At ControlYourCity.com, LLC., we’re strong advocates of the value a blog can bring to your marketing campaign, especially for local companies. Many of you may not know this yet, but 2 of the founders here, myself and Nick started out blogging. We worked for several years, on our own projects and eventually collaborated on a blog called CNA Finance (which is still around and thriving, go check it out!). OK, back to the topic…If you’re the owner of a local company looking to get your online marketing off the ground, blogging is a great way to do it. However, as with anything else, there are bad blogs, good blogs, and GREAT blogs. Here are a few tips to make sure that the blog for your local business lands in the GREAT category!
Appeal To YOUR Local Audience
A few years ago, I made a big move from Florida to Oregon. One of the lessons that move has taught me is that people in different regions appreciate different things. After moving across the country diagonally, I realized that you don’t have to leave the country to find different cultures, you just have to leave your local area. With that said, things that are appealing to my local audience in Florida may not be so appealing to my audience in Oregon. So, when writing posts for your blog, try to include a bit of local culture. You could do this by mentioning landmarks that will put smiles on faces, talking about food culture in your area, or even announcing events that consumers in your area may want to go to. The possibilities are really endless!
Be Yourself
In my line of work, I read quite a few blogs. One of the things that I really enjoy is when the author uses terms like “I” and “We” instead of “You” and “Them”. The simple fact is that most people will respond better if they feel as though they’re reading a personal story. For instance, I recently wrote a post discussing the value of automation in marketing. In the post, I shared a personal story that lead to the ultimate conclusion…automation is a bad idea! When writing the post, I tried to write it in a way that wouldn’t just lead people to that conclusion, but would give them examples and enough information to understand why automation was bad. As a result, I’ve already gotten a couple of emails asking more about my unique story. However if my story wasn’t so personalized/unique, these readers wouldn’t have a fraction of the interest that they do.
Don’t Second Guess Yourself
Every once in a while, I’ll come across a newer blog that gives great tips. Unfortunately, somewhere in the post, they say something like…
Now, we’re not experts yet, but…
Or
This may not be a good path for everyone, but it works for me…
Or
We know we’ve got a long way to go, but we’re still learning…
Although all of these things may be the honest opinion of the author, the simple fact is, it’s not what readers want to read. When looking for advice online, consumers are looking for advice given by those who are confident in their methods, those with authority, and those who believe wholeheartedly that what they’re teaching is going to help the readers that happen across their posts. So, instead of using the statements above, try something like…
Through our experience we’ve learned…
Or
We’ve done several case studies on this and the vast majority of those who tried it saw great benefits.
Statements like this essentially say the same thing. However, when users come across statements like this, they feel as though they’re reading tips from an authority!
Final Thoughts
If you follow these three basic tips when writing your local blog, you’re going to do great! We’ll see you tomorrow for the next tip of the day!
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