28 Sep Why marketing is NOT a four letter word when it comes to your business blog
Beth Hodgson-Graddon blogs like a true Canadian with full healthcare benefits.
Determining the things your target market really cares about is essential when setting up a blog for your business. You need to approach it from a marketing perspective, although the follow-through may not be -at least not in the traditional sense. Many people consider “marketing” to be the antithesis of a real blog– they choose blogging to connect with their clients rather than “annoy” them with direct marketing.
The important thing to remember is that there are many parallels between direct marketing and setting up a business blog. In both instances you are attempting to reach the client to enhance your brand. The true message here is that you can’t be afraid of marketing tactics.
We’ve discussed using your blog to test the water on choosing subjects. This time we’re going to really think like marketers – well, kind of. Here’s what I mean:
- Identify your target audience – sure, you can write to anyone who will ‘listen’. But if you identify your TRUE target audience – the people you’d like to see buy your product or use your service first and foremost – you’ll get farther. Anyone else who reads your blogs and in turn buys is just icing on the cake.
- Do a survey – reach out to your target audience, whether via social media or by using a more traditional method, to determine what they’d like to read about week after week.
- Scope out your competition – you know I preach authenticity for your blog so don’t COPY your competition. Instead, look at what they’re doing to reach the same audience and determine what you can do better.
- Focus on brand consistency – make sure that the message on your website goes in the same general direction as the message on your blog. If you have new ideas about where you want to head with the blog, consider re-working your web copy.
Those are just a few of the basics to start you off – what traditional marketing tactics would you add to make your blog work better for your business?