If you’re like most of my clients, you’re NOT an aspiring professional blogger. Your main focus is to attract more clients. If blogging can help with that, then hey, let’s talk about it.
Well, good news: blogging is a BIG boon to client attraction.
Why? Three Reasons:
1. Attractive Articles. Blogging involves writing helpful articles for your target audience on the topic of your expertise. The great thing is that the content attracts those who are interested in what you do – perfect clients! (Those who aren’t interested wouldn’t be good prospects, would they?)
2. Brand Self-Discovery. Through the discipline of writing articles regularly, you’ll find you gravitate to the same ideas, topics, points of view, theories and perspectives. You’ll notice what kind of people and responses are invoked by certain posts. You’ll find your voice. That voice is a big part of your brand.
3. Dynamic content is magnetic! Search engines love to find new stuff on your site, and guess what? So do humans! If you have a 10 page brochure site and wonder why you don’t get many visitors, it’s because they’ve seen it. Post an article once a month? Whoop-de-do. Your target audience wants to absorb cool info in small chunks on a frequent basis.
Bad news: like most marketing strategies, blogging requires some actual work. Darn!
Here are 3 ways to make it easier:
1. Think strategically. If you want to attract clients through a website, you first need to be sure your site is ready to serve them. Put your contact info in a visible spot. Have a form so people can get in touch without having to compose an email from scratch. Offer a free welcome gift in exchange for an email address. There’s no sense in getting 1000 visitors a day if they all bounce away after 29 seconds with no way to follow up with them.
2. Get found. You’re publishing useful articles, because your prospective clients want that information. To find it they’re going to search for keywords and phrases, so learn what those are. Optimize each post by blogging on a single keyword or phrase. Make sure the title tag and url contain that exact phrase.
3. Systemize. Get ideas for blog posts from your keywords – that keeps you on topic, and your topic is what will attract the clients. Write a few short posts (250 words each is plenty) in a sitting on one day and program your blog to auto-post them throughout the week.
Look, I know you’re busy. I’m a small business owner too, NOT a full-time blogger. I’m doing a pretty good job with some of these points and not-so-great with others. But you wanna know something?
I consistently attract clients from my website. Many have specifically said they read several posts on my blog before contacting me.
But I already knew that about them, because I use a free tool called Statcounter.com and I can see how visitors move around my site. (I prefer it to Google Analytics, although I use both.) I see which posts attract visitors, which keywords they use to find them and whether they sign up for my ezine or use the contact form.
For example, last fall I posted an old article from my ezine archive, but I gave it a new title, “Does a Solopreneur Need a Brand?” A few days later someone found that article using the keyword phrase “branding for solopreneurs,” and a week later she became my client.
If you’re ready to transform your old, static website into a client-attracting salesman who works 24/7, it’s time to build – or improve – your blog.
What are your ideas or questions about blogging for clients? Share them here in a comment.
Thanks to Foxtongue for photo
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Samantha:
Great article. You hit on all the important points. I agree that blogging is a powerful tool. Excellent idea to have each blog post focus on one keyword phrase then optimize it with a tag that matches.
Thanks for the suggestion on Statcounter. I’m building a new
site and will add that. Also, have you used http://www.addthis.com? You can place it at the top of your pages then people can easily send the pages to others via email, twitter or other channels.
Your Enlightened Marketing is very much aligned with the principles of Conscious Millionaire. Keep getting the message out and helping others market in a conscious, more enlightened way that turns their values into assets and helps them make their difference in the world!
Here’s to a Your Millionaire Year! Go empower the world, Samantha.
J V Crum, III
CEO / Conscious Millionaire Institute, LLC
http://www.consciousmillionaire.com
I couldn’t agree more. I think another important aspect is the ability to communicate with your existing client base. Its a platform to give them ideas and solutions they might not know exist.
I even recommend bundling a few of your best articles and attach them in your monthly email.
One of my friends and SMB owners can attest that his “personal” blog has gained more clients than his company’s frontpage. Share your knowledge, help people, and your clients will become your most valuable marketing.
Not to mention I’m a nobody blogger that is amazed at how many doors have opened due to my presence online.
Great article.
Love your suggestions, Keith. I find it so empowering that blogging has leveled the playing field so that a (supposed) “nobody” or SMB can get clients and generate buzz for themselves. It’s a lot of work but it really pays off.
I love this article! When blogging first went “mainstream” I faced client skepticism because they needed understand the medium and what it could do for them.
Now that blogging is “old news”, I hear the objection that no one reads blogs anyway unless you’re a big name blogger.
You can always build a loyal following if you deliver good content in a way that your target audience can understand and identify with.
I like this article so much that I’ve reprinted in on my blog, I’ll send you the trackback.
Warmest regards,
Merlyn
@JV Thanks for the feedback, JV. We use the social widget but I’ll look into AddThis.
@Merlyn Don’t you love that in between skepticism and old news is [nothing]? That’s a good place for the rest of us to hang out. I think it’s called “opportunity”! Glad to hear the article resonated with you. :)
Thanks for the great article. We’re inspired now to update an old static website to a blog format. It’s so much more fun and interesting to be able to interact with visitors and share helpful information like you have here.
I totally agree with you Samantha! Blogging can play a huge role in getting more clients and making more sales…
Speaking of blogs, I am very impressed with yours! :) I really respect what you are doing and what you are standing for. Keep up the great work!
Hi Paul, Nice to meet you and thanks for stopping by! I’m trying to get the word out about the power of blogging, and it looks like you’re carrying the flag for it as well. Thank you for the kind words too :D
@Jane, you’re right, it’s all about the interaction. I can’t wait to see your new blogsite revealed!
Samantha
Are you getting people in Conway to blog? This is a very good little article on why blogging helps drive traffic to your site. Very good!
Hi Todd, I’m trying to get everyone to blog! :D Thanks for stopping by. You’re proof that blogging for traffic works.