Blogging to Get Clients
Blogging can help you get clients in several different ways: by showing that you are an expert at what you do, by showing that you have been around for a while and aren't going to skip town with their retainer (a valid fear since several companies have closed their doors during the recession leaving couples high and dry), and by helping build trust between you and the potential client before you even meet for a consultation.
Blogging for Future Book or TV Deals
Many publishers and television networks are now asking for Google Analytics data to show proof of platform before awarding new contracts. They want to see that you have a built-in audience that will buy your book or watch the show. You may never book a single client from your blog, nor may you need to, but if you want future opportunities in the form of publishing or TV, a blog can help you negotiate those contracts and land those deals.
Blogging for SEO
Blogging can help your search engine rank, whether you are on a self-hosted blog or not. By writing on a self-hosted blog (most often a Wordpress.org blog), every word you use in a post is crawled by search engines, and then the semantically-related words are indexed as keywords for your site. The more frequently you post, the more frequently your blog is crawled and the more keywords you have connected to you.
If you blog on a third-party site (Blogger, Typepad, Wordpress.com, etc), then the links back to your own site are counted as an outside site saying that your main website has credibility.
Blogging to Protect Your Trademarks
If you are operating your business in Oregon and someone opens a business of the same name in Connecticut, they could argue that your businesses are regional and your trademarks aren't a threat to each other. Online media can help establish you as engaging in trans-state commerce, which can help you protect your trademark outside of your region.
Why do you blog for your business?
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2 comments:
Re SEO, the SEO geeks say that B.L.O.G. stands for "Blogs Loved on Google" :)
Another reason to blog is simply to share your thoughts, what is happening with you (your business, and personally).
As our lives become more transparent and barriers to entry for new competitors keep dropping, it is critical for anyone selling their expertise (eg wedding pros) that you are a "trusted source".
People do business with people they like, and though you won't please everyone with what you write, you don't need to. You just need your "true fans" to stay with you, you don't want the whole world to be your customers.
Use your blog to share of yourself and business will come. Don't listen to experts who tell you there is a direct link, but do consider this. If you don't share of yourself, how will people get to know you and your business, and so like and trust you ?
I blog to connect with my prospective and my existing clients. I agree that blogging establishes me as an expert in my field. It also gives perspective clients a hint at my creativity and my genius!
It's also a great outlet for expression. When I see something in the wedding world that either enthralls me or outrages me, I have the perfect forum to share my thoughts.
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