In this day and age, it is imperative that you give your business a clear and authentic voice to communicate with new and existing clients. Simply put, it helps you stand out and build relationships – and trust me, people want that.
I mean, when is the last time you saw – or used – a phone book? As a customer, would you prefer to do a random search on the internet if your AC unit went out? Would you take your child to a pediatrician you are unfamiliar with? I bet you wouldn't. People these days want to KNOW who they are working with. They trust word of mouth. They still expect you to do the work better than anyone else, but it's equally as important for them to know your business, build a relationship, know what makes your business different, and trust that you are actively providing value.
My job as a professional writer and editor is to help business owners come up with the right words to effectively communicate all those things, and stay "top of mind."
Here are 5 easy ways to communicate, and give your business a voice.
Make sure you have a website
If your business does not have a website, how do you expect people to know what you do and find you? A website is there on the internet 24/7. It is there when you are hard at work in the office, and it's still there doing its thing after hours when someone is shopping around for a service. If it has been set up with the right content and is easy to navigate, it becomes a clear voice to promote your services and prices, act as a landing page for client testimonials, and provide your location, any potential blogs you may write, and examples of quality work you've done. As a writer, I stress the importance of making sure your website is a clear representation of you and what you are about. If the content (words) are stilted or uninviting, that will work against you.
Blog, Blog, and Blog some more
A blog is a short web article used to create content for your business. For example, what I'm writing right now is a blog. It is posted on my Edit This website, and when I'm done with it, I will share it to social media. The cool thing about blogs is that the content can be about anything you want (ex: informational topics such as industry trends that clients might want to know about, or fun stuff like stories on your business travels). Blogs help drive traffic to your website and help you show up in search engines, which you obviously want. They create content that can then be shared and can help build leads. Blogs also set you up as the authority for your profession, and keep you top of mind.
Build your social media presence
These days, it's difficult to imagine what life was like without social media. Whether it's Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn, you need to make sure your business has a social media presence. My favorites for Edit This are Facebook and LinkedIn, though I also have a Twitter account I use for my sports writing. Social media allows you to interact with clients, answer questions, post happenings around the office and share your website blogs. It's also one of the best – some would say it's THE best – way to close on business leads because of the relationship factor. It's all one giant circle, people.
Newsletters
In my humble opinion, people tend to overlook newsletters as an effective way to communicate with customers. But trust me, they are certainly not a thing of the past, and they can be a low-cost way to stay in front of customers. Newsletters provide industry-specific content and act as a way to be friendly. I have one client in particular who uses a quarterly newsletter strictly for sharing happenings in their personal lives. Every once in a while they'll throw in an informational article, but for the most part, it's a way to give clients a peek behind the curtain to build trust and rapport.
Advertising
Someone reminded me recently of the old saying, "out of sight, out of mind." And it's so true in today's world. I'm not going to pretend to be a marketing or advertising wizard, but oftentimes business owners make the mistake of not putting enough money aside for marketing and advertising dollars (me being one of them). Advertising is critical, whether it be in the newspaper, online or in your neighborhood magazine. Customers look at those things for ideas, and if you are constantly in there, it creates name recognition. From there, it's up to you to take care of the client. Advertising can come in all forms, including cover spreads for magazines, generic ads, and even advertorials.
If you integrate these 5 tips into your routine, I promise you will make out better than simply waiting for the business to land on your front doorstep. If you are busy and can't find enough time in the day to keep up with all of what I've told you today, give Edit This a call. We handle anything involving the written word.
Thanks for reading!