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Monday
June 21, 2010 Tip of the Day - Blog For BusinessFiled under: Tip of the Day
One of the keys to driving sales is developing and keeping a robust network of readers, according to the bloggers we spoke to. And they agree that there is a fine line between keeping and overwhelming readers. The strategies for selling through a blog are more indirect than in cold-calling. Our bloggers told us that they often blog about topics that will entice their clients, thereby quietly closing the deal. Their number-one piece of advice: Provide your clients with information. By being the expert and dispensing knowledge, you’re giving clients a sense of security that you’re the right choice for their needs. Whether you’re thinking of starting a blog or looking to revamp yours, this hot blogger will show you how to get the most out of your experience. Behind the Scenes Block entered into blogging from the technical world, focusing on analytics and search engine optimization (SEO). “Traditional Web pages are not that flexible,” he says. “We have more day-to-day relevant content that we wanted to share with our clients. What better way to do it than jump on this new blogging phenomenon?” So he introduced the blog with a promotion to his client base by giving away a pen to visitors who signed up to read the blog. After about six weeks, the blog was starting to get more hits than the website. Block has been able to turn his blog into a sales force by showing what he knows. “We believe that if you are open with knowledge and the knowledge is greater than your competition, it’s a slam dunk,” he says. The blog helps book orders on a weekly basis. Block looks at which search phrases drive traffic, like his blog post about recycled PVC banner bags. On the sales front, Block put out an optimized post about dishwasher-safe water bottles which quickly produced business. He also produced a series of blogs about new items he is seeing. “It shows clients that we’re out there researching new products for them,” he says. Block says that what sets his blog apart is the focus on SEO. “We get more activity as we write the optimized blog posts, along with the lightness of our content,” he says. The language of the blog is very important. “We have to be cognizant and respectful of the demographics of all the different buyers of promotional products. If you write in a language that is specific to just Gen X, you lose the baby boomer,” he says. For new bloggers in the industry, Block recommends taking the time to understand how search engines work. “You have to determine what you strategically want to accomplish with your blog before you write your first post,” he says. One piece of advice he offers is finding niche and sub-niche phrases that are popular in the industry, which will in turn put your blog on the first few pages of a Google search. From Education Adviser, vol. 27 |
A well-constructed and maintained blog can be a great tool for driving sales. Many salespeople today are turning to blogs and Twitter in an effort to expand their traditional sales and marketing efforts.