… not to blog.
Though not strictly grammatically correct, the problem is very real. And it’s something that could have long-lasting effects on your company and its reputation.
Every day millions of people are buying new stuff. And they look to you for inspiration.
The consumer is canny, however. They won’t read your sales spiel. When you say jump, they won’t say ‘how high?’
They want advice with personality. They want to be guided, not press-ganged.
Which means you need to get your blogging strategy sorted, and quickly.
I spent a fascinating few minutes with Dr Rachna Jain, poster child psychologist for new times. Her specialist area is figuring out what technology means to you and your business. How you can network better, online. How you can make an impact. And why it’s so important to be putting your customer first; after all, the first and only thing that matters to you, is that customer.
We talked, we recorded. In seven minutes we got down pat every single reason why you need to be working on your blogging strategy. Whether you’re developing a personal brand or creating a new future for your business, you owe yourself these 420 seconds of inspirational ideas.
[audio: http://www.davethackeray.com/wp-content/uploads/audio/D_met_R_psychblog.mp3]
The psychology of blogging
If you’re selling services, the blog is a central tool in demonstrating your expertise, trust and believability.
2:15 – Your ‘bloggy’ language is everything. Relationship experts tell us that to be successful on dates, to show empathy, we need to mirror their body language. Building customer relationships through blogs needs to adopt the same techniques. Use your clients’ language and tone. When it comes down to making customers want to buy from you, it’s so important they feel like you’re taking the words right out of their mouth.
3:20 – Do plenty of keyword research. To understand what your customers want, think of some keywords that best describe the actions and impact of your business. Use Google Wonder wheel. See what the linked terms are to your keywords, and then test by creating posts relating to these terms across your blog. You’ll know when you’ve hit the mark when you get comments complimenting your stance.
4:12 – The blog is a central hub for all of your social media efforts. Everything should link back to it, wherever you are and however you’re promoting yourself.
5:38 – if you’re not in, you’re not going to win. Time to be a blogger is now. It’s too important to miss out on. People expect.
More than 50% of consumers consulting blog – business or independently-owned – prior to making a purchase.
Why are blogs so important?
They:
- Drive more traffic to your business
- Create better search engine positioning
- Improve customer service
- Shorten the sales cycle
- Put a human face on your business
- Help build your database
Dr Rachna Jain has created a series of training videos designed to help you get the best out of your social media and social networking efforts. You’ve heard the woman: she talks sense. With her help you can create a seismic shift for the better in the way you do business, on and offline.
- Dr Rachna Jain on Twitter.
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