In addition to creating relationship ROI, blogging is a great way to generate sales. You will need to use unique links (the Google Analytics URL Builder is a fantastic tool for this) in your blog to track the blog’s and specific entries’ effectiveness over time. Here are some types of blog entries that have been proven generally to enhance sales.
Comparison blogs. Comparison blog entries readily translate into sales because they highlight the differences between two competitors. Potential customers are looking for a reason to buy Product A over Product B.
Benchmarks and feature comparisons are good, but don’t be afraid to toot your own horn. Remember that your product or service must not just have features, but be able to solve problems. For some organizations, the entire website is the blog.
Problems. Sometimes people don’t use a product properly and this leads to negative customer reviews on your website or on outside consumer review sites. A blog entry that addresses the problem will go a long way to making people comfortable about buying the product.
A better way. Some users find a better way to solve a problem using a feature of your product. Think of this as a “cool tricks” entry. In truth, this doesn’t have to be something really new, just new to the user. New uses. Sometimes people will create a new use for a product. If this happens, blog about it. Perhaps some of your users have come up with new uses – ask them. Don’t be afraid to have fun and make creative, fun, or funny posts. New features, new prices, and overall news. Product or service news is often highlighted on web pages, but such items are also worthy of a blog entry (and a press release, too).
User stories. Web surfers are more likely to trust “people like me” versus a company, so let your users help create compelling blog content. Interview a user who is very happy with your product or service. Better yet, invite guest blogs so you don’t have to do any of the writing, only editing. A real customer can also be effusive in a way that the company blogger can’t.
