1. Well written blog articles are the kind of information your potential buyers appreciate:
Business people go on line to find answers to their business problems. For example, my most read article is “6 alternatives to permanent employment”, and it is ranked top in google for the phrase “alternatives to paid work”. I capture 25% of all the web traffic for this phrase.
A good blog article helps to answer your potential client’s questions: they get value out of it – ideas, tips, techniques that help them be more successful in their jobs. Before someone will contact you, they will want to know what type of a company you are. Can they work with you? A blog shows what type of company you REALLY are – the human side. A blog is far more informative than the ‘corporatese’ you find on a brochure-style website.
A blog means that a potential client can engage in a conversation with you, before they contact you.
2. Google loves blogs
Posting regular articles increases inbound links and site traffic and pushes up your natural search rankings. 8% of all my traffic to my website comes from my most viewed article – ‘6 alternatives to permanent employment’, which is ranked number 1 for both ‘alternatives to paid employment’ and ‘alternatives to paid work’. A recent survey by Hubspot showered that websites with a blog generated 55% more visitors, 97% more inbound links and 434% more indexed pages than an equivalent site without a blog.
3. A blog shows you and your practice in the best possible light:
Potential buyers want to work with people who are passionate about what they do. A blog which show cases your firm’s thought leaders, proves that you know and love what you do; is the sort of place which appeals to potential buyers of your services. Very often a potential client’s buying decision is based on how much a firm seems to care. At a very basic level, when you write your blog articles, you’re also demonstrating that you care enough about what you do as a firm to write about it. All else being equal, a potential client will buy from the firm who looks like they care most.
4. Blogging will help your fee earners get better at what they do.
Writing about a subject often forces you to explore it in more depth, succinctly package your expertise and often gives you (and others in the firm) more clarity on what you know and what you love to do.
5. A blog is a way to enhance the perceived value of your products and services.
The best way to help increase the desire for your firm’s products and services is not to sell harder, but encourage more discussion about their problem and pain. The more discussion about the problem and corresponding pain the potential client is suffering, the greater the likelihood that they will want the solution sooner. Particularly, if you are selling a high value solution or product. A well written blog article showing the pitfalls and encouraging a dialogue, before a buyer is ready to buy, helps to pre-sell your firm.
6. A blog emulates the relationship building process in the electronic sales process
Relationship building is vital to sales – particularly when you are selling a high value product or solution. A blog starts to build the relationship before the potential client makes an enquiry.
What other reasons can you think of to have a blog for your practice?
