When you sound like a broken record about something, that’s what we call a niche. 
I write about business blogs. A lot. But I realize that I’ve been running along with basic assumptions in place. I want to address those assumptions in this post. I’m going to make this post as basic an explanation as I can for necessary elements of a business blog (a blog that supports the sales and marketing objectives of a business). The idea here is that if you don’t have these foundational items in your blog, the blog is incomplete and will fail to support your business objectives.
1. Clear Basic Business Info
This goes into the smack-your-forehead-no-duh category, but I see business blogs all the time that haven’t managed to communicate the most basic of business information to people:
- What the business is
- What it does
- Who it does it for
- Where it is located
Your audience are not mind readers. Imagine a person who doesn’t know you, your business, what it does–they know nothing. Write with that person in mind.
2. Highly Visible and Functional Contact Page
Would you like your business blog to, um, actually get you some business? You need to make it ridiculously easy for your potential customers to contact you. Use the Cforms plugin for WordPress if you want killer contact forms. If you’re not even reachable, how is anybody supposed to feel good about handing over their money to you?
3. Highly Visible Services/Products Page
What do you sell? Please tell me. Don’t make me guess, because I won’t–I’m already gone.
If there’s one thing on your blog that you shouldn’t write, it’s these pages. You’re in business to make money, not lose it. It’s worth the return on your investment to hire a good copywriter (contact me for referrals–I know legions of awesome copywriters). Every business blog needs great pages (not just posts) about its products and services. Hire a pro to write them for you. You want these pages to convert for you. You will make your money back so many times over it’s not even funny. Pay for good copywriting, seriously.
4. A Killer About Page
Your about page is your secret weapon. Why? People expect straight information on it. What if you had your about page professionally written by a master copywriter? That puppy would convert for you! Take a look at how I rewrote the About Gateway Blogging page at Gateway Blogging.
5. Highly Visible RSS and Email Subscription Area
You want your blog to support business objectives. And yet, it’s probably not going to convert masses of people on first visit. What’s great about business blogs is that they’re the long, gently sloping edge to your sales funnel. People can subscribe, hang out, see what you’re all about, and before they know it, they’re sucked in and clicking that buy button.
But until they feel they can trust you, that will never happen. Reading a blog over time instills trust. You want to make it as easy as possible for others to trust you. The best way to start that process is to make it as easy as possible for people to subscribe to your blog via RSS or email.
You Have No Excuse Not To
You can do these 5 steps. They’re not that difficult. They will help immensely. Remember: you’re not in business to lose money, but to make it. Hand over fist is preferable.
9 Comments
Michael - All sound advice. I never had a great RSS/email sign up on my blog until it had been running about 4 months. Then I had another agent tell me she would read me more but needed to get updates by email. I had thought a basic RSS would work, turns out not. My next one on your list is the about page. I can’t tell you how much I not only hate mine but the idea of having to re-do it. So for now it sits but it really is a must have component and should be a killer one.
@Ashley - You don’t need to dread redoing your About page. Hire a professional copywriter to do it for you!
Many people investigate the About pages on blogs. It’s one of your best hidden “salespeople” for you. Invest in it and get the payback.
Michael -
Shoot me & email with some copywriter referrals. I need to have some serious copy crafted.
This is terrific info. I keep repeating to network marketers or home party plan business owners that blogging is a terrific way to drive traffic to a hard to optimize affiliate site. Everyone in a direct sales business should start a blog as a simple way to get started on a web site.
@Deb - Thanks, I’m glad you find it useful. Feel free to share the link with everyone you know!
If you really want to engage in profitable business blogging that attracts the right traffic so that you can increase sales, I would suggest to take a look at what I’m cooking up with Gateway Blogging. I’m teaming up with an amazing business coach to deliver online learning for people to learn how run and blog a profitable online business.
Great post Mike!
This post includes the essential bits that any business blog should have; I believe they also represent the basic strategic marketing that anybody should consider when starting a business.
The part about quality of the copy write is also paramount: the way things are written “does” actually matter.
Best regards
Massimo
You know what I love about your posts? I always get great advice for my blog. You know what I hate most about your posts? You always give great advice that creates more work for me.
I might have dreaded it but I went and did re-did my about page. Is it a killer page? Don’t know yet, but it sure beats the pants off the old one.
@Ashley - It looks great! In fact, the whole site looks better, too, since I last saw it. The changes you made to the header are great.
Consider really pushing for and gathering testimonials and working them into your home page, at some point, near the top.
Great advice. I would add: include videos of products in use solving problems for customers, or related videos, perhaps tutorials or even comedy related to your field.
Also: a blogroll linking to relevant, authoritative sites to benefit readers (viral vs. sticky) and to establish credibility by association.
Plus: moderated comments, without captchas (unless you get spambot attacks).
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