Marketing Tips for Small Businesses will help you attract audiences. That’s the whole purpose of marketing. This post provides five tips about creating written content online. Here are our five “R” of writing for online visitors:
Tip 1- Relevant- Make sure what you’re writing is relevant to the visitor and consistent with your site’s main theme.
People and search engines don’t like confusion. If they’re confused, you get nuked really fast. You don’t want to get nuked.
You want to invite your visitors to come and stay for a while. Also, make sure your post title and the content of the post are related.
How many times have you searched for something on Google, found a post that looks like it’s just what you want, clicked on it, and the article is about something entirely different?
The writer used the headline to rank in the search engines, grab visitors, then did a bait and switch. Don’t do that.
You’ll lose trust and the possibility of a long term visitor. Remember, if you lost a visitor, they’ll rarely come back.
Tip 2- Relational- The “voice” you use online should be your natural voice. Are you funny? Let that come through in your writing. Every post you make should be like an invitation to a wonderful friend.
Speak to humans first, not the search engines. One of the greatest examples of this is a blog written by my students called “In Line Waiting”.
The whole blog is about funny ways to pass the time while waiting in line. It’s hilarious and you can view it here: www.inlinewaiting.com.
Let your online voice be the same voice you’d like others to use when speaking to you in conversation. The web is an informal medium, but it’s become more credibility-driven. Speaking in a voice people can relate to is key to building credibility.
Also, engage people, don’t just speak at them. Don’t make the mistake of talking down to your audience either, even if you’re an expert. Writers who respect the intelligence of their audience will always come out ahead.
We think that’s one of the key reasons we have such a strong following at Best Small Biz Help.com. We have high regard for our visitors and what they’re trying to accomplish.
The biggest mistake you can make is to be BORING online. That’s the kiss of death.
You can be right, you can be wrong, but boring will send you to the Bermuda Triangle of cyberspace never to be heard from again.
Tip 3- Receptive- Create an online environment that is receptive to people’s comments and suggestions. Remember, you want to create a dialogue, not a monologue online.
You know who’s a genius at this? Red Rover PR. Rachael Lechliter has built an amazing following by engaging her audience.
Tip 4-Responsive- Be sure to respond quickly to any comments or suggestions you receive. The standard we use here at Best Small Biz Help.com is 24 hours. Remember, it’s your online reputation so responsiveness counts.
It’s also important to nuke inappropriate content as quickly as possible. This makes your visitors trust you more. They know you’re on top of your game.
If you’re moderating comments, also use the same 24 hour standard. If you can respond sooner, even better. You don’t want people to lose their motivation to leave a comment if they don’t see their comment published.
Tip 5-Refresh-So many websites have dated information on them and they never go back to update that information. Don’t be one of those.
It takes work and diligence to keep your content current. Sometimes we’re not perfect at it either, but it matters. It also distinguishes you from most of the websites out there with dated information.
If you refresh your articles to include new information or updated tips, your visitors will really appreciate it.
They’ll also visit your site more. They won’t want to miss anything.
This marketing tips for small businesses is about creating content online that builds long term relationships with your visitors.
So, be Relevant, Relational, Receptive, Responsive, and Refresh your content regularly and you’ll build a following.
It’ll take time, but you’ll get there.
If you get stuck, hit the Panic Button.
At Best Small Biz Help.com, we are The Solopreneur’s Lifeline.
