Successful Blogging Tips for Service BasedBusinesses

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How many times have you attended a conference, seminar, workshop, webinar, saw a Facebook postabout blogging or had a customer walk into your business and ask if you have a website or blog?

There are a lot of statistics that talk about the importance of blogging for business and I found an articlerecently that had a really powerful set of statistics on the subject. For example, did you know according toan infographic I discovered by Ignite Spot on a recent blog article by Leslie Denning:

Only 13% of blogs are run by entrepreneurs or small business owners.

Only 8% of blogs run by businesses are done by someone that was hired by the company.

90% of consumers find customer content useful

60% of consumers feel a company’s positivity after reading the site

70% of consumers learn about a company through articles rather than ads

81% of U.S. consumers trust advice and information from blogs

Small businesses with blogs generate 126% more leads

81% of U.S. consumers trust blogs and 70% learn more about a company through their blog than throughan advertisement and small businesses generate 126% more leads than those businesses who don’t havea blog.

Yet, only 13% of entrepreneurs and small businesses are blogging.

There is a wide open opportunity for businesses to capitalize on this tool. Yet they are not.

Old stereotypes about blogging?

The time commitment that is required?

You don’t know how to write well?

Fear of the unknown?

Old Stereotypes of Blogging

As recently as 2009, there were a lot of misconceptions about blogging. Back in those days many didn’tthink blogging was a serious marketing model. That’s what political pundits, reporters, entertainmentcelebrities and people who love to gossip do.

Or, that’s what young people do… but serious business don’t need to invest the time or energy intoblogging when we can just pay search engine optimization companies to optimize our static brochurewebsites once and we can just leave it alone and let the leads flow.

Well, those days are long gone my friends. More than ever search engines love blogs because of the freshnature of them and the value that can be created through articles that offer the content searchers arelooking for.

Gone are the days of static brochure websites that just tell people what you do and what they can buy.

Blogs are awesome for many reasons. But one thing I love is that a blogger can demonstrate that theircompetent, knowledgeable and trustworthy because of your ideas.

That’s the real game changer in marketing. It’s all about the ideas you have and how those ideas can buildyour brand uniquely and create a voice that you audience will love while building a loyal following andreadership that will become new leads and opportunities for your company.

The Time Commitment that is Required

Yes, blogging has a time commitment to it. But so does any other form of marketing. Just last week I wastalking with a person who in the 1990’s used to help companies create their advertisements for magazines.

Do you know that it might take upwards of a full month to create on advertisement for a magazine? Plus ittook a lot of time and much was required in working with the publishers of the ad (like newspapers,magazines, etc.). Let’s not even get into the cost… it was very, very expensive.

The reality is that to reach your audience it will take some time to:

Write very interesting, relevant and compelling articles that get the attention of your audience

Market and promote each article

Network with influential bloggers who will help get your message out (more on this later)

Engage with readers who comment on your blog

Engage on social media

Manage the new leads that come in over time

Sell your service to them

There is a definite time commitment required. But what business are you “really” in?

Are you in the “it will come easy to make money business?” You have to spend the time and earn it! Thatwill look different for everyone but the truth is you have to spend the time in order to earn the time back.

What do I mean by that?

Once you have written the blog article, it’s there forever and given time it will work for you 24/7. It’s alwaysavailable.

Don’t you want to create a way to grow an audience and a marketing and sales funnel that grows monthafter month?

Don’t you want to spend your time doing the right things to help you grow your business?

Your service business is predicated on meeting new prospects and delivering. If you’re struggling the heartof the matter is probably marketing and sales. I’m certain you’re good at your trade but it takes more thanhaving a skill in a trade; it requires the skills of a business owner who can market and sell and recognizethe value of it to your business and then have the courage to do something about it.

Think it about it for a moment, if you don’t have enough customers your business is in trouble both in theshort and long-term.

No Excuses

I have heard service businesses make virtually every excuses for why they don’t have the time to blog orcreate exceptional marketing that will bring in new prospects and customers who are ready and willing tobuy.

The truth is that you ought to make the time to learn and do what’s important for your business both in theshort and long-term for success.

There is always time to find 126% growth in your business. Am I right?

If you have a great excuse why you can’t make the time today to learn how to reach an audience that’s justwaiting for you, I would love to hear it in the comments below because I honestly believe over the yearsI’ve heard it all. It’s time to stop the excuses!

There is a huge targeted audience of people just waiting to learn about you if only 13% of entrepreneursand business owners are blogging or 8% of businesses have hired someone to do it for them.

I don’t know about you, but I have the time to learn how I can reach my audience with those types ofnumbers!!! It’s a wide open opportunity.

You Don’t Know How to Write Well

That’s okay, get some help or think about different ways you can blog. You can do audio podcasts that

share all kinds of educational information or do interviews with others who would benefit from you servicethat you can promote.

What about videos. Anyone with a smartphone can do video blogging these days.

Or like anything else, perhaps you just need to master a new craft by doing it and learning as you go.

Don’t let fear of what you can’t do stop you from doing something you could do.

Now, it’s on to the good stuff… the tips!

Tip #1 To Create a Successful Blog for Your Service Business - Know WhatBusiness You’re “Really” IN?

If you’ve read my blog or other articles I’ve written across the web, you had to know this one was coming.

If you don’t know what business you’re “really” in and cannot answer this question concisely andpersuasively then you are probably confused about what business you’re really in. If you’re confused, so isyour audience!

They will be confused about you, what you offer and why they should spend their money with you?Confusion breeds chaos and chaos will ruin your business.

I want to force you to think about your business from the perspective of your audience. The problem is wedon’t really identify well with our audiences and so we are left talking about ourselves instead of about ourprospects.

Sure, we think we do. I have people try to argue their point with me all of the time. Maybe it’s arrogance ormaybe it’s fear that they don’t know it like they thought they did. 99.9% of the time people will continuecoming back to answer with what they do without thinking about how the consumer views them and whatyou will do for them.

Being defensive or thinking you know the answer when you’re mind is trapped in a mass marketingconcept is a dangerous place to be. Instead, try to be open minded and stop confronting yourself with whatyou think you know.

When we think we have the answers and we aren’t willing to admit we are stuck in a mass marketingmindset that needs to be challenged, we greatly miss out on the 126% growth potential in blogging.

Your job is to identify with, resonate with and inspire as many individuals’ readers as you can. You only cando this when you can communicate directly to their needs or problems and with them personally.

Forget about all of the “how to’s” – i.e. how to blog, use Facebook, grow your Twitter followers, gain emailsubscribers, etc. They don’t matter if you don’t know how to inspire and influence your audience oneperson at a time.

If you want to learn more about what it means to know “what business you’re “really” in?” I encourage youto read the following articles (each article will open in another tab so that you don't lose your place):

One Secret Behind Every Thriving Business and Why You Need to Know It?

Are You Wasting Time Doing Content Marketing or Blogging?

3 Truths To Understanding Successful Internet Marketing

Meaning vs. Messaging: 2 Reasons Your Marketing is As Cold as The Weather?

Tip #2 To Create a Successful Blog for Your Service Business – Write ReallyInteresting, Compelling and Inspiring Content

When you’ve done the hard work of knowing “what business you’re “really” in?” it is really easy to writecompelling and interesting content that will help your readers, prospects and customers. Your articles willalso give them a great reason to buy you.

Remember our stats from the beginning of the article:

60% of consumers feel a company’s positivity after reading the site

70% of consumers learn about a company through articles rather than ads

81% of U.S. consumers trust advice and information from blogs

This is what great content will offer your readers.

Interesting, compelling and inspiring is very subjective, but as you write more and more and find your voiceyour audience will begin to resonate with your message and even identify when it’s you over someoneelse.

Just look at some of these excerpts from comments on an article I wrote last week for Sherryl Perry’s sitetitled “People Will Buy From You When They Understand What Business You’re Really In! ”

And again some excerpts on an article I wrote for Carol Amato’s site titled “ Are You Missing YourAudience? If They Knew You Existed They Would Miss You Too!”

Your goal is to build your brand through your writing; which is your message that you will become knownfor through your voice, message and unique content.

Don’t worry if you decide to start blogging and it doesn’t happen all at once. Remember, it’s a processwhere you learn more about your new craft as well as about your business.

Tip #3 to Create a Successful Blog for Your Service Business – Market andPromote Your Content

Too many marketers are making great content that no one knows about because they believe the job isfinished with the blog article is posted on their website.

That’s a HUGE mistake. Far from it that’s when the work is just beginning! You have to find the places youraudience hangs out and share your article there.

Maybe it’s a LinkedIn group, a blog directory website or another social media page.

Wherever you choose to share your content, the one thing I would stress is don’t be a link hoarder.Meaning, don’t drop your link and leave. You have to get involved and share other people’s content as wellor you will never get read or taken very seriously.

There is a rule, even if it’s unspoken, that you never drop a link without engaging others.

Tip #4 to Create a Successful Blog for Your Service Business – Network withInfluential Bloggers

Here is where the final, but critical piece to earning a successful blog!

Find those who serve the same audience you do but in a different way and begin connecting with them.Read their articles, leave great comments that lead to valuable learning experiences or enhance theconversation; and share their articles to your social media audiences and include them in your blogs.

Give them a reason to come and read your blog over time, comment and share your content to theiraudience.

They have a lot of people coming at them all of the time wanting something from them. Instead of wantingsomething from them, just keep giving them what they want and eventually they will take notice andperhaps reciprocate, or more!

There is a timeless principle involved; if you help others prosper, you will prosper!

Given time, your networking will pay off significantly. But, you have to come to the table willing to givewithout getting in return.

Without some great people over the last six months Iwould have never had the opportunity to contribute toSEMrush.com (check out my article titled “DO YOUWANT TRAFFIC FROM GOOGLE? THEN BUILD ACOMMUNITY!) or to upcoming articles in severalprominent business journals.

I want to take a moment and share a few bloggers thathave been a massive blessing to me as a means ofsaying thank you for their support and friendship. Iencourage everyone to check each one of them out:

Adrienne Smith

Carol Amato

Ryan Biddulph

Donna Merrill

Deborah Tutnauer

Sylviane Nuccio

Mi Muba

Enstine Muki

Fabrizio Van Marciano

I also want to extend my thanks to several new friend’s Brandon Schaefer of who isthe creator of 90 Day Entreprepreneur.com. Brandon's blog is a must read one ifyou're a small business owner or entrepreneur!

and

Kathleen Garvin at SEMrush.com. Thank you Kathleen for the opportunity tocontribute to SEMrush.com!!!!

Cumulatively, these influencers have either included me in their blog articlesnumerous times, invited me to guest post on their blogs or engage with mefrequently on their social media. They have sent thousands of new site visitors tomy blog and social media and here is something really cool; occasionally one willsend a new referral that ends up being new business.

As I wrote about in SEMRush in January, the idea is that influencers help create acommunity that outlasts and outgrows any other form of marketing because in theend it’s all based on real relationships that grow out of blogging but end up beingfriendships!

You can’t buy that folks!!!!

So there you have it, four tips to help your service business be successful inblogging. There is one way or right way to do it. But, there is one sure way to besuccessful and that is to create a plan and execute it. What you don’t know can belearned!

If you are just starting out in blogging, you may need to get some things right in

your business in order to be successful. I encourage you to learn what businessyou’re “really” in by checking out my “Foundations in Internet Marketing” coursewhere you get me 1-on-1 for 4 to 6 weeks or you might even consider my 1-on-1coaching program to help you learn how to be successful in internet marketing bylearning your business first and then creating the unique strategies, goals andobjectives to help your business thrive and reach the 126% of new prospects thatyou’re missing right now.