While millions of people are starting blogs, both personal and professional, those who use to blogs to promote small businesses are still very much in the minority. Creating a blog, and keeping it updated allows you to stand out as an informational resource in your field, a powerful perception in your customers’ eyes.

Here are some strategies for using blogs as a promotional platform for virtually any business.

1. If you’re hosting an upcoming sale or special promotion, gather the details, and post them to your blog. This lets customers know when to take advantage of the discounts.
2. If you want to move a specific product, post a tip on how to use it, or include a picture of a completed project. Then let customers know they can get that product from you.
3. If you’re interested in enticing more teens into your store, give a teen “guest blogging” privileges, and have her post her top five favorite products each month.
4. Keep your content fresh with timely announcements, such as when the new service is available, or when a new employee has been added to your staff.
5. Offer reminders: when class registrations start, and end; holiday countdowns; and saving items for an upcoming charity drive.
6. Advise customers when products sell out, or are backordered
7. Tempt customers with listings of new product arrivals.
8. Report on the latest scoop from trade shows (these can even be blogged while on the road!)
9. Educate your customers with links to helpful informational websites and project instructions.
10. Open a discussion: ask customers to post their favorite organizational tips in the Comments section, for instance. Or offer a question of the week, and encourage customers to respond online.

Many small business owners struggle with too much to do, and not enough time. Although creating and maintaining a blog is easy, many professionals don’t have the time to dedicate to researching the how-to. For these situations, consider seeking out a blog and marketing consultant who can walk you through the steps of setting up a blog – like me!  I can help you better understand how to use the blog to most effectively market your business.

Small Business Blogging: 10 Ways to Use Blogs to Increase Business is a post from: jerseygirlwebs.com

It’s relatively simple to gain trust with your website copy and establish yourself as the expert in your area of business. This article will help you star doing that. Whether you sell candles or mining equipment, your online customers want to know that you are a reputable business person and that you “know your stuff”.

You need to speak directly to your target audience and give them the information they are looking for.

Writing for the Web Requires a Different Approach

Internet surfers are continuously looking for information and a solution to their problems. If they’re going to buy anything from you, you need to establish yourself as a credible and informative resource, who also happens to have a terrific product. Speak directly to the needs and desires of your visitor and you will have a captivated audience.

A Few Tips:

1. Talk to your customer – Avoid focusing on yourself. You are irrelevant. Tell your customer how she will benefit from using your product. Use the word “you” and you can be certain you are speaking directly to your customer.

2. Understand your target customer – Understand what motivates your customer and write from their perspective. Don’t try to appeal to everyone. You’ll get better results when you can speak directly the pains and problems your potential customer has than trying generic copy to sell to a wide variety of people.

3. Get attention – You can do this with a good headline and sub-headlines. That way, people will know instantly if you have what they are looking for. Forget cute and clever headlines…give your visitors the straight goods.

4. Keep it simple – Use short sentences and simple words. Your visitors eyes tire easily. Be kind to them! Break up your paragraphs and create plenty of white space.

5. Be casual – The web not the place for a formal essay. Write as you speak and be friendly with your visitor. Do double-check your spelling and follow most grammar rules, but keep the tone light, especially when your target is a more casual group.

6. Set yourself apart from the competition – What makes your product unique?

7. Prove it! – Add testimonials, sales statistics and anything else that proves your claims.

8. Create a sense of urgency – If people don’t sense urgency, they aren’t likely to click on your link. Limited time offers are perfect or showing your potential customer can no longer wait to solve her problem, can be effective. Make sure your potential customers feel the need to click on your link now.

Recommended for Further Study:

For more help with your copywriting and creating a website that people will stick around to read and buy from, check out Alice Seba’s Copywriting Sweetie. It comes complete with software and training to help you sell more of your product to customers who will buy from you over and over again.

Strategies for Writing Effective Website Copy is a post from: jerseygirlwebs.com