Part One of a Three-Part Series on “Blogging for Dollars”
We talk quite a lot about blogging, and how publishing blogs can help you connect with your audience, build an online reputation, earn respect from your peers, and drive traffic to your website.
All of these results will help you to achieve your goals. But as a business owner, you are also concerned with the bottom line: How will blogging pay off in the form of increased business and profits?
In this three-part series of articles, we will explore that question in depth.
Know Your Audience. Before you ever get started with blogging, you have to ask yourself some very important questions about your audience:
- Who are they?
- How old are they?
- What types of articles do they read?
- What are their interests, questions, or concerns?
- What is their education level, lifestyle, marital status, and so on.
- How does my product or service apply to their lives?
In some cases, you might find that you have multiple answers to these questions. That’s okay! Since blogging can help you establish credibility among your peers, as well as attract interested customers, you might realize that you are actually writing to two or more audiences. Knowing and correctly using that information when you write blogs can make the difference between a successful campaign and a lackluster one.
With each blog that you write, ask yourself what type of language and style is appropriate to your audience. Think about whether the title and angle of the blog will appeal to their interests. For example, a blog about recent developments in the tech field could sound overly dry to the average person, or too simplistic for a techie, depending upon how it is written. Are you trying to appeal to your peers in your industry, the average customer, or someone else?
When you blog for potential customers, solve their problems. Potential customers will be most interested in blogs that answer a question or address an important concern. They are in a buying state of mind, because they are already thinking about this issue. Now is your chance to step in and help!
However… be careful not to provide all of the answers. This is your opportunity to gain customers, not send them away so satisfied that they never need you again! Combine useful advice or information with a call to action, by offering the reader an opportunity in exchange for something you want. Perhaps they are enticed to make a purchase, call you to set up an appointment, opt into your online newsletter, or do something else that deepens your relationship.
Now that you understand your audience better, check out our next article which delves more deeply into the content of your blogs.
