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I was talking with a friend the other day about the way social media was going. I was speaking from the perspective of someone who see social media as an essential and exciting tool for doing business, she from the perspective of someone who is inundated with blog posts and social media sales pitches to the point that she is tired of them all. In this conversation, my friend told me that she was all blogged out!
The truth is that my friend is right! Everyone has a blog these days and businesses with the proper view of blogging and who have taken the right approach are being drowned out by the plaid panted, white shoe wearing, snake oil salesmen who have discovered social media. The influx of these folks has turned many an interested blog reader into an uninterested blog hater. The are simply all blogged out.
So, how does a blogger with the right intentions (producing real and valuable content, asking real questions, and engaging their clients in the processes of innovation and improvement) create and grow the readership of their blog in the midst of all the noise?
Three quick thoughts:
- Be true to your business and its purpose. Too many blogs these days build readership with wild claims and crazy ideas that rarely if ever create lasting results. Your blog should be built just like any successful business platform: Satisfied customers who know you, like you, and refer you to their friends!
- Build your readership organically. This is simply the best way to guarantee a solid and continual readership. As you gain the respect of your audience with good articles that set you apart as a true thought leader in your field, they will begin to pass your good information and advice on to those who they influence as well. People sharing your content has a far greater effect than if you try to force it down someone’s throat.
- Build a level of consistency that people can count on. When you start blogging, the question of when and how often to blog is always a question that you must answer. While the answer is based on many factors, you must determine what is going to work for you and your customers and then stick to it. If you are going to have a blog that has an integral place in your companies overall marketing/sales strategy, you must make time for it and the content you share. A lack of consistency will make your posts part of the noise and not considered worth reading.
So, if you are really interested in sharing your knowledge with your current and potential clients through a blog, you have got to be able to cut through the noise and reach people who otherwise are all blogged out. Take this advice, build consistently, and watch your readership and your reputation grow your business!
