If you're like most people, you're annoyed by all the things you "have" to do to stay relevant and top-of-mind with your clients and prospects.
Listen to any online marketing expert, and they'll tell you what platform, tool, or content you simply must do in order to reach people—and of course, that just happens to be what they're an expert in.
Now, both of us do blog regularly, so you could consider us biased, but we're not out to tell you what you "absolutely" have to do to make sales. Here's what we'll do instead. We'll share a few reasons blogging has been useful for us and others, and you can decide if those reasons fit in your world or not.
Build bonding and rapport
One of the first things any good salesperson does with a new client is establish bonding and rapport. But if people are searching for your services online and find your website, or look for your website based on a friend's recommendation, how are you going to build bonding and rapport?
Blogging is one way to do that. A prospect will be able to click around your website, read about how you do what you do or your philosophy on your industry, and begin to build trust even while you aren't present.
Consistent blogging establishes trust because it shows you're a person or company that is reliable and can meet deadlines. Inconsistent blogging, though, may make a prospect think you are scattered or unreliable.
Demonstrate expertise
In addition to establishing bonding and rapport, having blogs on your website allows you to share your expertise in a way that you often can't during a sales conversation.
A blog explaining some of your business's more technical aspects will appeal to the prospects who appreciate that kind of detailed information. But the prospects who don't care don't have to read it. Blogging is a way to demonstrate your expertise without "showing up and throwing up.”
Increase your online reach
This is not equally important to everyone. But if you are concerned with how your website ranks in search engines, blogging consistently is one way to improve your search engine optimization (SEO).
Search engines like Google rank websites better when they are updated regularly. By blogging about your industry, you'll be able to naturally work in keywords and concepts that prospects will be searching for.
Again, we're a bit biased because both of us do blog regularly. We've found it to be useful for us from a sales standpoint.
If it seems like it might be useful for you, but you don't have time, consider outsourcing the blog writing to someone else in your office, a freelancer, or even a company that provides blog writing services.
The ultimate question is: Is blogging useful for YOU from a sales standpoint? You'll have to decide if it's a good fit for your business goals. But we do think it's something you should consider.
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About the Authors
Mike Crandall
Mike Crandall is a Speaker, Consultant, Coach and Trainer focused on Sales, Management, and Leadership Development.
He's also the owner of Sandler Oklahoma, a world leader in innovative sales, management, and leadership training. They offer consulting, coaching, and training for individuals and organizations serious about professional development and growth.
Mike is the author of "Motivational Management The Sandler Way" and has written a sales column for several years.
Tim Priebe
Tim Priebe is a public speaker, author, columnist, and the owner of T&S Online Marketing. He helps businesses that are worried they don’t have the expertise or time required to invest in doing their own digital marketing. He helps them plan where and how much to invest and often helps execute the plan.
Tim’s company helps with websites, social media, blogging, email newsletters, Google rankings, and online video. Tim is the author of several online marketing books, including "102 Tweets," "Blog a Week," and "Online Marketing Mindshift."
