I have been told several times that a business cannot market online because they are “local.” Local small businesses don’t see the need to broadcast to the web. After all, why do they care if someone in Sydney stumbles across their site when they are located in Pennsylvania?
To prove that there actually were local businesses that are successful using online tools to grow their business, I had the fortunate experience of interviewing Jeena R. Belil, a Personal Injury, Insurance and Consumer Law attorney based in Long Island, New York.
“When I first started my solo practice, I was following the herd. I figured, if everyone else had a Yellow Book page (or 2) I had to have one as well. Moreover, I was very uncomfortable with the internet, setting up my website, blogging etc. However, I had a vision of what how I wanted my business to be portrayed, and traditional print ads/T.V. spots just weren’t cutting it for me.
The best advice I have for attorneys looking to do as I have done is don’t jump into anything just because it is perceived as the right thing to do. Rather than waste money being a little fish in a very big print ad pool, start doing research about online marketing, learn from those who have already taken the plunge and just do it. The more you blog, the easier it gets. The more you engage in Web 2.0, the bigger your presence becomes, and folks get to know you as much more than as an attorney, but as an attorney they may just want to get to know on a personal level.”
So, the question is, how can you blog your way to success like Jeena was able to? These following ten steps are provided by Mark Hayward on www.problogger.com. ***A quick note, I did not interview, nor did I have any interaction with Mark Hayward. This is simply the most complete blogging list I’ve ever come across.
1. Define your goals
Whether you are a plumber, bike retailer, or cafe owner start by assessing your business goals and how you would like your blog to help you achieve them - e.g. Do you want customers to find you? Do you want to be on the front page of Google? Are you all about selling more services and product?
2. Research keywords
Before you begin blogging have a look at some of the keyword tools like the one found on SEO Book and determine what your potential customers and clients are actually searching for. If your business is active in a mostly local market, or generally for clients in a small town, then include the town’s name in your research. The information gathered from running a couple of keyword searches is extremely valuable when it comes to writing posts that are targeted and meant to highlight specific information.
3. Use free tools
I think many small business folk are turned off by blogging and social media because they are under the illusion that marketing online costs a tremendous amount of money. My chosen platform for my business website and blogging is WordPress, which, I am sure most of you know, is free to use and has some amazing free themes. (Note: If you want to spend a couple of dollars you can get Thesis theme.)
4. Educate the consumer
When starting a blog that revolves around your small business the general tendency is to want to publish a bunch of SPAM posts that extol your virtues. While it is okay to do this once and a while, I have found that educating the consumer works tremendously well and is highly effective. Also, please remember that there is a big difference between using your business blog to tell your story (How you came to own the business, defining your passion, etc.) and just telling people to buy your product or service because you are the best.
5. Allow 3 to 6 months for return on investment (ROI)
There are a few schools of thought when it comes to measuring ROI for business blogs. We all, myself included, are searching for that magic bullet that is going to draw in more customers. However, from my own experience and in discussion with other business owners who blog, three to six months seems to allow enough time to put up an adequate amount of posts (even if you only publish once a week) and to also obtain a quantifiable and measurable amount of customer data.
6. Research the competition
Small business owners sometimes feel funny inquiring about what their competition is up to. Keep in mind, this is business, I highly recommend having a search around the web to discern what your competitors are up to. In most cases I think you will be pleasantly surprised to find out that they do not have a strong web presence. And if they do, you will now know that you need to step your game up a bit more.
7. Keep it simple
Business blog posts do not have to be extravagant Pulitzer Prize worthy affairs. If you should find yourself stuck for topics, or are facing blogger’s block, have a look at this post I recently did, 31 Blog Post Ideas For Small Businesses.
8. Forums are your friend
One of the most common complaints I hear from business bloggers who are getting started is ‘Nobody is coming to my site.’ Is that so? I don’t care if you trade in rare eighteenth century chess pieces or high-end designer shoes; chances are a niche forum exists for your specific business. Do a simple Google search to find out where your customers are hanging out online and make a visit to those sites. Promoting your small business within a forum works best when you approach it in the same manner as step four. You need to educate the consumer and gain member trust before you can start endorsing yourself (otherwise you will be seen as a troll).
9. Be consistent
Quite possibly the most important piece of advice for any small business blogger - You NEED to be consistent in your efforts.
10. Once you are blogging regularly branch out into other social media
Starting a comprehensive social media and marketing plan can really help to give a traffic boost to your business blog. Social media does not have to be intimidating and you can easily start by uploading a few well tagged and described photos to FLICKR and then possibly move on to YouTube, FaceBook, and Twitter.
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