“Write a blog? Who? Me?”
If you’ve ever worked with local businesses, then you’re probably familiar with this response.
Far too many local businesses mistakenly believe that blogging isn’t for them; it’s for, well, bloggers. Unfortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Today, content holds incredible importance from several perspectives: attracting new customers by converting visitors into leads, driving traffic to your website, building authority, and, yes, being found online through search engines.
Research shows that traffic from blogging activities actually compounds over time. The more content you create, the more it builds over the long run. In the same study, it’s noted that roughly 90% of the leads generated monthly come from blog posts published in previous months, sometimes even years ago.
It’s not just large, web-savvy businesses that benefit from creating engaging content. Recent research on over 500 UK B2B websites revealed that best-in-class sites have double the amount of content compared to lower-ranking average sites. Content was clearly one of the four main factors distinguishing the best from the rest.
If you’ve ever tried to encourage a local business to create more content, you’ll know it’s a tough sell. Their usual objections are that they can’t see the point, don’t have the time, or believe their industry is too boring for interesting content.
Or all three.
Creating high-quality content does take time and energy, but businesses are far better off with a local content creation plan and framework than without.
So, how do you convince your clients to create more content?
Read on…
Expanded Services Pages
If blogging seems too daunting at first, consider pushing your clients to expand their services page.
Often, clients set up a generic ‘Services’ page that lists everything they do. This usually happens because they’ve had to pay a web designer per page and are reluctant to incur extra costs.
But this is a false economy, spreading themselves too thin.
Take a typical local supplier like a plumber. They probably offer at least a dozen specific services that merit their own page (emergency call-out, drain cleaning, leak repairs, radiator installation, and so on).
Each page is an opportunity to rank for specific keywords rather than getting lost in a generic ‘Services’ page.
A study highlighted that adding more content related to the services a business provides positively impacts their ranking and increases the amount of organic traffic they receive.
Encourage reluctant clients to develop services pages for each primary keyword service they provide.
Double Down on FAQ Content
If you sat down with your client over coffee and talked business, you’d probably be there for hours. They have a wealth of information that can be transformed into keyword-rich content. You just need to get them to move it from ‘up there’ to ‘out there,’ and FAQs are a great way to achieve this.
You don’t need to think of a classic FAQ page either. There are ways to create more impactful FAQs.
Traditional FAQ pages can be somewhat dull. Another option is to look for long-tail questions and create blog content around them.
A pool maintenance company could have a FAQ like “What’s the advantage of saltwater pools over chlorine pools?” They could also create an engaging blog post titled “5 Important Health Reasons for Choosing Saltwater Pools Over Chlorine Pools.”
This type of content can provide several benefits.
Firstly, it adds value by addressing frequent questions and concerns, establishing basic trust, which is crucial for today’s consumers.
Studies show that one of the biggest determinants of whether a consumer will buy is “decision simplicity”— how easily they can gather trustworthy information to make the right choice.
Additionally, FAQ pages and posts are excellent for highlighting long-tail keywords that align with what customers are searching for online.
Embrace Local Events and Local News
Small businesses play a vital role in their local communities. One way for brands to improve their standing and connect with local influencers is to host or promote local events.
This doesn’t have to be limited to events. Use the blog to highlight the brand’s story, why they chose that city or town, and what makes the place special. Doing so makes the brand appear more “human” and forges connections with local customers.
Another way to increase search engine visibility (and highlight good deeds) is by blogging about specific charities, local meetups or event sponsorships, and neighborhood guides.
User-Generated Content
One of the best ways to sell your brand is to highlight your already happy customers. Most consumers check reviews before making any purchases. Data shows that reviews are essential for e-commerce sites and highlight that reviews, on average, produce an 18% sales uplift.
Blog content focusing on reviews can be converted into other formats for promotion, like case studies, video reviews, podcast chats, and quote images for social media sharing.
Encourage clients to approach their best customers for reviews and testimonials. Most local business owners usually know the names of their best customers and often find they’re pushing at an open door.
Seasonal Guides
Many small businesses offer products or services that change with the seasons. Use these differences as a way to create seasonal blog content.
Consider well-known events like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas, Black Friday, and Memorial Day. Also, consider anniversary events related to the business.
Some steps to keep in mind:
- Plan in advance with a content calendar
- Be clear about the keywords
- Create a “hub” page for the event that can be updated annually
- Leave the content up to build authority over time
List-Based Content
People love lists; we’re wired for them. List-based content is an easy way to start blogging and typically attracts more readers.
Research shows that readers prefer headlines with numbers. Testing has confirmed that headlines with numbers get more clicks.
Video
We live in a visual era, and video has become a significant tool for marketers and brands aiming to improve their blogs, authority, search engine results, and social media impact.
Visual content marketing data reveals:
- Shoppers who view videos are 1.81x more likely to purchase than non-viewers.
- By mid-2015, mobile video plays exceeded 44%, up 74% from 2014, and up 844% since 2012.
- Estimates predict 74% of all internet traffic will be video by 2017.
Video is here to stay and will continue to grow. It’s a valuable content source for a blog.
Fear of making videos holds many small business owners back. However, with a small investment and a bit of testing, techniques like three-point lighting can be mastered. For most small businesses, starting with a smartphone is enough. The key is to start; over time, improvements will come.
Final Thoughts
Blogging should be part of a long-term strategy for any local business. There are several ways to guide hesitant clients toward committing the time and effort required.
Increasing service pages, adding more FAQ-based content, getting involved in local events, encouraging user-generated content, creating seasonal guides, list-based content, and video are all effective strategies.
Although some clients may resist blogging initially, you can help them by highlighting a simple yet effective approach.
Image Credits: Images used with permission; screenshots by Tony Messer (August 2016).
