How to Use Blog to Influence Your Offline Business

By: Yan Susanto     Topics: Blog,Blogging

Writing has always been a fantastic way to make your name famous. From the notorious Jonathon

Swift and his modest proposal to the bloggers of today, blogging will help you make a name for yourself, and if used properly, for your business as well.

Blogs can be incredibly powerful tools for promoting your business. So powerful, in fact, that they can even be used to influence your offline business practices as well.

While many bloggers can build authority, few seem to know how to transfer that authority offline to build themselves an even better income stream.

Here are 6 ways in which you can leverage your blog to improve your offline business

1. Personal Development

Blogs are fantastic for personal growth and development. From productivity to networking to marketing skills and even copywriting skills, maintaining a blog can subconsciously improve your offline business practices.

Thinking about all of the different characteristics of great bloggers will provide insight into this idea. Is not Chris Brogan approachable, or Seth Godin insightful and charismatic?

Your blog can change the fundamental way you personally conduct business.

2. Building Authority and Connection

How many people would buy Darren Rowse‘s book on blogging if his blog itself were not so popular?

Blogs are known to give a voice to those who might have trouble gaining one in a normal industry, and give people a medium to truly voice their opinions and knowledge.

In this way, your blog will build your authority and your connections with your readers and other bloggers whose opinions you may have captured.

Now imagine if you use that authority when beginning or re-working an offline business project? Your authority will follow you.

3. Spreading Faster Information

Wouldn’t it be fantastic if most of your customers were subscribed to your blog and you could hand them business news on a weekly basis?

Blogs allow us to get information out there fast, and to a very wide crowd. You can use your company blog for press and product releases, and let your customers know ahead of all of the official notices about the new happenings behind your doors. You can even use your blog to get online feedback before transferring your ideas offline.

4. Promotion and Hype

If you happen to be a part of the Members’ Rewards program at a book store, you probably get electronic coupons everyday telling you to buy the newest discounted best seller. You can leverage your blog in a similar way, giving away coupons for your newest product, or occasionally promoting a bundle package.

Reach your subscribers and have them buy your products and generate hype for your company and your product. After all, contests and promotions are a fantastic way to generate business, offline and online.

5. Customer Service

Turn your blog into a FAQ and address the most common concerns that your offline and online customers might have. Using the blog to regularly update people on the status of “bugs” and how you’re fixing them will build loyalty and trust within your client base.

6. Branding and Notoriety

When utilized correctly, your blog can be a powerful tool for branding, both personal and corporate. Think about Perez Hilton and his famous celebrity blog.

Learning how to discuss what’s important and popular within your niche will put you on the top of the must-read list and build notoriety – which is important in branding. As well, your blog can give you one more base of operations when networking.

On the off chance one of your clients hasn’t heard of your distinct company name, pointing them to your well-read blog will hopefully jog their memory, and give you new leads.

In Closing

Learning to leverage your blog to reach both your online and offline audiences, and even merge the two, is an advanced yet powerful skill. Intermingling your business practices will lead you to profitable ventures in the future, and build your brand.

After all, creating your first profitable blog is not a rocket science.