your favor without directly selling people. People want value and information, not another commercial.
It's suggested that using these platforms frequently is important to maintain or increase your rank in searches. It's also suggested that blogging (or vlogging etc.) 1-2 times a week is essential to increase your chances of rising in those searches and to include keywords in your blogs too. The more frequent you post or vlog, and the information you can include that's relevant to your business, the more likely you'll increase your audience reach, thereby increasing your sales leads.
You don't always have to blog about your own business either. Blogging can also bring other businesses together. For instance, you can make suggestions about (in my case) other bakeries you discovered in, let's say, France. It's still relevant to baking, but perhaps that bakery specializes in caramelized onion and brie bread and you LOVED that bread so much that you wanted to share that experience with everyone. It's information that people could find interesting and they may even think about seeking out that bakery on their next visit to France. Finding a common interest that serves your audience as well as another business is a great way to bond with your audience.
Overall, blogging, vlogging, webinars, and podcasts need to be done on a consistent basis to gain traction in the search engines. They should provide a good balance of relevant information and inspiration. They should provide far more value than sales pitches in order to create a trusting relationship with the consumer. And most importantly, it should be a place where consumers go to feel welcomed and not like they are being hassled by another sweaty salesman.
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You make excellent points in your article about connecting through common interests. I feel that the blogs I've seen that do better are ones that have exposed the audience to information (links, ideas, etc.) that wouldn't have been sought out otherwise. Also, just on a side note I made lavender cookies for the first time this week with homegrown plants. It was the first time I tried it and they turned out awesome!
ReplyDeleteHi Karin! I do agree with you that the value of content is more important than trying to sell your product. You want your content to have some sort of appeal for your consumers. It is more likely that businesses will get more consumers if the content is valuable to them. Blogs also help consumers feel understood by sharing content that is relatable to them. Thank you so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Karin, I love that you add images to your blog posts.
ReplyDeleteYou made some really great points here, a lot of helpful information. I always post and promote other small businesses on my baking page!