| By Jill Konrath |
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| September 20, 2012 10:31 PM EDT |
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875 |
Today's post from the Chamber of Commerce features business-growth advice for small companies.
Business blogs are a great way to give potential clients free information and boost your brand. Where some companies go wrong, however, is in the execution. To achieve optimal success, a blog must be a living, breathing, integral part of your online persona.
Here are a few ways to be sure that your company blog is driving sales success for your business:
Talk about things other than your goods or services. Post entries on industry trends, new products and events in your industry. Don't simply repost a news story, but discuss how it impacts your business, your customers and your industry as a whole.
Update it weekly. For most search engines, a “relevant” blog is one that's updated once per week. If you have the time, crank out fresh content multiple times each week. If you don't, see if you can find the funds for a freelancer.
Think about SEO. People that have no idea your company exists may find you through a blog post they read. Learn the tricks of the SEO trade or hire someone to do it for you.
Submit your blog URL. A quick way to help search engines find you is to give them a road map or your site map. Google, Yahoo!, Bing and AOL all have options for submitting new links to help let the Internet “spiders” crawl your blog.
Use social media. There’s a reason why “use social media” is a tip on nearly every business blog post on the Internet – it works! If you're lucky, readers will enjoy it so much that they will share it with others in cyberspace.
Encourage interaction. Have a comment section that is easy to use, and have a form that readers can fill out with suggestions for future posts. Involved readers are more likely to think of your product or service when they need it.
Be professional. Think of a blog as a neutral spot where readers can get a dose of information, make their own choice on the matter and then (fingers crossed) check out your goods or services too.
A well-designed blog entry has the potential to bring in thousands of readers in its lifetime. The more of those views you get, the more potential customers will learn about your brand.
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Megan Totka is the Chief Editor for ChamberofCommerce.com. She specializes in small business tips and resources. ChamberofCommerce.com helps small businesses with online growth and facilitates connectivity between local companies and the 7,000+ Chambers of Commerce worldwide. Megan also specializes in local business news.
Jill Konrath’s career is defined by her relentless search for fresh sales strategies that actually work in today’s business environment. She loves to work on tough sales challenges, big issues and unsolvable problems.
Her first book, Selling to Big Companies, was hailed as an "instant classic." Fortune selected it as a "must read" and it's been an Amazon Top 25 sales book for 4+ years. Her newest book, SNAP Selling, was just released to rave reviews. She also writes a popular blog and publishes a leading newsletter.
As an in-demand speaker an annual sales meetings and conferences, Jill helps sellers crack into new accounts, speed up sales cycles and win more business. Her clients include IBM, Microsoft, Hilton, Accenture, 3M and Staples. Her expertise is frequently published in top business media such as ABC News, Success, Inc., WSJ Start-Up Journal, Entrepreneur, New York Times, Business Journal, Selling Power and Sales & Marketing Management.
