The sales process for most businesses is changing rapidly. Gone are the days of cold calling due to the nuisance factor, call screening, and brutal rejection rate that takes its toll on salespeople.

Referrals from happy, satisfied customers were, are now, and probably always will be the most effective tool for lead generation and a high closing rate. To break the ice, to be “in the conversation”, to keep those referrals rolling in, relevant blog content has become the main workhorse. The whole sales engine will not move an inch without an effective website and its faithful companion – the BLOG.

Why are there about 173 million blogs which are fast catching up with the 250 million active websites? The answer is that blogs help sell, thereby making money for their owners. According to a recent Hubspot survey, 60% of businesses who blog acquire more customers.

In essence, Blogs deliver fresh content – published, distributed, and then preserved to become a permanent, searchable part of your website. A blog keeps your web alive and selling. Here are 12 ways a blog will help you sell:

1. Your Blog makes your business “findable” on the web. With Google, in fact all search engines, “content is king”. Blogs capture searchable text and meta-material including keywords tailored to your market. 85% of people faced with a new buying or vendor decision turn to the web.
2. Your Blog is your direct connection to your current customer base. For most businesses 80% of their new business comes from their existing customers either through increased business or referrals. If you don’t keep in touch with your customer base, who will?
3. Your Blog warms up leads and prospects to your brand prior to the sales process. Your blog content drives your social media connections including LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, et al., warming up leads on both sides, which is essential in business to business sales.
4. Your Blog, and not e-blasts, are the new e-zines / e-newsletters. E-blasts are not searchable. In fact, the new role of e-blasts is to drive your customer base to your latest blogs to generate sales interest.
5. Your Blog establishes your expertise. Any salesperson will tell you that it is much easier to sell if you or your firm is looked at as a trusted advisor.
6. Your Blog sells while you are asleep. Like webs, Blogs work 24/7 making way more than seven impressions. Advertising’s sacred “Rule of Seven” states that customers must hear of your business at least 7 times before they are ready to make a purchase.
7. Your Blog constantly builds your brand without damaging it. If you want to sell in differing marketplaces – blogs and landing pages help you. Blogs are considered the fifth most reliable source of information by the general public.
8. Your Blog does not manipulate but attracts your customers to your services and products. Your customers visit your blog by their own choice. They don’t have to be interrupted by a cold call or endure an appointment.
9. Your Blog creates free PR. Blogs are used by journalists, all types of media writers, creatives and other bloggers.
10. Your blog can help you penetrate affinity groups whose membership lists touch potential customers.
11. Your Blog has analytics and 2-way communication providing valuable sales insights about your audience.
12. Your Blog keeps you on the leading sales edge as you continually explore new tips, tricks, advice, discoveries, trends etc. for your customers to learn and talk about.

Getting Back to Your Brand

Ultimately, the power of your brand and how you back it up is the main factor in sales success. A weak brand results in weak content which results in a weak blog and few referrals.

Blogs keep your salesforce and staff on Brand and on the same page moving forward. Your blog gets and keeps your brand in the conversation, gaining the referrals, which give you the best chance of closing sales.

If you need help building or running a blog for your business, or would like to learn more about Orbit’s popular Marketing Machine program, we would be glad to work with you. Call us at 303 433-1616.