Introduce Referral Partners in Your Blog

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“By establishing yourself as a source of assistance, you train others to come to you with referral opportunities,” Chuck Gifford and Minesh Baxi advise in the book Network Your way to $100,000 and Beyond. “Learning to promote to those in your sphere of influence is hundreds of times better than buying from a referral partner. You must learn to talk about your referral partners often, asking questions to uncover leads.”

At Say It For You, I’ve always taught that reading competitors’ blog posts is a great form of market research for business owners launching their own blogging strategy.  Even repeating what established bloggers have said (of course in each case properly attributing the material to its source) forces “newbies” to think about what they might add to the discussion.

But, rather than merely summarizing what others are thinking, or ways competitors have chosen to handle problems, why not invite “thought competitors” to express their ideas on your blog site? That can be a way to use blog content to present conflicting views about a particular subject (your guest blogger’s view and your own), leading readers to think more deeply about a topic.

A guest blog post, of course, needn’t be about a controversial topic, but might serve as enrichment content for the host’s readers. A realtor might invite an interior designer to comment on “staging” a home for sale. An estate planning attorney might invite a long term care insurance agent to contribute content. “Guesting” can take the form of interviews or of actual content by the referral partners themselves.

“The most powerful phrase in marketing,” Gifford and Baxi assert is “I have a friend in that business. Would it be okay if I have them give you a call?” It’s interesting to note that the book was published in 2007, a year before Say It For You was started. Fourteen years later, it could be that one of the most powerful forms of referral marketing is introducing your referral partners to your audience of blog readers!

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Blog to Put Objects into the Conversation

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“Florist Larry Becker and architect Roger Crowley are educators as much as antiquarians,” Martha Stewart writes about the two men who, last year, opened an antique shop in Hopewell, New Jersey called Welbourne Robinson. Crowley describes his partner’s artistic instincts in putting together collages by saying “Larry puts objects into conversation with one another.” In turn, Crowley strives for a “balance of lightness and heaviness” in his own floral arrangements.

When it comes to blogging for business, different “objects”, or types of posts, can present a pleasing and informative overall impression. James Parsons of contentpowered.com. for example, has determined that there are as many as12 primary types of blog content that can be juxtaposed or “collaged”, including press releases, personal content, news content, local content, roundups, and evergreen posts.

Shaun Pinney of Hubspot likens blog posts to cooking, describing:

  • Raisin Bran posts (basic, everyday posts that are educational)
  • Spinach posts (healthy and thoughtful establishing you as a thought leader)
  • Roasts – big projects with extra research r analysis
  • Chocolate Cake posts – humor t diversify your blog
  • Tobasco – controversial statements and opinion pieces

    At Say It For You, I’m always on the lookout for different “templates”, not in the sense of platform graphics, but in terms of formats for presenting information about any business or professional practice. Here are just a few possible “templates”:

    How-to Post
    This type of post aims to teach the reader something, taking them through a step-by-step process. Variations include “How I _____and How You Can, Too.” And “Why ____ Matters and How To Do it”.

  • List Post
    The list post offers readers a selection of ideas, tips, suggestions, or resources.
  • Review Post
    Review posts offer an informed opinion about a particular product or service.
  • OpEd Opinion Post
    This post states a point of view about a particular topic (the blog author can then add his or her own commentary.)
  • Interview Post
    The author interviews a client, an employee, or an outside source.

One way to put these different “objects into conversation with one another” is to refer back and forth among different posts through internal linking. In fact, Neil Patel advises, “Your old posts are the key to growing your blog.”

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5 Ways to Talk About Tile

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TV reality show personalities Drew and Jonathan Scott have long been favorites of mine, so I was delighted to find their new lifestyle magazine, “Reveal” at a neighborhood newsstand.

At Say It For You, our content writers are always seeking to vary the ways we present information on a single topic in many different ways. Not only are we on the lookout for different “templates” in terms of platform graphics, but different formats for presenting information about any business or professional practice.

Well, I found, the Property Brothers have that technique down pat. In this single magazine issue, there are five different articles, all relating to just one aspect of home decor – tile!

1. the Tile Files
To help readers “know their options”, Drew and Jonathan present an overview of seven different tile types, including ceramic, porcelain, terra-cotta, class, cement, Natural stone, and peel-and-stick, listing the pros and cons of each.

The point of using lists of options, I explain to blog content writers, is to provide valuable information, to readers, suggesting different ways in which the business owner’s products – or the practitioner’s services – might be of particular use to them, perhaps in a way they hadn’t considered.

2. the Shape of Things
Here Drew and Jonathan delve into their subject in greater detail, first listing the different shapes in which tiles or sold. This “listicle” doubles as an advice column, since certain shapes, the brothers explain, work best for certain applications. “Mermaid” or scallop-shaped tiles, we learn, are sold interlocked for easier installation on kitchen backsplashes or behind bathroom vanities. “Square Zelligs” are glazed, often non-uniformly shaped, ceramic tiles best used for countertops and shower walls “for people who like a little character and don’t mind a snag here or there.”

Offering advice that’s out of the ordinary is actually great advice for business blog content writers. Drew and Jonathan are offering advice readers can use right now. More important, the authors are explaining the reasons behind each piece of advice.

3. the Trends
In this article, the Property Brothers collate advice from four different prominent designers. Barbie Palomina, for example likes using tiles on ceilings as well as on walls and floors. Gabrielle Aker likes mixing three complementary colors of tile to create a sunrise effect.
Kathryn Berschback installs tiles with prints and patterns in a butler’s pantry, while Zzoe Gowan “mixes and matches: patterned and solid tiles.

Since we are hired by clients to tell their story online to their target audiences, we need to do intensive research, as well as taking guidance from the client’s experience and expertise. Interviewing experts allows us dig deeper into the topic, offering added value to readers by bringing in expert insights.

4. All About Grout
This piece falls into the “how-to” category, with practical tips and cautionary advice for DIY readers. “While figuring out the right mix of cement, water, and sand may seem like more of a practical decision than a pretty one,” the authors caution readers that the grout they select is going to be permanently visible between the tiles. That means that both the color of the grout and the amount of spacing between tiles will have a big impact on the finished appearance.

As effective blog content writers, we can demonstrate to our readers how to dodge dangers and avoid costly and embarrassing mistakes. The Property Brothers’ articles are the kind home remodelers might cut out and keep. In the same vein, effective blog content should offer cut-out-and-keep, useful and actionable advice.

5. Install Intel
Before you invest in tile, the Property Brothers advise, find an installer with credibility. The Tile Council of North America (TCNA) certifies installers and keeps them up to date on the most current standards and practices around the installation of tile.

The success of your blog marketing efforts, we explain to Say It For You clients, will be very closely aligned with your positioning yourself as a go-to source of trustworthy information. Using factual proof involves offering statistics about the problem your product or service helps solve; credentializing proof cites your years of experience, and degrees earned.

At Say It For You, our content writers are on the lookout for different formats for presenting information about any business or professional practice. Those five different Reveal Magazine articles, all about tile, yet all different, serve as a great example of imaginative ways to deliver information to blog content audiences.

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Going for the No in Blogging for Business

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There are three kinds of yeses, Chris Voss teaches negotiators in the book Never Split the Difference. There’s commitment, confirmation, and counterfeit. People are most used to giving the counterfeit “yes” because they’ve been trapped by the confirmation “yes” so many times. The way to clinch a deal, Voss, believes, is by understanding the different meanings of “no”.

Negotiation, Voss teaches, means making it about other people, validating their emotions, and creating enough trust for a real conversation to begin. He reminds readers that “No” can have different meanings, including:

  • I am not yet ready to agree.
  • I do not understand.
  • I don’t think I can afford it.
  • I want something else.
  • I need more information.
  • I want to talk it over with someone else.Can the insights offered by Chris Voss be of use in content marketing through blogs? Definitely. In a guest post for my Say It For You blog, Karen Sullivan compared shopping to education. That’s particularly true when a buyer is searching for professional services, and wants to “interview” different providers, she explained. Sullivan asks buyers to respect the sales process; it’s dishonest to come to the sales process to get free consultative services.

Since blogging is part of “pull marketing”, the “negotiation” process is based on the “seller’s” skill in providing valuable, usable information, in essence anticipating all the possible “no” reactions, allowing readers to arrive at a “yes” in their own way and in their own time frame.

A second factor to consider is that blogging for business is an ongoing process, rather than a one-time event. With a blog, you can offer different kinds of information in different blog posts. If readers “are not yet ready to agree”, or need more information, you can convey the idea that there are different levels of involvement possible. They may share the blog post, subscribe to the blog, request a list or informational piece. You’re welcoming them to your website, yet ultimate decisions need not be made just yet. Make sure to provide plenty of valuable information for them to mull over, and perhaps “talk it over with someone else”.

To get to the “yes”, go for the “no” in blogging for business!

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Blog Marketing and Job-Seeking – Sisters Under the Skin

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Today’s post was contributed by guest Ruth Sternberg, a coach who helps mid-career professionals more effectively convey their value to employers and entrepreneurs capture more market share with clearer branded materials. She can be reached at Ruth@confidentcareersearch.com .
You can also connect with her at https://www.linkedin.com/in/navcoach/.

 

 

Congratulations! You have started your own business. You have courage. You have a mission. But how do you know your product or service will sell?

This is the driving question for all entrepreneurs. The same question causes job seekers stress as they hit “send” and wait for a reaction to an application submission. Most of us, whether we are working for ourselves or looking for a job, go about answering the question backwards. We assume that our idea is great, and that our skills speak for themselves. Friends and family have said so. We are sure everyone else will agree, so we adopt the “build it and they will come” philosophy.

We might hit it out of the park, as in the movie Field of Dreams. But will the stadium be empty? Selling anything, whether it be your skills, a product, or your consulting services, requires an understanding of what your customer—or in the case of a job seeker, the employer— needs. It sounds obvious. But in the age of social media and instant gratification, it’s not so simple. Today’s consumers are sophisticated. They don’t take promises at face value. Companies do not hire candidates just because they have the required technical skills.

Today’s “buyer” wants validation. It can be customer reviews, your LinkedIn recommendations, the quantifiable proof you give on your resume, or your social media posts. Top marketing voice Mark Schaefer, author of Marketing Rebellion: The Most Human Company Wins, points out that marketing a product requires a competitive advantage. To sell successfully, you must identify an unmet need and then build your message around that. Most companies confuse “what they sell” with “what the customer actually buys.” A tech company might have a great product. But the customers are really buying the great customer service. Starbucks doesn’t sell coffee; it sells community.

A job candidate might have all the right training and degrees, but hiring managers are really buying the ability to identify and solve problems, get along with different kinds of team members, and grow profits. Think about it: When an ad pops up in your Facebook feed, or when you are perusing Amazon or looking for a roofing contractor, do you just click “buy” without proof that you won’t waste your money?

Today’s consumer faces hundreds of choices and needs some way of differentiating one service provider (or job candidate) from all the others on the market. Here’s what you must do if you want to differentiate yourself in a competitive market:

Identify your customer. Who will make the decision to buy? Is it a mom? A CEO? A hiring manager? What do they prefer? What are their characteristics? What does the hiring company specialize in? What problems does it solve? What decisions does it face?

Figure out where your customer (or hiring manager) is. Is it on Facebook? Reddit? An industry website? Twitter? Maybe your customer supports a certain cause and is part of a Meetup or Facebook group talking about that. Are industry leaders members of a professional organization? Is there a Zoom event that will attract people in your industry? Are you on LinkedIn? Show up where your customer is and contribute to the conversation to find out what you need to deliver.

Decipher what makes you relevant to the buyer. Great service? Commitment to supporting certain values? Have you solved significant problems for your previous employers? What are they? Research the targets. Read articles, websites, and ask insiders.

Determine how to deliver your message of relevance. Content can sell, whether it’s video, social media content, or other avenues. Job seekers know they need a great resume. They also need fully keyword-optimized LinkedIn profiles. Check your marketing materials. Are they addressing the customers’ chief concerns? Create ways to engage! Will you write a cover letter? Post a LinkedIn article? Get seen and noticed!

Measure and adjust. Collect sales data. Look at your social media metrics. Who’s following you? Are they engaging with you? Job seekers: Document your progress as you apply for roles, noting whom they’ve talked with and what responses they received.

Winning the sale or the job offer is not magic. It is not instant or simple. But if you are struggling with your strategy, these tips should get you started down the right path.

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