3 Key Components to Writing a Business Blog that Helps You Get Clients

Starting a blog for your business is a great way to attract the interest of potential clients who are out there browsing the search engines for exactly the solutions you offer, but as with most things in life, there are “right” ways and there are “wrong” ways to publish a business blog. For instance, you want your blog to not only help you get clients but to attract the clients who share your common passions, and who will, through reading your blog, become comfortable enough with you to begin a business relationship. And once they’ve had the chance to “sample” you through your blog, you won’t have to work as hard to convince prospective clients to work with you. But before we get too far, let’s talk about three guidelines to consider before you even think about launching a blog to the world. Guideline # 1: Make a commitment to your readers Your readers want to feel that they’re important to you, and a great way to demonstrate your commitment is to publish blog posts on a regular basis. Which means, don’t publish a blog and then let it sit dormant for weeks (or months!) at a time. If potential clients do happen to find your blog but see that all of your posts are three, four, maybe six months old, they’ll think that A) you no longer exist, B) you’re too busy for your clients, or C) you don’t know enough about your subject matter to write on a regular basis. None of which are thoughts that you want running through your prospects’ minds, right? If you can’t make a commitment to publishing regularly to your blog, consider using other marketing methods to get clients. Guideline #2: Find subtle ways to toot your own ho rnWhile some amount of promotion in blogs has become (grudgingly) accepted in the blogosphere, people won’t stick around to read nothing but blatant advertisements for your business. A better way to fill your blog with content, showcase your expertise, AND provide value to readers is to put your own spin on industry news. So rather than just copying and pasting today’s headlines into your blog, think about how that news will affect your readership. Is there a new law that changes the way they should be running their business, or driving their cars, or paying their taxes (depending on your area of expertise)? Well, maybe you know of a way to make those changes work for their business/life/finances; if so, use your blog to share your opinions. Another idea is to provide real-life stories (a.k.a. case studies) of how your clients are overcoming their obstacles with your help. People love to read stories (especially those that provide encouragement), your clients get exposure, and you get seen as the expert that made it happen…it’s definitely a win-win situation! Guideline #3: Encourage interaction As a general rule of thumb, you want readers posting comments and interacting on your blog. One idea to spur conversation is to post thought-provoking questions that relate to your blog post and invite readers to share their answers. Then make sure you personally respond to as many comments as possible, even if it’s with a simple “Thanks for sharing your thoughts!” Readers will love the interaction and will be much more likely to keep coming back for more. If you give readers a safe place to witness your expertise, engage with you and other readers, and get value to help them in their business/life/career/etc., you’ll find that when you do make offers to work with you, your response rate will be much higher.