We talk a lot here about how a blog can be good for your business. Well, it’s about time we actually told you how to start a blog, isn’t it?
To reiterate a bit, a blog can do several things for your business. It can:
- Let customers and prospects know that you and your employees are friendly and approachable.
- To learn more about you, to feel that they “know” you and to continue — or start — doing business with you.
- Follow your progress as your company grows, offers new products/services.
- Communicate with customers/prospects during an emergency — a product is recalled, for example. Blogging about the crisis and what you’re doing to alleviate/solve it can be the most effective way to deal with such issues when they arise.
You should start posting regularly. We recommend at least twice a week; three or four times is much better. Write about new products/services. Write your take on an issue in your industry.
You also — maybe 20 percent of the time — should talk about something more personal, but make it somewhat related to business, your philosophy of customer service, for example.
It’s best to set up your blog to allow comments from readers. Not doing so makes your blog a one-way megaphone. Blogs work best by building community and you want to hear from your customers and prospective customers no matter how unhappy with you they may be. You can moderate comments of course (some people use the anonymity of a blog to become quite nasty), but so long as no one uses profanity and/or makes personal attacks on your or your relatives, it’s a good idea to allow comments.
Respond to comments quickly. Address any complaints or issues that may come up. Try to understand your readers’ point of view, even if it’s something with which you don’t agree.
Never argue. Never get into an online pissing match. Your reputation will suffer greatly. If someone is becoming particularly nasty, you can block their IP address from being able to post a comment.
GoiMarketing can help you set up a blog. We can even write posts for you, either in the beginning as you get more comfortable, or all the time. You undoubtedly have something to say about your product/service. A blog can help you get the word out to an entire world of potential new business.
