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By: Harry Lee
A blog written five years ago could well have been only for journalists, but today, they have a broad spectrum and are not limited to journalists, technically gifted or aspiring writers. More and more retailers have now learned that a blog can prove to be a strong asset for their business. Be it large-chain businesses or small brick and mortar shops; business blogging has gained worldwide popularity and acceptance as a marketing communication tool.
Thus, blogging should be more carefully executed and planned, just like any other aspect of business, and only then it can be of excellent value for the business and the reader. If the retailer isn’t doing it the right way, it may act as an anti-marketing tool and it won’t just be unable to pay off the return on the investment, but could also damage the reputation of the business. However, if the retailer has found a way of doing it right, they are in for increased sales and a stronger relationship with customers.
Why should retailers blog?
Now the question arises, why retailers should blog? Naturally, in a venture, there are risks attached, and blogging is no exception. A well-written business blog that is frequently updated and offers a more personal touch from the retailer to the reader will garner a lot of attention. There are opponents of business blogging, who argue that it could be more time consuming and involved a massive effort that outweighs the benefits that it yield. However, their assumption doesn’t have a firm standing ground, and benefits that blogging offers outweighs the efforts that it takes.
Also Read: Give Your Products a Premium Feel with Rigid Boxes
While there are many intangible advantages of the business blogging as well, let’s discuss the few tangible advantages that it offers, and how they are the answer of everything that you are looking for your business.
Attracting new customers
A continuous effort of maintaining the blog attracts a lot of new customers, and it is not a mere exemption, but a fact that is backed by many case studies and researches. A blog that is reaching more people on the world wide web is sure to raise some eyebrows, and, as mentioned before, if it is written well, people are going to come for it.
In the times where businesses are striving for a stronger presence on the web, a well-optimized blog can bring in a lot of organic customers, who were looking for a specific product on the web, and their research brought them on your website. So, optimization of the blog works precisely like the stickers and labels on the product, which gives the specification of the product and brings customers towards itself with its description on it.
Retaining existing customers
There is always a vigorous debate on what is more important, attracting new customers, or retaining the existing customers. Whatever the answer is to that question, we all agree that neither of them is terrible, and both are beneficial for the business.
Business blogging is as effective in retaining old customers, as it is in attracting new customers. Existing customers who are aware of the online presence of a business regularly visit the business website for all the new products that you are offering, and what more you have in the closet for the future.
Effective Blogging Practices:
Just like every other venture in the store operations, a business blog and website maintenance requires a set of procedures and policies to maintain the professionalism and the integrity of the business. Some of the best practices for blogging for a business are:
Being relevant yet interesting
Being relevant in the blogs isn’t as simple and easy as it may sound. For a better idea of relevant blogs, think about specific blogs that you are frequently visiting – think about what keeps you bringing back there? There are high chances that you go back there because those blogs are relevant to you; your life, and your work, as well as they, are entertaining.
When we talk about a business blog, we talk about something a lot more than a dry corporate bragging paragraph, and it is where a lot of business blogs don’t live up to the expectations of the readers. You must be primarily writing for the readers, and your business is secondary.
Public Information
It is a critical subject and needs to be discussed more than how much it generally does. Businesses should be conscientious about what they are publishing online, and if their trade secrets are compromised.
Think of the consequences of blog
Just like the previous two points, this could not have been any more important. It is always essential to consider the consequences of what your writing will bring. Even though the articles can be altered or completely deleted, once you press the publish button, it may be too late. There is no apology for an errant rant or any sort of inappropriate post in the online world.
Play well with the others
A business blog does not offer the retailers any right to smear and bash competitors or bad-mouth a supplier publically. If you have any issues with the competitors or with a specific vendor, creating an entire blog post about them will only extend the problem. It could ruin the integrity of the retailer itself, and business then will have a lot to bear.
Professionalism includes respect for others, and more importantly, for the competitors, and everyone else in the business chain. If you want to say something about them – the vendors, suppliers, competitors, or customers, it should instead be positive words.
Give credit where it is due
There is a leading malpractice in every aspect of a business, and that malpractice is copy-pasting when it comes to the aspect of blogging. It does not just create a wrong impression of a business, but the blog content doesn’t land in good marks on the web, i.e., Google will not put in priority results of searches. So, whenever you have to quote a particular fact, statistic, or any other kind of data, be sure to cite the sources and give them their due credit.
A Blog to Follow – PackagingBee
PackagingBee is an exemplary business blog, and if you are thinking to start your own business blog, it could well be good guidance for you. Its blog offers regular updates on its packaging products, as well as discusses the trends of packaging, and modern packaging solutions.
