by Angela Taffs | Sep 4, 2017 | Sales and Marketing
Do you ever get stuck when trying to come up with new ideas for blog posts or your latest newsletter? Here is a simple way to never run short of ideas.
Ask questions!
Yes, it’s that simple!
Recently, I was wondering what new things to write about so I asked the simple question in my Facebook group, ‘What is the biggest challenge you are facing in your business at the moment?’
I got so many responses that I easily came up with headings for loads of blog posts. These included:
Getting distracted by too many ideas
- How to keep focused
- How to create the right workspace
- How to make the transition from a day job to being self-employed
- How to grow numbers on a Facebook business page
- How to create the right type of social media posts for my clientele
- How to grow a list without a budget
Now I had my headings. And of course, I wrote an answer back to everyone who had replied with a challenge they were facing. So there was the core content for my blog article. I then expanded on this with some links to further resources, templates etc and wrote my blog. I then went back to each person, thanked them for their feedback and sent them the link to the full blog that I had written on how to solve their challenge. A win-win situation.
Go think of a question for your audience. Go think of a list of questions. Then post these one at a time (perhaps once per week) and see what response you get. When your audience realise they are going to get help and value from answering your questions, they will soon become far more eager to answer in the future. And of course, this is building relationships and trust that will help lead your audience to buy from you when the time is right.
Here are a few ideas for questions:
- What is your biggest challenge when (insert problem your business helps with)
- How badly on a scale of one to ten do you want to (insert problem you can solve)
- What frustrates you most about (insert problem your ideal client has)
- What would you like to know more about (insert solution your business helps with)
- If there is one thing you would love to do, but can because of (insert problem your ideal client has) what would it be?
Do you have any favourite questions you would like to share? Please let me know in the comments below.
by Angela Taffs | Jan 6, 2015 | Sales and Marketing
Why should you consider blogging for business
Get your website found
Blogging for business is a great way of attracting new customer and also getting your website found in the search engines. Search engines love fresh content that is relevant and unique. So by incorporating a blog into your website, you will be covering all three of these areas.
Build a following
In addition, if you write your blog well with interesting and informative content, you can build up a following of people who may then well become your future paying clients.
How? Well, it’s pretty simple, really. Gone are the days of the hard sell. People are very discerning customers and want to know about the business behind the products and services and to find out more about what is on offer before they buy. As a small, blogging plays right into your hands.
Build relationships
The point of having a blog and writing new content on a regular basis is to build relationships with people. They become familiar with what you do and how you do it. As you post useful content they look upon you as a trusted authority. Basically, you become the expert they turn to on a specific subject matter expert.
Develop a niche
The key to this is to develop a niche. Most small businesses have done this already. You make personalised wedding stationery or teach people how to run properly, or whatever else it is you do. You then make yourself stand out from the crowd. You don’t market yourself as just making keys; you make homes secure and help people feel safe at night. You start to focus on the benefits of what you do rather than the physical features.
Provide value and help people
That is what you need to focus on to create your business blog. That is what is going to help you get new clients. Your blog is all about what you do and how you help people. Going with the wedding stationery theme, you may have a few articles on choosing one type of paper over another. Other articles may be about different design elements and creating a wedding theme. Others talk about the psychology of colour when choosing your wedding accessories. People want to be educated before they make a decision and that’s the purpose of your blog. They also love freebies including tips and advice. You don’t want to blog about how people should buy now because the prices are going up next week. This isn’t about selling at all. Remember, it is about building a relationship.
A small business blog is about becoming a part of someone’s extended family. It’s about building relationships and offering insight and information. Once you have done this, people will be very likely to do business with you. If they have a conversation at a social gathering and wedding talk starts, chances are your business will end up getting discussed. The online conversation continues offline and the buzz brings you, new customers.
