A lot of business owners reason that having a blog for their business is simply a pain-in-the-ass addition to all of the things that they've already got going on, and for a select few, that might be true (and in that case, just hire someone to do it for you…*wink*). But for most, having a company blog for the purpose of business transparency can be beneficial, and profitable (which yes…would fall under the “beneficial” umbrella).
Okay…let me preface the rest of this piece by saying that just like social media, blogging isn't necessarily for every type of business.
Blogging for your business should serve a few purposes; it ‘shows’ your customers/clients that you’re more than just a name on a sign, and it makes those customers/clients feel like they can trust you. In short, your blog, along with your social media efforts should make you feel like more of a friend to your clients, than some faceless font on a window/sign. Your website (on the other hand) should be all business, but that’s another post.
For instance, most of my clients take a peek at either this blog, or other pieces that I’ve written online, to get a feel for who I am, before actually hiring me. I have a tendency to write in much the same way that I speak (I’ll let you decide whether or not that’s a good thing), so they’re generally not surprised when they finally speak to me. They know who they’re dealing with long before they ever contact me.
Your blog works in very much the same way. It won’t have the same kind of material that this blog does (obviously…duh), but you get the idea, right?
If your customers/clients are going to get a ‘feel’ for who you are in order to trust you, don’t just post about “Today’s Specials” or your upcoming new product line. Don’t get me wrong, I'm not saying that you shouldn't post about that stuff, but don’t let those things be the only things you post. Few things are more boring. It’s like asking customers to come to your store so that you can bore them to death with ads that you think are “cleverly disguised”. People (for the most part) aren't stupid. We can spot an ad a mile away. Ads typically ‘out themselves’ with a lingering bad taste, and sometimes an odour as well (metaphorically speaking…but you got that too…right?).
Don’t pay attention to the one rule above, and your clients will ‘bust’ you. You know how? They’ll simply stop paying attention. And once you’re busted by your potential customers, they ain't comin' back. You know what they say, “You only get one chance to make a good first impression”.
So why risk it?
Your posts should have a ‘personal’ feel. For the most part, share what you want to share…whatever comes fairly easy. Don’t share anything that you don’t want to share.
It’s not brain surgery.
If you feel like you can’t get a handle on the whole ‘blogging thing’ (no shame there…lots of people don’t), shoot us an email! We’d be happy to help out