Social Media

5 Reasons Your Small Business Blog Sucks

August 23, 2010 By Brian Williamson Leave a Comment

Let’s look at the facts:

You run a small business
You have a blog
Your blog sucks
Also…those shoes. Seriously?

No offense, but your blog sucks. But you can rest assured, you are not alone. Most small business blogs suck to one degree or another. It’s an epidemic. It’s sad.

And it’s completely fixable. Take a look at the five most common reasons why your small business blog sucks.

1. It doesn’t exist

Admittedly, this doesn’t fit into the “facts” listed above because it’s hard to prove that a non-existent blog can, indeed, suck. More to the point, though, the focus should be on the converse, i.e. that a blog cannot be excellent if it doesn’t exist.

Having a blog allows you to differentiate yourself from your competition. It allows you to share your personality, your thoughts, and your voice with current and potential customers. Also, not having a blog makes your entire online presence suck.

How do you fix it?

Umm…get a blog, link it to your site and start the bloggy goodness. Not sure what all that means? I can help set up your blog or integrate it to your existing site.

2. It doesn’t get updated

Having a blog makes great business sense. But only if you do something with it. Your blog is not the same as that treadmill you bought three years ago that you can hide from people by moving it to the basement or to your bedroom and using it as a place to hang your clothes. You can’t hang your clothes on your blog, but not publishing regularly will give the same kind of impression.

You just don’t care.

Even if you do care. The world assumes you don’t. Just like the world assumes you don’t want to lose weight or get in shape because you’ve turned your treadmill into a closet. Having a blog is a long-term commitment. You have to be willing to publish regularly to show the world that you care about your business. After all, if you don’t care, why should anyone else?

How do you fix it?

Create a schedule that allows you to post regularly. Keep in mind, regularly doesn’t necessarily mean “every day”. Perhaps it’s once or twice a week. The point is that you establish a schedule that you can do…and then you do it. If you’re having trouble I can help.

3. It doesn’t have personality

Oh, but wait, it gets more involved than that. Even if you have a blog and you update it regularly, you need to have your own, unique, specific voice. You cannot be afraid of having personality.

You have to figure out a way to differentiate yourself from your competition because your customers aren’t going to do that for you. They couldn’t care less, unless you make them care, and unless you plan on visiting each one of your customers and spending a few hours one each of their couches, sipping tea and telling the same story over and over, you should have a pulpit from which to express yourself.

See, people respond to personality. Of course, you won’t attract everybody, but that’s exactly the point. You need to find your core audience, the ones who trust you and will buy from you loyally. The best way to do that is to show them who you are and let them decide for themselves.

The more bland, generic and vanilla your blog, the less likely people are to read it. Unless, of course, your demographic is dull, boring people. If that’s the case, good job. Keep up the good work.

How do you fix it?

Bite the bullet and dare to be yourself. You have a voice, you have a personality. Use them.

4. It doesn’t create conversation

Giving your blog a personality should be a natural endeavor. However, if the personality you display is one of absolute control and without input from your audience, then your blog still sucks.

The point is to engage your readers. Provoke them. Encourage a conversation. A blog is not a one-way communication. And you should not expect it to be. It’s a dialogue and you need to embrace that dialogue. Otherwise, everyone will be talking without you.

How do you fix it?

How do you create a conversation? Well, I’m glad you asked.¹ There are a few ways to accomplish this.

You can write a controversial post. It doesn’t have to be specifically business related…but you could comment on the state of your community.

You can write a post where you take the opposite side of a popular issue.

You can shed some light on the inner workings of your industry.

You can spotlight a good/bad area within your industry.

You can simply ask for input from your readers. Ask for their opinions and engage their responses.

You can have a contest.

Of course there are plenty more, but the real issue is that you should be allowing your customers a voice…otherwise they will move on to another place where they feel like they have one.

5. It doesn’t have purpose

Yeah, so you have a blog and you update it regularly with content that gets people talking.

So what?

Even with all those things, your blog still sucks because you haven’t taken the time to figure out the purpose of the blog. Blogging without purpose is like…well, it’s dumb.

How do you fix it?

Planning.

You need to decide how you intend to use your blog. Not sure what that means? Here are some suggestions:

Are you trying to gain RSS readers?
Are you trying to establish expertise?
Are you trying to get email addresses?
Are you trying to get traffic to your site?
Are you trying to recruit?
Are you trying to build trust?
Are you trying to help your audience?

You need to figure out your purpose before you start to post. If you don’t know why you’re doing something then you are just flailing around in the dark.

And that sucks. ²

So there you go, the five most common reasons why your small business blog sucks. The list is, by no means, exhaustive³, so maybe you have other ideas? Awesome…please share with the rest of class.

I’m also glad you decided to put on pants. [↩]
Don’t get me started on the shoes again [↩]
Obviously [↩]

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Work, Small Business, Social Media Tagged With: blogging, community, small business

5 Ways Social Media Can Help Your Business

August 1, 2010 By Brian Williamson 1 Comment

Social Media are changing the way business can be done. Big businesses, small businesses, and home businesses are able to enter the marketplace on even footing through Social Media. But just in case you aren’t convinced of the power of Social Media for your business, we’ll show you five ways to user Social Media to help your business.

Sales and Marketing Channel

In the past, businesses were able to control their message through the use of traditional marketing techniques¹. Businesses decided what benefits and features would be talked about. There was no conversation, just noise. Over time, customers learned to ignore the noise. It turns out that people don’t like being interrupted².

But then along came TiVO and Sirius Radio and Web 2.0 technology and all of the sudden, people had a choice. It turns out that people would pay extra for the privilege of avoiding commercials.

Then the scene shifted even further, from advertising avoidance to content creation. Customers started determining what benefits and features would be discussed. The growth of Social Media allows businesses to connect with their customers on a level that encourages sharing. Customers are now friends, fans, and followers. They read your thoughts and comment with insight and intelligence. They offer their opinions on business decisions³.

It’s the community building aspect that makes Social Media the best way to market your business. Customers buy from people they know, like and trust. Using Social Media to nurture that feeling of community is the best way to connect with your customers and when done with strategic consistency, sales will increase.

Customer Service

Without a doubt, the shift toward Social Media has meant a shift toward customer service. With customers connected like never before, businesses cannot afford to miss out on opportunities to provide top-notch service to their customers. Since businesses no longer hold the megaphone, customers have taken back some⁴ of the power, and smart businesses realize they can provide real-time, world-class customer service without spending any extra money in the effort.

Zappos.com is the long-standing example of excellent customer service through Social Media. The reason, of course, is that Tony Hsieh’s philosophy that they are a customer service company that happens to sell shoes.

They use the power of Social Media, specifically Twitter, to connect with their customers and keep their finger on the pulse of their brand. It tells the customers that the company is listening, that they care, and, should a problem arise, that they are willing to do something about it.

Relationship Development

Using Twitter, Facebook, numerous other Social Media sites, blogs, email, and other Social Media tools, allows businesses to build relationships that last longer than a simple point of sale purchase.

These relationships are real, based upon real connections, whether we’re talking about a baker who likes World Cup Soccer, a butcher on a steak crusade, or a real estate agent who likes mojitos, customers are attracted to people first, not businesses.

Which brings us to:

Brand Building

Social Media allows a business to really make a name for itself by defining its own place in the world. Your business is unique. It has to be. Otherwise, why does it exist. If your business isn’t filling a need, then you are not going to be in business long.

Social Media allows for a multi-pronged, consistent, wide-spread message of why your business exists and why it is unique and awesome. From the colors you choose, to the tag lines you write, to logo you display, they all come back to a consistent message.

Partnership Creation

One of the most untapped areas of Social Media is that of partnership, not only with those businesses that complement your niche by providing services that your business doesn’t, but also between businesses that are in direct competition with each other.

Many online businesses are feast and famine types. You can go from a funnel full of clients to an empty echo quickly. If, when your funnel was fullest, you were to offer work to a competitor who needed it, the gesture would reap some definite positive consequences. First, the competitor would surely be appreciative and be willing to share work in the future, creating a win-win partnership. Second, the client would understand that their needs are important enough for you to have it done right, by someone you know could do an excellent job. Instead of hoarding the work and producing less than excellent results, you are willing to sacrifice for your client.

That’s powerful. And that’s the power of partnership.

So what would you add to the list? What would your remove from it? Now, let’s hear what you have to say:

Also called “interruption marketing” by Seth Godin [↩]
Who knew? [↩]
Smart business owners seek their input, too. [↩]
Most [↩]

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Work, Marketing, Small Business, Social Media Tagged With: branding, community, customer service, small business, social media

Three Powerful Words to Improve Your Credibility

July 28, 2010 By Brian Williamson Leave a Comment

In this day and age, especially in the Social Media arena, credibility and trust can make or break a business, particularly if that business is based upon a personal reputation. So having impeccable credibility is essential to having a successful business.

It isn’t enough to know a lot of technical details, nor is it enough to know current marketing jargon. You have to know what you don’t know, and you have to be totally, completely, and wonderfully at home in that knowledge¹.

What separates the real knowledgeable people from the posing pretenders who make all of our lives friggin’ ridiculously difficult is that the real knowledgeable people are willing to say the three words that will automatically create a sense of trust in a client. What are they?

I don’t know.

Something magical happens when you say, “I don’t know.” Your willingness to admit a limitation makes your true knowledge even more powerful, because you have just admitted that you will not pretend or make something up², but rather you will confess your ignorance.

You may be thinking: ‘But wait, why would you admit that you don’t know something? Aren’t you supposed to be the expert?’

To which, I have two replies:

1. Your FACE is an expert³

and

2. An expert is not omniscient. They are skillful, knowledgeable, adept, resourceful, and wise. But there is no requirement that an expert know everything.

Admitting ignorance about an area of expertise shows confidence, it also shows a willingness to be honest. Besides, in Social Media, you don’t have much of a shelf-life if you fudge facts, make stuff up, pretend to know, or just flat out lie. Someone will find you out, point out your flaws and make sure everyone knows.

And you deserve it.

When you pretend to know something for the sake of impressing a client or saving face, you are essentially telling the client that they are not worth being told the truth. When⁴ the client finds out the truth, you have lost all credibility. Think about it as a customer. Would you like being lied to? Would you like someone just making something up so that you will pass your hard earned money to them?

No. The correct answer is no, you would not.

As a customer, you would appreciate someone telling you truth. You buy from people you trust. People will also buy from you if they trust you and one of the

Just…please, keep your pants on. [↩]
Like the fact that 73% of all statistics are made up on the spot [↩]
Burn!! [↩]
Not if [↩]

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Work, Small Business, Social Media Tagged With: customer service, marketing, small business, social media