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In our last post in the Better Business Blog Series, I mentioned that one of the top 5 mistakes that business bloggers make is forgetting who they are serving. Making your blog all about you is the fastest way to kill a blog. The blog has to be geared toward serving the needs of your specific audience.
The 5 Kinds of People Reading Your Blog
There are five kinds of people who will be reading your blog. Your goal is to serve each and every one of them. Each of them needs different things from you because they require a different level of support. Your blog’s goal should be to anticipate their needs and produce a plan to satisfy those needs.
The First Time Visitor
This person found a link to your business site somewhere and they are poking around, trying to figure out whether or not you are the kind of company they can trust. They aren’t sure yet whether or not they want to do business with you. They need to know what they can expect from you. They need reassurance that you know what you are doing. They need help understanding what you offer that your competition doesn’t. They need proof that your support for them won’t end when the sale is made.
The Qualified Prospect
This person visits your site regularly. They read your blog. They’ve even signed up for your email list. They still have not made a purchase. They aren’t sure they’re ready for the commitment. They need to be educated by you on what to expect when they do business with you. They need to know what the potential pitfalls are where things can go wrong, and how they can avoid those. They need to understand the process and their role in it so they will understand why you are asking them to do certain things a specific way.
The New Client
This person just made their first purchase with you. If your blog adequately prepared them, they have a good idea of what to expect going in to the process. Now, though, they need to know what to do once the order is received. They need ideas about how they can get the most out of the money they’ve just spent. They need to know what to do in case things go wrong.
The Repeat Client
This person did business with you in the past. They know what to expect when they place an order. They know how to get the most out of their money and who to talk to when things go wrong. What they need to know from you is how to enrich the experience. They need to know what new products you’re planning to introduce and how they can be part of the development. They need to feel like they are a crucial part of your team and a vital component of your business – because they are!
The Past Client
These people bought from you in the past but they changed business partners. They didn’t feel you could give them the support they needed, or there was a failure in communication, or maybe they just felt the price was too high. Don’t neglect these guys. The relationship can be restored, and it’s still important to keep communication going. What they need from you is a reason to return. Show them that you took their complaints seriously and worked to fix them. Show them that you noticed the gap between what you had and what they needed and took action to build a bridge back to them. Show them the value of the product you are offering so they can see that what they are paying is a fraction of what it is really worth.
Next Week: Preparing Prospects To Do Business With You
Educating the consumer about what to expect and what they need to do to get the most out of their purchase is a critical component to a blog that can alleviate so many customer service complaints before they ever have a chance to happen. If you want happier customers who are eager to refer business your way, you won’t want to miss out. I look forward to seeing you here next Friday.
This Week’s Homework:
You didn’t think you were going to just get to read this and not put it to use, did you? Identify a topic that you feel will address the needs of one of these 5 audience members. Create 5 bullet points that you will cover in greater depth on that topic. Then comment below with your business website, the service or product you provide, your topic, and the 5 bullet points you created.