Most business blogs stink. They're used for announcements and fluffy content that doesn't generate leads or sales.
And if that's all you want your blog to be, then skip this article.
But if you want a blog that generates more leads and sales with every post, keep reading.
Instead of blogging, think of your blog as a learning center. This learning center will house all of your website's key content. Visitors will be able to find solutions to their problems and information they seek.
You'll create content that appeals to your target demographic and encourages them to buy. In order to increase repeat sales, you should educate your prospects and existing customers.
And you'll do it without advertising your services.
Ads are biased and only present one solution to a customer's problem. This sways prospects and costs you sales.
But when you fill your blog with helpful information, you stop being a salesperson and become a trusted authority. You gain readers, subscribers and sales.
In order to make sales, your website should be available 24/7.
I remember buying kitchen appliances years ago. I went to a local store and was served by a man who had worked in the appliance business his whole life. And he knew everything there was to know about every model on the floor, as well as models sold in other stores.
He told me which models to avoid and why. He warned me against an overpriced model with good reviews because the nearest service person was two hours away and repairs would be difficult.
He told me what was on sale at the other stores and how much.
He knew their factories, their overall reputations, and which brands and models required the most service calls.
Remember, this was in the mid-90s, before reliable online reviews.
It was the only time I had ever trusted a salesperson. He wasn't trying to sell me anything, but rather educate me on my options.
I ended up buying three appliances from him and one from his competitor. Then I sent him enough business to sell another 2 dozen appliances over the next few years. Imagine your website as that salesperson.
Educative and accessible, like asking that salesperson questions. A visitor finds your site via organic search and reads an article about your niche.
As an example, let's take "fixing or replacing a roof". They look up “Do I need a new roof?” and find your article “How to know if you need a new root.” Within the article are links to any terms they may not understand. You list the reasons for repairing a roof and link to an article that details each reason. You also provide information on how to determine if replacement is better, different roof types, a cost calculator, etc.
There's all they need to know about roof repair and replacement. And you tell stories about roofs you've repaired or replaced.
The visitor's experience is as follows:
They easily find information on their own, at their own pace.
This content isn't meant to sell, but to educate, which builds trust in your brand.
It includes more specific content and a call to action so they can reach out to you when they are ready.
Assume they spent 30-minute or an hour on your website. Who will they call when they need an expert, now or in a month? You.
The key is to find out what questions customers are asking and then answer them while organizing content in a way that feels natural and intuitive. You are educating the buyer.
“I need a new roof,” most homeowners say. Their first questions are: do they need a new roof, can the old one be repaired, how do they know if there's a problem, who can they trust, how much will it cost, what type of roof should they get? It's a mess.
And while most websites tell them to “call now!” because “we are the best roofers in town!” you are giving them what they want and need before they buy – information.
Giving your prospects a learning center builds massive trust.
You are also establishing yourself as the industry expert.
Even if they eventually buy elsewhere - as I did with that one appliance - they will still tell their friends to start on YOUR site to learn everything they can before buying.
Converting your website's newsy blog into a learning center has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Keep the blog separate and make the learning center your main site.
Here are some ideas for your learning center:
You want to build trust by providing useful, unbiased content. People won't buy from you unless they trust you. They will only buy from you if they trust you and you have the product they need.
In order to build trust, your content must be transparent. Consider yourself a teacher and a critic, not a salesman.
• Speak their language. Don't use or explain jargon that your customers may not understand.
• Your learning center can be updated frequently. Explain new solutions, questions, and trends.
• A well-designed learning center will reduce bounce rates and increase user engagement. Because your articles answer Google's questions, they should also help drive organic traffic.
• Adapt your lead magnets to the content being consumed. For example, a roofing website might have a lead magnet on roof types and costs. Maybe even one for each page of your learning center.
• Keep educating your list and using current clients as case studies.
• Use Google Analytics to track traffic to your learning center and improve your site.
Educated customers are better customers. They have fewer questions and a clearer idea of what they want.
Even if you close sales in person or over the phone, you'll find that a prospect who has spent time in your learning center has done much of your work for you.
And if that's all you want your blog to be, then skip this article.
But if you want a blog that generates more leads and sales with every post, keep reading.
Instead of blogging, think of your blog as a learning center. This learning center will house all of your website's key content. Visitors will be able to find solutions to their problems and information they seek.
You'll create content that appeals to your target demographic and encourages them to buy. In order to increase repeat sales, you should educate your prospects and existing customers.
And you'll do it without advertising your services.
Ads are biased and only present one solution to a customer's problem. This sways prospects and costs you sales.
But when you fill your blog with helpful information, you stop being a salesperson and become a trusted authority. You gain readers, subscribers and sales.
In order to make sales, your website should be available 24/7.
I remember buying kitchen appliances years ago. I went to a local store and was served by a man who had worked in the appliance business his whole life. And he knew everything there was to know about every model on the floor, as well as models sold in other stores.
He told me which models to avoid and why. He warned me against an overpriced model with good reviews because the nearest service person was two hours away and repairs would be difficult.
He told me what was on sale at the other stores and how much.
He knew their factories, their overall reputations, and which brands and models required the most service calls.
Remember, this was in the mid-90s, before reliable online reviews.
It was the only time I had ever trusted a salesperson. He wasn't trying to sell me anything, but rather educate me on my options.
I ended up buying three appliances from him and one from his competitor. Then I sent him enough business to sell another 2 dozen appliances over the next few years. Imagine your website as that salesperson.
Educative and accessible, like asking that salesperson questions. A visitor finds your site via organic search and reads an article about your niche.
As an example, let's take "fixing or replacing a roof". They look up “Do I need a new roof?” and find your article “How to know if you need a new root.” Within the article are links to any terms they may not understand. You list the reasons for repairing a roof and link to an article that details each reason. You also provide information on how to determine if replacement is better, different roof types, a cost calculator, etc.
There's all they need to know about roof repair and replacement. And you tell stories about roofs you've repaired or replaced.
The visitor's experience is as follows:
They easily find information on their own, at their own pace.
This content isn't meant to sell, but to educate, which builds trust in your brand.
It includes more specific content and a call to action so they can reach out to you when they are ready.
Assume they spent 30-minute or an hour on your website. Who will they call when they need an expert, now or in a month? You.
The key is to find out what questions customers are asking and then answer them while organizing content in a way that feels natural and intuitive. You are educating the buyer.
“I need a new roof,” most homeowners say. Their first questions are: do they need a new roof, can the old one be repaired, how do they know if there's a problem, who can they trust, how much will it cost, what type of roof should they get? It's a mess.
And while most websites tell them to “call now!” because “we are the best roofers in town!” you are giving them what they want and need before they buy – information.
Giving your prospects a learning center builds massive trust.
You are also establishing yourself as the industry expert.
Even if they eventually buy elsewhere - as I did with that one appliance - they will still tell their friends to start on YOUR site to learn everything they can before buying.
Converting your website's newsy blog into a learning center has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Keep the blog separate and make the learning center your main site.
Here are some ideas for your learning center:
You want to build trust by providing useful, unbiased content. People won't buy from you unless they trust you. They will only buy from you if they trust you and you have the product they need.
In order to build trust, your content must be transparent. Consider yourself a teacher and a critic, not a salesman.
• Speak their language. Don't use or explain jargon that your customers may not understand.
• Your learning center can be updated frequently. Explain new solutions, questions, and trends.
• A well-designed learning center will reduce bounce rates and increase user engagement. Because your articles answer Google's questions, they should also help drive organic traffic.
• Adapt your lead magnets to the content being consumed. For example, a roofing website might have a lead magnet on roof types and costs. Maybe even one for each page of your learning center.
• Keep educating your list and using current clients as case studies.
• Use Google Analytics to track traffic to your learning center and improve your site.
Educated customers are better customers. They have fewer questions and a clearer idea of what they want.
Even if you close sales in person or over the phone, you'll find that a prospect who has spent time in your learning center has done much of your work for you.
