How Does Business Blogging Work? Lead Generation Opportunities You’re Missing Out On
Chris Mulvaney is the CEO of CMDS. I make things... I’m the creative entrepreneur with passion for (re)making brands and inventing solutions to problems no one knows exist.
Business Blogging can cut through the noise
Okay, listen up. There’s a lot of noise out there and we all want to be heard. Problem is, everyone seems to be cranking up the volume. Especially, when they’re trying to generate leads for their business. But what if the answer isn’t just getting louder or flashier? What if the key to better lead generation is getting more personal. You know, like a person? Have you heard about Business Blogging for lead generation? You may be missing out.
You hear it all the time
Hey you! You need to hear about this offer!
Who Me?
Yeah, I’m talking to you! You need to hear about this sale!
That’s the sound of marketing ads screaming for your attention. And the noise is not just what blasts away in our ears. As Americans in 2018, we’re under a full fledged sensory bombardment overload!
And just so we’re on the same page, my definition of noise is anything that interrupts any type of communication, be it audio, visual or verbal. Based on that, I think it’s safe to say that people, AKA your potential leads, are distracted… heck, most of the time!
I know I am… What were we talking about?
By the time someone goes to bed today, they’ll be exposed to anywhere between 4,000 to 10,000 advertisements, each of them attempting to grab their attention. From the tag on the Fruit of the Loom, to the infomercial guy who screams, “I sawed this boat in half,” these ads are vying for their business.
Just like you.
Your audience is bombarded with a veritable wall of sound and noise from commercials, Facebook ads, print ads, radio spots, jingles, testimonials, all shouting the same basic idea.
I do a thing! Here’s my number! Call me so I can do the thing for you!
And as that grand old sage, The Grinch, once said, “All the noise! All the noise, noise, noise, noise! If there’s one thing I hate, all the noise, noise, noise, noise!”
So, in a world flooded by social media advertising and millions of businesses vying for position, how do you stand out?
How can you, as a business owner, cut through all the noise and reach a potential lead?
The answer is Business Blogging, my friend…
(sincere and dramatic pause for affect)
Business Blogging.
Boom.
Business Blogging is not a cold and impersonal ad campaign
I know what you’re thinking: “So what? I shouldn’t advertise because I’m adding to the noise?”
That’s not what I’m saying. The problem isn’t your ad. It’s everyone else’s!
I know you never did this, but the rest of us who used to run ads before the internet would run these cold, impersonal ads in the newspapers or in the phone book with no real way of connecting to potential leads. These ads ran something like this:
Hey! I’m a painter, I can paint your walls. I’m insured and I have a phone number! Why should you pick me? Because I have a cool name and my font is cool!
If you were really clever you’d find a way to get the letter “A” at the beginning of your company’s name so you’d be at the top of the business ads or the front of the phone book.
Imagine the jealousy caused by the genius who came up with AAA painters.
How do you top that move?
Then we took our cold, impersonal ad– This is who I am, This is what I do, Gimme a call– and we moved it from the newspaper and slapped it onto social media. It was a lateral move, not an upgrade. It was the same old ad, adding to the noise. It was cold and impersonal and it left the potential leads cold, too.
The thing is, none of us expected social media to be soooooo LOUD!!! Our cold, impersonal ads, the good old, tried and true method of lead generation-– place your ad here and they will come– turns out to be ineffectual and just adds to the noise.
Business Blogging cuts through all the noise and creates the lead generation you’re trying to achieve.
“SEO leads have a 14.6% close rate, while outbound leads (such as direct mail or print advertising) have a 1.7% close rate. At the heart of blogging is the goal of getting found by search engines. High-quality blog articles that are keyword focused and optimized for search engines can help you get found by more qualified individuals who are ready to close.”
– Ramona Sukhraj
How does Business Blogging do this?
For the purposes of this blog, we’re focusing on 4 basic ways Business Blogging works.
- Business Blogging is Personal
- Business Blogging Builds Your Personal Brand
- Business Blogging turns you into an Influencer
- Business Blogging sets you up as a Thought Leader
Business Blogging is Personal
Business Blogging is inherently social, which, as it turns out, is exactly what social media attempts to be.
Who knew?
It’s not an advertisement, it’s a conversation and a conversation is personal. The cold and impersonal method of just running an ad has no real ability to stoke passion, ignite the imagination or reach anyone on a personal level.
Business Blogging is about lead generation, that’s the end game, but not the goal in and of itself. The goal is to connect with people. Business Blogging helps you shift your thinking away from a person being a potential lead and toward that person becoming part of your audience.
“No matter the industry your small business is in, we can say with certainty that your audience is made up of living, breathing, feeling human beings.”
– CMDS
When a person becomes part of your audience, they become part of your tribe, a customer, but even better, they trust you, they comment on your blog, share your blog, and engage in the conversation.
This interaction brings more and more value to your website, which in turn, will drive up your sales, improve your business and possibly the businesses of the people for whom you’re blogging.
In the end, the statistics are way in favor of businesses that choose the Business Blogging path. Businesses that take the time to blog, garner 126% higher lead generation than those that decide not to blog.
Suddenly, you’re the one voice that stands out from all the noise.
Business Blogging Builds Your Personal Brand.
Business Blogging helps you become that one voice because you have something to say that’s unique and personal to you. When you express that part of you, people will connect with you. As you post quality content, your audience will begin to trust you, not only as a person with integrity but as an expert in your field. They will use your products because you’ve gained their trust.
“Your average customer is exposed to more than 3,000 messages from brands every day. How do they decide who to trust?
– CMDS
People want to do business with people, not a cold impersonal ad with a phone number and a coupon. Your audience, today, is flooded with ads, options and opportunities. They need referrals toward services they can trust. Referrals is just another way of saying that people still use word of mouth.
Word of mouth is still the best way to connect people to your website, your services and your products. It’s social, it’s personal and it’s the basis of Business Blogging.
It’s not about making the sales (although that will happen) it’s about building your personal brand.
Business Blogging turns you into an Influencer
Once you establish your Business Blog that provides real value with consistent posts, then you’re on the path to developing a real voice. That’s what influence is, having a voice that people desire to hear. This is the voice above the noise.
“Any brand would be hard-pressed to become an influencer without a voice. Being an influencer means establishing yourself as an authority, and there’s no better way to reach your market, build your reputation and convince others that they can’t live without you than by sharing valuable content on your blog.”
– CMDS
Be the Voice and not the Echo and people will listen.
Well– how the heck do you become a voice?
First, you’re the expert on you. Begin with that. There are people that will just get you and what you’re trying to say. The more you share of yourself on your blog, the more of an accord will grow with you and your audience.
Second, you’re the expert on your products and services and if you’re not, you’d better be. Have integrity, promote good products, shoot down bad ones and just have a point of view. Again, people will respond to you.
“The difference between establishing a personal brand and selling a product is that the brand is loved. Seriously. People feel something for it. This means treating your customers and the things they’re interested in – hobbies and passions- with the highest level of respect.”
– CMDS
Third, be consistent. There’s no way around it. Business Blogging won’t work unless you work it. You have to be consistent and you have to offer quality content based on you and your business.
Business Blogging sets you up as a Thought Leader
An expert who focuses on their audiences’ need for education, innovation and elevation toward their particular industry, as a whole, transcends from just some opinionated so and so to a Thought Leader.
Being a Thought Leader isn’t about “likes” and Facebook friends, it’s about connecting your audience to your brand in a powerful way.
A Thought Leader uses their blog to talk about everything and anything pertaining to their business and industry. They’re not hoarders of information and secrets, they expose them and share them to their audience.
You can’t achieve this level of influence with a cold impersonal ad on TV, or radio. This can only happen through a business blog and only after consistent posts of high quality content.
It’s about credibility, it’s about trust. It’s about engaging your audience and cutting through the noise.
“It’s high time you became the go-to expert in your field. You may not be the #1 internet marketer or blogger, but you can develop a unique voice that sets you apart… When your target audience perceives you as a thought leader, you’ll see new email subscribers and leads on a daily basis. Most marketers struggle because there is nothing unique about them. It’s very hard to describe them.”
– Neil Patel
Let the Business Blogging Begin
Business Blogging works and the lead opportunities you’re missing is the audience that is waiting to hear from you.
They’re out there. Nearly deafened by all the noise– the constant drone of all the advertisements vying for their attention and their business.
They could be waiting for you and your personal brand. You can be the one who influences them in the industry, for their businesses and in their homes. They need your thought leadership; your business blog.
“Whether you’re building your personal brand to establish credibility and trust for your company or start consulting, blogging to build a personal brand is one of the vital ways to establish yourself and stay competitive. So, if you’re serious about eliminating needless stagnation online, turn to the professionals to build your personal brand by blogging the right way.”
– CMDS
Need help putting together your business blog? Contact CMDS, a full service digital marketing agency in Colts Neck, NJ. Our social media experts can help steer your business blog strategy in the right direction.