With a blog integration to your website, you can go beyond the simple "purchase-sale" dynamic, and build a real privileged or intimate relationship with your customers by positioning yourself either:
as an expert by inviting your subscribers to comment on your articles
by projecting a human dimension to your activity .
1/ Positioning as an Expert
Your blog is the pillar of the content marketing strategy of your website. With its integration, you will be able to position yourself as an expert and share your knowledge with all visitors interested in your products, thus building a privileged relationship with them. Your blog is also a tool that will allow you to build an image of your company or business among potential customers . This image must be builded by the quality of your comments and articles . The first thing your customers will do is try to find out if you are an expert by reading what you write on your blog article before visiting your website: having a blog with valuable content helps them know the nature of your business and decide if it is right for them. Let's take the example that you are a designer and sell your clothes online? So write an article about your different clothes, their qualities, which material to choose for a particular season or other. Why not an online tutorial if possible to allow your readers to make their own clothes? The trap often hides in the fear of sharing our expertise because we think it will negatively affect our business. On the contrary! it will increase your trust capital. Indeed, everyone does not necessarily have the time, nor the skills, nor the desire to manufacture a product themselves. In addition, those who will use your tutorial have never been potential customers, since they were looking to make their own clothes rather than buy. On the other hand, they will find important information in your blog and will come back to it more and more because it will have become a reference for them, will recommend it directly or indirectly to other people, some of whom will surely not have the time or expertise to design them themselves… and will buy them on your online store which will increase your customer loyalty in a long term
The value of being seen as an expert is not a soft value , it is tangible and measurable . Being recognized as an expert forms a virtuous circle : the more we share our expertise, the more customers see that it will be useful to them and talk about it around them, who in turn get new visits to our site... and so now.. The blog is a great tool to make your business more accessible and more trustworthy. It is therefore also an excellent content marketing strategy that helps you build your credibility, establish yourself as a professional in your field and resume full control of the information transmitted about your brand online .
2/ Project a human dimension to your activity
So there is no doubt that blogging can help your business: it allows you to establish a personal connection with your customers and can increase your contacts or sales in several ways. But how does a business owner know where to start when learning to blog? Here are some tips on how to start blogging for business success. Following the same example above, let's say you are a fashion designer, do haute couture and sell your creations online: A fashion blog would be the perfect place to give your customers the impression that you are writing them a letter. It's great to share some of your expertise on materials and garments, but it's even better if you can share the story behind those products in order to increase customer loyalty .
2-a/ Storytelling to increase customer loyalty
Many of your customers are not only interested in how a product looks on them, they want to be informed and know what inspired you to design this product, and why it is special, different or new. This technique is called Storytelling : It allows you to share your values, show your human dimension to your customers, create an emotional bond with your customers, which is very important in today's market to increase customer loyalty.
2-b/ Taking a stand to increase customer loyalty
Another technique of this human dimension to increase customer loyalty is taking a stand :
It's important to take a stand in your blog, but it should be done in good taste . This type of article is meant to tell people what you think about topics related to your business or personal values . It takes a lot of puns and tact. What you want with this type of article is to take a stand , but you also want to share your values and create a feeling of complicity . So don't underestimate the power of words: sometimes all it takes is a sentence between an article that advocates certain values and brings people together, and another that falls into hysteria and divides. The power of the word is so big that it can be used against you before you've even finished writing. Today we live in an age where information is at our fingertips. The Internet has allowed us to expand our knowledge, even if it is erroneous. Blogs can be easily shared on different channels and if they are filled with factual and relevant information, you can gain credibility and increase customer loyalty with those who read your post.
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