Why now is the perfect time to start a business blog
Every business owner has a Why - a reason they started up. I remember writing mine in March 2016, just a couple of months after setting up Comma Sense and making it all official. I’d been chatting to a freelance web designer at a networking meeting and she advised me to go home and think about it. So I did. I also wrote some footnotes to myself just in case I had a wobble or started to doubt what I’d set out to do. My Why includes wanting to escape the rat race and become my own boss, and to support the growth of SMEs by sharing my communications skills and knowledge.
Starting a blog is a wonderful way to remind yourself why you do what you do. Revisiting your Why can inspire and excite you about your business all over again. It can give you clarity, purpose and direction when you’ve lost your way. Given the year we’re having, that’s got to be a positive step.
Writing blog posts that speak directly to your target audience allows you to connect with them. The purpose of my blog (this blog) is to share my communications knowledge and experience. I get the best feeling when someone takes the time to read one of my posts and sends me a note to say how much they’ve enjoyed it and value my advice.
Rebuild trust with current clients and future prospects
Post-Covid consumers are savvier than ever. We’re all shopping around for the best deal and making more informed choices, either for financial, moral or ethical reasons. Businesses need to work even harder to keep customers and attract new ones.
Consumers are looking for evidence that you’re the right business for them. They want to know you’re talking about the issues that matter to them. They want to do more to support local businesses - so give them a reason to choose and trust yours.
How to build trust in a blog
Reassure customers that you’re taking all the necessary measures to protect employees and customers’ health and wellbeing in your business premises and throughout the course of your work - share examples and photographs
Share stories and testimonials from happy clients
Discuss how you’ve adapted your working practices and responded to the challenges of the new world
Talk about how you’re supporting your local community
Explain what makes your business stand out from the crowd.
Help with decision making
We’ve all done millions of Google searches in our lifetimes. Go through your search history and look at the questions you’ve looked for answers to.
My recent search history includes:
Is a resin bound driveway permeable?
How much does a resin bound driveway cost?
What are the best pensions for the self-employed?
All of these questions could be answered in a helpful, informative blog post. With these search queries, I’m looking for solutions from companies that are experts in their field. If I can find the answers I need on their website, that company instantly starts to climb up my short list of suppliers.
I know you’re probably wondering, so I’ll let you in on a secret; I did find a very helpful blog post about resin bound driveways and they are permeable, which gets a big tick from me. I now know this is what I want on my drive! The company that wrote the blog was based in Kent, so they’re probably not going to get my business. But if a company in Cheshire had posted similar content, a telephone call may have followed...
Potential customers use blogs to search for answers to their questions, before they choose to have a conversation with you. Being open and transparent with answers, tips and solutions on your website shows you have nothing to hide and is super helpful. People want to do business with companies that are honest. Blogging is all about writing honestly and openly, just as I’m doing here.