Businesses that are just now jumping into different forms of social media marketing may be considering offering a blog for their customers. Sometimes, business owners feel intimidated by the idea of expressingthemselvesinwritingorfeelthat they don’t have time for blogging. However, in today’s world, businesses that aren’t blogging are missing a crucial opportunity for interacting with customers.
Blogs provide a venue for businesses to anticipate customer questions. A good blog post will anticipate every question that a customer may have about a topic and will then thoroughly answer each question. Customers will receive not only a product from a company but also valuable information provided asaservice. When customers see more value in their relationship with a company, they tend to come back for repeat business.
With a blog, a company sets itself up as an authority in its industry. An oral surgery center, for example, can provide blogs about what to expect during surgery and after care, or they may write a blog that explains tooth extraction concepts in a way that readers can understand. Readers are more likely to trust a company that presents itself as authoritative, particularly when that company is providing a product or service that requires the customer toinitiatecontact.Blogging provides companies with an opportunity to roll out new products or to talk about products in development before they come onto the market. If an electronics company is planning to roll out a new version of a gadget, then they can blog about the new developments and read blog comments for customer feedback. Customer interaction may provide the company with a chance to drastically improve a product before it comes to market, which will enhance sales.Companies that blog place themselves on the cutting edge. A company that sets itself up as an industry authority has no choice but to stay current on the latest industry trends, and staying current will help companies to stay ahead of the competition. By educating customers about the latest trends in their industry, blogging companies will provide a valuable service to customers and whet customers’ appetites for future industry developments.
In many cases, blogs become viral. If a blogging housewife in Cincinnati reads a company blog and likes the product, then that housewife may link to the company blog from her own blog. Increasing inbound links not only enhances search engine optimization but also directs more potential customers back to the company website. Blogging is the “word of mouth” of the 21st century, and businesses have to take advantage.
Business owners may like the idea of having a blog but may not have the time or the staff to maintain that blog. Using a company that provides blog design and blogging services will ensure that businesses have a high-quality blog up and running without demanding too much time or too many financial resources. The company blog will have an innovative design and current content, functioning as a 24/7 communications forum between the company and its customers.