Source: www.TurfMagazine.com
How do you know that your blog is reaching your prospects? You check the numbers. Even though we’re at the end of July, it’s still not too late to complete a mid-year audit. Here are five things you can do to see if your blog is successful:
- Ask your Web developer or Internet marketer (or you can do this by yourself) to download your Google analytics. What are the graphs showing? What months had the most hits? What topics were visited the most? How long did your visitors stay on your site? Did your visitors actually go to your website and browse your services and contact information? What pages were clicked the most?
- Ask your new clients how they found you. Was it through your blog or website? What was their favorite post? What helped them make the decision to choose you over your competitors?
- Concentrate on favorite keywords and popular blog posts. Use your data to brainstorm new blog topics based on what people read and liked the most on your blog.
- Consider spicing up your blog content. Video blogs are gaining popularity. Is it time to start filming your best projects? If so, first make sure that you get the property owner’s permission in writing.
- Use your iPhone to take video. Since you may just be starting to film your projects, using your iPhone or other hand-held device will allow you to develop your video skills and to learn what projects and services need to be shared on your website and blog.
Other Blogging News A few weeks ago, I was discussing blog content with another member of a LinkedIn group that I belong to. This person shared that he believed that blogs should take the readers behind the scenes of the business, such as talking about the owners’ families and pets, etc. I highly disagreed with him. Why? Because the purpose of a blog is to gain the trust of your readers-also known as your potential clients. They could care less about your family life, how many goldfish you own and where you take your annual vacation. I advised him to save that kind of information for his “About Us” page and maybe sparingly use personal anecdotes in his newsletters. It’s more effective to talk to your readers as if you’re having coffee with them and sharing important lawn care and landscape information for them to incorporate onto their properties. Before you publish your next blog, ask yourself, “What’s in it for my reader?” If you pay attention to your readers’ needs and wants in your blogs, you’ll have more people visiting, following and hopefully calling you to be their lawn care or landscape design/build service provider.
Do you have any questions about what should or shouldn’t be added to your blog?