I think if you’re a company whose primary purpose is marketing, it’s just the law that you have to at some point post a story about why every small business needs a website which incorporates a blog.
I agree with that, although it seems the vast majority of these stories are really saying every small business needs a website that incorporates a blog – AND YOU NEED TO HIRE US TO WRITE IT.
Regardless, it is true, and I think these days it’s even more important than ever.
That’s because since the pandemic, people have become a lot more suspicious, and rightfully so. I used to trust doctors, government people…even journalists in most cases. But the last three years have made me much more cynical, as claims seem to have been made one year, and the truth finally bubbles up the next year.
When told I need a service performed, I now tend to think “for whose benefit? Mine or yours?”
That mindset actually can benefit a small business. There’s always been a natural distrust for things that are big, such as big companies, big government, big anything…because the person you’re dealing with is usually not the company decision maker. Instead, it’s a soldier in the corporate army, just trying to meet the expectations placed on him or her to make a living. It’s why many people – including me – don’t care for dealing with the AT&Ts of the world, where they want one size to fit all.
But how do you differentiate yourself as just one small fish in a giant pond?
A blog is one effective tool because as long as you don’t use it as a weekly ad for your company, you let people know something about you. Earning trust for many involves more than just being technically proficient, as in my decades of working in the world of sales, I’ve found that four hours in a golf cart with a potential customer does far more good than four months of meetings. Conversation about non-business topics can many times be more important than talk about the actual service being sold.
Since we don’t get the chance to take every prospect out for a round of golf, a blog can be just as effective if done the right way. Knowing someone is a dog-lover, or a big sports fan, or likes to mentor others all develop a relationship. Seeing how someone is reasonable on topics that are controversial can build trust. Just being fun to read can give someone a feeling that they kind of know you, and that doing business with such a person would also be fun.
Every time, for example, I post something that involves my dog, Maggie the WonderBeagle, it seems to earn good traffic. That’s mainly because everyone who loves dogs has a spoiled beast like Maggie, so it’s like we understand each other. I posted last night a picture of the old hound dog last night, saying I was stuck on 699 followers and maybe she could find me the 700th. She found it…and about 40 more.
Consistency is key. Many a website and blog start out with several quick posts, then months go by and you don’t see anything else. It then becomes the old “if a tree falls in the forest and nobody’s around, did it make a sound?” syndrome. I can’t get to know you if I only hear from you once every three months.
But done properly, you find you develop a level of engagement that can be important to a small business. When I need a vendor for a specific task, I usually ask a friend who HE trusts. Reading regular posts from a blog that communicates the personality and ethics of that company can many times be like that friend.
It also forces you as a small business to constantly examine what you stand for. If you just exist to make a buck and nothing more, you’ll struggle to find something to write about. Which then may cause you to rethink your strategy in a way that can allow for tweaks that bring in more customers. Which you then can write about.
It’s also fun. One day I got an email from a regular reader of the blog I write on DullesDistrict.com. It talked about something I wrote six months ago and how it had made a difference to him that particular day. Which certainly made my day.
So release your inner pundit. Show people who you really are. You don’t need to be the next Hemingway; just be you. Make them laugh AND think.
They’ll like you even more for it ?
