Don’t Act Dead – Chapter I – Blogging Best Practices for Small Business
Many small business complain being not able to see their customers too often. Not because customers don’t have time but they switch the providers. Which actually means, small businesses have to work harder to acquire new customers as well as retaining old ones.
If you believe the quality of products alone could help you hold the customers, your marketing team is not thinking out-of-box. The most probable reason according to intense research is “Small Business act dead.” Acting dead? Yes, customers don’t even remember your brand after few days and look-out for new provider if needed that service again, if you don’t act alive.
dont act bored, have fun!
What’s next? How to be alive in customers mind? The answer is “Engaging customers with Blog.” Now you might say: I don’t have time, resource, good content and so many other reasons, but that shouldn’t stop you from giving it a shot!! The way Internet has evolved over a course of just few years; customers want to see stories, reviews, tips & tricks or any content with a human touch. Traditional Media was about all corporate colours, but Digital Medium including Internet turned things upside-down.
but why to blog?
Why to blog?
- Helps to establish your niche in the industry
- Create opportunity to capture new leads
- Engage customers and helps retargeting
- Increase your SEO without extra efforts
- Develops thought leadership in organization, so many people can contribute from different departments
blogging and lead generation
What are Blogging Best Practices?
- Discuss wide range of topics within industry
- Discuss about your niche
- Provide Tips, Tricks, How to dos
- Write reviews of products available in industry
- Analyze Latest Trends & News
- Once to twice every week is good to start, keep the pace uniform
- Don’t directly sell your products or services
- Just try to create interest in your products by discussing Pain-Points of target market
- Comment on related blogs
- Provide link to your blog on other blogs, only if you have something nice to share
- Bookmark your blog posts on all major online bookmarking websites (Digg, Stumble-upon, Google Bookmarks)
- Share new posts on Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn also
How to setup a Blog?
- Setup blog in your website, avoid blogspot or any 3rd party website (you want blog to help your SEO efforts not anyone else)
- Get a sub-domain in your website that is related to industry (like, travel.myhotel.com)
- Free blogging softwares like WordPress are easy to install and good to start
- Customize blog to your websites theme, take professional help if required. It helps a great deal trust me
blogging is so interesting
Now when you start posting new updates on your blog you have chances to be alive in your customers mind. We will discuss to use Email Marketing on the next post and elevating the engagement to next level. Till then Happy Blogging!!
Comments (8)
Nice post, loved the fact that blogging could be beyond a pass time. Could you please share some more facts how it will help me to generate more business?
Hi Robin, thanks for the precised question. I have just added a chart showing data to support blogging helps your lead generation process.
it was my pleasure to see such numbers Amit. Surely blogging seems to good for startups like me. I own a restaurant but don’t have website, one guy told to start a page on Facebook and skip the website for a while cause i could save on resource and money. your thoughts on this?
hello Mahesh, you could definitely save money by putting up your business on facebook. But I will advice you to
- first own a website, which wont cost you more than Rs 1500 / year
- you can install wordpress software on you website which is FREE
- Customize it your self by adding any good theme or take professional help
- Now you can use it as website and blogging combined at one place
- After it is installed you dont have to pay to anyone to keep your content updated
- Trust me it will be of a great help for your complete branding
- and please also create a Facebook Business page
[...] Email marketing campaign for small business? Bang Bang Bang! Most of the readers here must be feeling strange. Most you even say “we don’t have enough time and resources. Email marketing is for big businesses.” But continuing our series of “Don’t Act Dead for Small Businesses” we will make most of your limited resources to get maximum customer engagement. (Note: last edition – Blogging Best Practices for Small Business) [...]
Hi,
Great article! I think as per your title Blogging Best Practices for Small Business, but i would say that Blogging is not just for small business, large or big companies also get more benefit for blogging. Thanks for sharing all the useful information with me.
Hello Jayesh, Thanks for taking time and commenting on the post. Well I completely agree that blogging is equally important for small as well as larger businesses.
However with this blog I try to focus on small businesses at this time, and the title was to explain my post, don’t know it meant something else, lol.
I like the valuable information you provide in your articles. I will bookmark your blog and check again here regularly. I’m quite sure I will learn many new stuff right here! Good luck for the next!