What is commonly referred to as blogging is about as old as the internet and, just like the internet, it’s going strong. Some of the first “weblogs” (a term quickly shortened to simply “blogs”) were introduced in the early 1990s. In those days, they were typically written by a person who wanted to just discuss something like a hobby.
While there are still millions of individuals blogging around the world, the medium has been taken over by businesses, institutions, and organizations large and small. No longer do these organizations need to advertise in publications to market their products or services or send out news stories using expensive distribution services.
Now, by appropriately writing items and taking the additional steps to optimize them for search engines, all an organization needs to do is announce their information in the form of a blog placed on their website, and their message has the possibility of reaching millions over time at little or no cost.
However, there is far more power to blogs then just getting an organization’s message out. When someone reads a credible blog that provides quality, valuable information, that is well-written, and not trying to “sell something,” it can result in return visits to that site. In time, this builds trust between the web visitor and the organization and with trust, sales.
For cleaning contractors specifically, blogs can be an opportunity to show your knowledge of cleaning and maintenance. Further, they can impress upon your web visitors that you can help them operate their properties more effectively and sustainably, potentially reduce operating costs, and create an overall healthier environment for building users.
To help ensure your blogging program is effective, here are some tips on effective blog writing:
- Blogs should be about 500 words. Because of this, the blog should focus on one or possibly two topics, but not more.
- With the topic in mind, present it in the first sentence. For instance, in our discussion here, the word “blogging” was used in the first sentence. If we had discussed writing techniques and then brought in blogging a paragraph or two later, it’s too late. The reader is confused and there is simply no room in a blog for confusion. The topic and the keyword, in this case, “blogging,” must be front and center from the start.
- Make sure your blogs have an industry focus. As an example, the cleaning niche of one cleaning contractor in California is medical offices and related medical facilities. This company’s blogs invariably discuss topics that the manager of a doctor’s office or medical facility should know about cleaning.
- Related to this, when writing and evaluating a blog, always ask yourself: “Will this blog help someone?” “Will it educate someone?” “Will someone learn something of value from this content?” If the blog helps someone, you are now building a meaningful relationship that can build trust, and as we mentioned, trust is the first step to a sale.
- While our ultimate goal of blogging may be to grow our businesses, overt marketing in blogs must be avoided. As soon as your reader realizes you are just trying to sell them on your service, they will likely move on to a competitor’s website.
- Finally, all you need to know are the basics of search engine optimization. While web experts may suggest that there are mysterious algorithms that organizations must be aware of, the reality is that if the information is quality and informative, the search engines will find it and promote it.
For more ways to build your contract cleaning business, contact Ron at contact@seguraassociates.com.
