Getting to Know Your Target Audience – Online Client Acquisition Pt2

The concepts we shared about online client acquisition in a previous post are important steps in a successful marketing strategy. What we’re talking about today though is even more important – gathering product development information directly from the folks you hope will buy it from you.

Once you have the demographics of your target audience in place, thanks to your online surveys, it’s time to get serious about focusing your services on the client profile you’ve developed.

Target Audience Surveys

Here, we employ the advice of some real audience survey experts, the folks at SurveyMonkey.com. In an article titled, The best questions to ask for developing any product, they share ideas for, well... The best questions you can ask for developing any product – or service:

• How do my target consumers currently use my product?

If you don’t already have a product, answering this question may involve discovering what problems consumers have with what they’ve found on the market. Knowing these points of value can help you focus your business on the qualities that are most important. If your business wants to add complicated features or services, yet your customers prefer a simplified experience, that’s valuable time and money lost.

(In other words, learn to accept a “Yes, we like it” statement and stop pushing for more.)

• What do my customers dislike about my product/services?

While it’s useful to find out what your customers enjoy about your products or services, some of the most important information you can gather is what customers dislike. Sometimes the best questions to ask for developing products or services are the easiest to answer, too, as many customers aren’t shy about voicing their concerns.

(It may be hard to do but you often have to set your ego aside and take the feedback in the spirit intended, even when it’s negative.)

• What ideas do customers have for improvement?

Ordinary customers have plenty of great ideas to improve what you offer since they’re the ones using it the most. Surveying customers regarding improvements will not only provide valuable insight but also helps them feel engaged and more invested in you and your offerings.

(Offering them the opportunity to help you improve your product/services shows you are genuinely interested in their opinions, which can gain you huge loyalty points with them.)

• What problems can I solve that my competition cannot?

This question is your classic competitive advantage. It’s the secret sauce in your product recipe. In our scheduling software example [from the article], the software may be faster and easier to use than a paper schedule, as well as cheaper than hiring a secretary or assistant. A paper schedule can be fragile and requires continual hand-entry, and an assistant can be expensive.

(No product is perfect, especially when offered through an impersonal medium like the internet. Use this client input to refine your offerings and try to make them “more perfect” than your competition.)

And then there's this one, based on our experience...

• How can I do it better than my competitors?

This may be the most important question in your target audience surveys because the answer takes you directly to the heart of the matter. That is – exactly why your target customer is looking for an alternative to your competition. Is it their presentation style? Is there a personality conflict between the provider and the customer? Has a once-ripe offering aged beyond its “Best if used by” date?

(There could be any number of reasons a consumer has lost interest in a once-favored product or service. However, you simply cannot presume to know why that has happened. Instead, you need to know exactly what the issue is and find ways to make your offering better.)

The Hard Truth We All Must Accept

We mentioned this earlier but think it bears repeating. It’s a hard truth that ego is often the downfall of even the most sincerely committed, otherwise empathetic entrepreneur. After all, if you’ve devoted the time and invested cash to get training in your niche, you are entitled to some pride in your expertise. We get that, of course.

But, if you're struggling to sign up clients; if you're finding it hard to justify investing time, money, and energy in your business; if you're losing sleep trying to figure out what went wrong, it may be time to realize you don’t have all the answers. But, you can get them, through surveys of your target audience.

We sincerely hope the steps we’ve shared today will work for you to improve your online client acquisition efforts. If you need help, Ted remains available for business consulting to the trade. Simply… Contact TD Fall today.

Online Client Acquisition Pt1 – Getting to Know Your Target Audience

Online client acquisition should be easy in the 21st Century, yet… Not so much!

First, we’re not talking about simply putting up an uber-cool website and waiting for the clients to storm your virtual doors. That just doesn’t happen anymore (if it ever did). And, while a great website can make a huge difference in building your online reputation, you need content to fill it and products or services to offer.

And there’s the rub. What do people want/need that can’t already be found online these days – and that you have to offer?

While we would never presume to tell you how to run your business, we do have some experience with helping designers and furnishing dealers market themselves online. One of the things we’ve discovered is that, while you can certainly try to “walk a mile in their shoes” in an effort to understand what others are going through, your own experiences color your perceptions. This makes it almost impossible to truly grasp the pain points of the people you most want to help.

But hey, don’t take it personally. It’s just human nature to perceive the world from your own perspective. But, you can overcome that naturally built-in bias with tools that are readily available and easy to access in the virtual world.

Develop New Services Using Audience Feedback

We’re not the only ones with some expertise in this area. The digital forms creation service Wufoo and the email marketing platform MailChimp have put together some pointers to help you develop new products. The most important of these are surveys of your audience. (Needless to say, they both offer their services to help you get it done, too.)

Why surveys? Well, think of it like this. If you're like most entrepreneurs, you began your business intending to help others in mind. You perceived a need and sought to fill it. Unfortunately, for most, that vision goes unrealized, and they struggle to survive in a highly competitive marketplace. Either your audience doesn’t see the same need you do, or you’ve somehow missed the mark with targeting and/or marketing your ideas.

In this case, what you need is more information. You need a deeper understanding of what your ideal client is looking for and broader knowledge of how to present it to them in a more compelling way.

The best way to get that information is to ask them for it. That is what a target audience survey does. It gathers information that is critical to the success of your business in a structured way that enables you to process it coherently and effectively. Then, you can take that valuable data and massage your offerings to meet their needs in ways they will find hard to resist.

The result? Cha Ching!

The concepts we’ve shared today are an important start in getting to know your target audience. in our next post, we’ll get into the actual steps you can take to improve your online client acquisition efforts. Stay tuned for our next post or, feel free to check with us… Contact TD Fall today.

Sales Trends for 2023 – Can We Trust the Experts?

There is a problem with predicting trends and outcomes, whether in politics, sports, or sales trends. First, the future is malleable and variable. Second, expert predictions are usually based on historical trends.

Unfortunately, while the past can certainly influence the future, it may only foreshadow things to come without offering an accurate picture of the next week, month, year, or the next few years.

Then we have the number-crunchers. Statistical analyses are great as far as they go yet, changing environments over time can skew toward new trends that are unpredictable based on historical models.

So, what does this say about the expert predictions we hear and read about sales trends for 2023?

As always, you should take such prognostications with a grain of salt and remember that interior design and furnishing sales are local businesses so national trends may mean nothing in your market.

Broad-based Sales Trends for 2023

With all that said, there are some broad trends that can be seen as influencing past sales trends and can reasonably be expected to continue for at least the next year.

With thanks to the marketing experts at Hubspot.com, we would like to share what we see as the top five sales trends from their latest report:

1. Specialization – Though it seems counterintuitive, targeting a narrower market is often a great strategy. “In modern sales, ‘the riches are in the niches.’ In other words, when you try to appeal to everyone, the opposite happens: you end up resonating with no one.”

2. Culture – One thing never goes out of style for a successful business: your sales culture. “Building a high-performing sales team should never fall to the bottom of the priority list. After all, how much a salesperson sells, how productive they are, and how long they stay at a company are all influenced by sales culture.”

3. Persistence – A never-give-up approach to sales will be critical to overcoming the infinite range of appeals and influences on clients and prospects. “Rarely do we make a sale at first contact with a prospect – although that would be nice. In reality, [making a sale is] a process that requires multiple touchpoints. But here's the problem – the average salesperson makes only two attempts to reach a prospect.”

4. Relationships – Building relationships and working with repeat clients should be a priority this year. “26% of sales professionals say existing customers took priority over finding new ones [last] year and we predict this trend will carry over in 2023. Almost 90% of sales professionals try to upsell their customers. The result? Almost half of [those] companies report up to 30% of their revenue comes from upselling. When it comes to cross-selling, 80% of sales professionals use this tactic. 42% of companies report up to 30% of their revenue comes from cross-selling.”

5. Personalization – We’ve previously mentioned the importance of a personalized approach to sales. “In 2023, personalization [will be] the name of the game in sales. In fact, more than a quarter of sales professionals believe personalization is the biggest change in the sales field this year. A good place to start is with your trusty CRM, which can put all that data to good use to help you paint a clearer, more holistic picture of your customers. It's no surprise that 22% of sales leaders want to leverage their CRM to its full potential this year.”

If you find yourself struggling to create a sales culture for your business that includes these important elements for making sales, Ted is available for business consulting to the trade. Simply… Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Making the Sale in Shifting Markets

Perhaps the ultimate challenge for making the sale in 2023 will be successfully responding to volatile markets. What do we mean by this? Well, for many individuals and families, our world has changed dramatically; it’s less stable and more unpredictable than we might have imagined.

Over the past couple of years, consumers have responded to this lack of stability by also becoming less predictable. At once they can be impulsive and deliberate; prudent and reckless; extravagant and cheap; nostalgic and pragmatic; cynical and trusting; logical and emotional.

Such inconsistencies in attitudes and perceptions have made the buying process, whether for products or services, very different from what it was just a few years ago. These conflicting mindsets have turned the design and furnishing markets into virtual quicksand and made the selling process more confusing and complicated.

Taking as a given that emotional appeals are often the key to making the sale (as most marketing experts agree), we can’t help but ask: How is that possible when today’s consumer of luxury furnishings seems to be riding an emotional roller coaster?

Successful Selling Requires Creativity

Solving problems for your clients has always been the foundation of successful selling. Yet, hitting a moving target (as in your target audience) requires creative problem-solving, with ingenious strategies for resolving your client’s and prospect’s pain points. But those keep changing too!

Ultimately, you must be the rational influence in your client’s lives, divining their needs and offering the types of creative solutions for which you’ve been trained. Doing this will require almost infinite patience and a very personal experience that will make their lives better on both a practical and emotional level.

It has never been more true that there is no one-size-fits-all (or even most) approach to making the sale in today’s shifting markets. “If you want to stand out in the market, you must personalize customer and prospect interactions … According to research by Instapage, more than 60% of consumers are annoyed by generic advertising messages, and 80% prefer doing business with companies that provide a personalized experience.” (Business.com)

In short, your sales pitch must be solution-focused, value-driven, and creatively tailored to the needs of each client.

If that isn’t enough to make you view the new year with a jaundiced eye, stay tuned to this blog for more from the experts that will ensure making the sale will be even more challenging in 2023. Fear not, however, for our guide and mentor, Ted Fall, remains available for business consulting to the trade. Feel free to… Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Know Your Target Audience – What to do, what to do? (Pt 3)

In today’s post, we continue, and bring to an end, our series on how important it is to know your target audience, with Part 1 here and Part 2 here. Based on the past few years’ experience, it's clear that consumer attitudes and preferences are shifting and realigning quickly.

As you work to develop and market your brand online in the new year, it may be time to pivot toward alternative tools and marketing channels. Here, rather than using the article we linked to before, we are offering data points and expected marketing tactics taken directly from HubSpot Blog's 2023 Marketing Strategy & Trends Report.

What Changed in Marketing During 2022

• More marketers have made pivots part of their plan.

• Data-informed marketing strategies have become vital.

• More brands aim to create content that reflects their values.

• Marketers increasingly use CRMs to track and organize data.

• Focusing on customer experiences bridges the gap between service and marketing.

• Social media DM strategies are growing in popularity.

• Building online communities around your brand is becoming critical to engagement.

It’s clear that there have been significant changes in marketing strategies by major marketing influencers as a response to the shifts in attitudes and preferences by consumers.

The Top Marketing Trends of 2023

The top trends marketers are currently leveraging are short-form video, mobile-friendly web design, creating content that reflects their brand’s values and using social media DMs for customer service. Not far behind are SEO, mobile messaging, influencer marketing, and selling products directly in social apps.

From the report:

• Short-form video will see the most growth in 2023.

• Influencer marketing will continue to grow its high ROI.

• Branded social media DM tactics are growing.

• Website SEO continues to shine.

• Marketers will continue to humanize their brands.

• Marketers will benefit from data in 2023.

• These data points illustrate the tactical shifts we can expect to see from marketers in 2023.

The Top 3 Marketing Channels of 2023

Finally, the report shares the most important marketing channels we will see being used this year, with social media marketing clearly dominating all marketing trends.

Marketers leverage an average of four different marketing channels in their role. Social media is used by over 42% of marketers, making it the #1 channel marketers are currently leveraging. It also has the highest ROI of any channel and will grow significantly in 2023. Additionally, one in four marketers say they use social media shopping tools.

The Top Social Media Marketing Channels for 2023

1. Instagram

2. YouTube

3. Twitter

4. TikTok

5. LinkedIn

Further, one in three marketers will be leveraging their own blog or website, as well as SEO, to land on SERPs. Meanwhile, 32% use email marketing.

Blogs, social media shopping tools, and influencer marketing are neck and neck for the highest ROI of any marketing channel.

Getting to know your target audience remains just half the battle. Reaching where they live, surf (and troll?) is paramount to building your brand and converting them.

If you suspect you need help with these strategies and tactics for 2023, Ted remains available for business consulting to the trade. Feel free to… Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Know Your Target Audience – The Challenges We All Face (Pt 2)

Today we continue our series on how well you know your target audience, using data and metrics from the HubSpot Marketing Survey for 2022.

In Part 1 of this series, we shared some depressing data about trends among marketers who lack solid information on the make-up and lives of their potential clients. This is data that is necessary for creating an ideal client profile of your perfect prospect, which would be used to direct all of your content creation.

As the article articulates, “The biggest challenges marketers face in understanding their target boil down to two main issues:

• New Data Privacy Measures: Data privacy regulations are reducing marketers’ access to the consumer data they need. At the same time, consumers are less trusting in sharing their personal data.

This results in marketers missing out on critical data on their target audience, from their shopping and media consumption habits to their basic demographic information.

• Evolving Audience Targets: Consumers’ lives have changed drastically over the past few years, and with a looming recession, their habits, attitudes, and preferences are likely to continue shifting quickly.

The two challenges above are difficult to overcome because they're actively developing as data privacy regulations tighten and unprecedented events that change consumer behavior continue.”

Overcoming These New Marketing Challenges

All is not lost, however. The HubSpot author, Maxwell Iskiev, provides us with a few steps we can take to moderate the negative influences of these outside sources.

Here are the answers to his question: “How Can Marketers Improve Their Data Strategy?

• Gather First-Party Data: A great solution to increased data privacy regulations like Google’s planned phase-out of third-party cookies is gathering your own first-party data.

Since first-party data comes directly from your customers, it offers high-quality insights about your audience and allows you to create a personalized experience for them.

• Use a Single Source of Truth for Marketing Data: Only 27% of marketers say their marketing data is fully integrated with their systems and tools, and as we saw earlier, data not integrating well is a top challenge for marketers trying to understand their target audience.

Disconnected marketing data is problematic because you don’t have the full context needed to make data-driven decisions. On the other hand, a single source of truth offers a holistic view of your target audience by connecting all the data points you have.

A single source of truth also improves efficiency by making marketing data more easily accessible for marketers and their collaborators.

• Keep Your Data Fresh: We talked about how consumers’ lives are changing rapidly, and marketers need up-to-date data to keep up.

The interests, habits, and attitudes of your target audience probably changed several times over the course of the pandemic. And with a recession looming, your audience will likely change again – so whatever data tracking method you use, make sure your data is regularly updated to keep a pulse on your customers in real-time.

Plus, you need up-to-date information on your target audience so you can pivot your marketing strategy and message in response to the changes your customers are experiencing.”

Stay tuned for our next post in this series, in which we will share tips from the article on how to adapt and enhance your marketing strategy in response to these challenges.

Statistical analyses of data are fine as far as it goes. However, if you continue struggling with ways to get to know your target audience, Ted is available for business and marketing consultation. With more than 25 years of experience in the trade and an exceptionally empathetic approach, he is sure to find ways to help.

Just click here to… Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Know Your Target Audience – Where Too Many Marketers Fail (Pt 1)

Are you among the few online marketers who know your target audience well? We ask this question only after reading a recent article from the SEO and Marketing Mavens at HubSpot that claims you probably don’t!

It should go without saying, yet must be repeated often, that developing an ideal client profile of the types of people you most want to work with is critical to your success when marketing your business online. Yet, a staggering percentage of businesses lack even the most basic information on their target audience. Without this and other important data, developing such a profile for targeting your online content becomes difficult, if not impossible.

To quote the opening of the article, “In our annual survey of over 1,200 marketers, we found that just 42% know the basic demographic information of their target audience, like their name, gender, and location.”

What Does the HubSpot Marketing Study Tell Us?

Unfortunately, the numbers from this year’s HubSpot study are not in your favor. Although all is not lost if you heed their warning and respond positively.

For example:

• “A whopping 82% of marketers say having high-quality data on their target audience is important to succeeding in their role – but more than half of them say they're missing key information.

• Fewer] than half of the marketers surveyed know their audience’s interests and hobbies, shopping habits, the products they are interested in buying, their purchase history, and where they consume content.

• Only 31% know the online communities their target audience is a part of and even [fewer] know the challenges they are facing.

• Just one-fourth of marketers know the social causes their target audience cares about - a huge, missed opportunity when it comes to expressing your brand’s values, especially when marketing to Gen Z and Millennials.”

As you can see from the image below, in addition to lacking basic data, just 29% of the marketers surveyed claim to know their potential client’s pain points! Further, just 41%, know where to reach them online!

Data Can Inform but Rarely Offers Solutions

These are dismal numbers. In fact, they are so bad, we can’t help but wonder how it is that any of these marketers reach their target audience at all.

So, now that we’ve depressed you with these data, and made you wonder if your marketing efforts coincide with them, we’ll end this post here. That is not to say we’re finished with the subject, however. It’s just that we believe there is too much data to unpack in a single blog post.

Take the time to digest this information, then return for our next post in this series where we will dig deeper into the metrics and, eventually, offer ideas on improving your marketing strategy. We’re talking about things that actually work!

Statistical analyses of data are fine as far as it goes. However, if you continue struggling with ways to get to know your target audience, Ted is available for business and marketing consultation. With more than 25 years of experience in the trade and an exceptionally empathetic approach, he is sure to find ways to help.

Just click here to… Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Pantone Color of the Year 2023 – A Bold, Dramatic, Stunning Statement is Made

Finally, the paint color trendsetter has announced its startling choice for the Pantone Color of the Year for 2023. As their website says, “Welcome to the Magentaverse”, with Viva Magenta rockin’ your world!

After exploring the colors of the year from the major paint manufacturers, we are excited to see that Pantone has declared 2023 the perfect time for a bold, dramatic, even stunning statement to be made. And, with Viva Magenta, nothing could be more stunning.

Viva Magenta from Pantone

As they describe it, “Pantone’s Color of the Year, Viva Magenta 18-1750, vibrates with vim and vigor. It is a shade rooted in nature descending from the red family and expressive of a new signal of strength. Viva Magenta is brave and fearless, and a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative.

“This year’s Color of the Year is powerful and empowering. It is a new animated red that revels in pure joy, encouraging experimentation and self-expression without restraint, an electrifying, and a boundaryless shade that is manifesting as a stand-out statement. Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta welcomes anyone and everyone with the same verve for life and rebellious spirit. It is a color that is audacious, full of wit, and inclusive of all.”

Why Choose Such a Striking Color?

Why did Pantone choose a color that is so bold and striking? According to Pantone Color Institute’s Executive Director, Leatrice Eiseman:

“In this age of technology, we look to draw inspiration from nature and what is real. Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta descends from the red family and is inspired by the red of cochineal, one of the most precious dyes belonging to the natural dye family as well as one of the strongest and brightest the world has known.

“Rooted in the primordial, Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta reconnects us to original matter. Invoking the forces of nature, Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta galvanizes our spirit, helping us to build our inner strength.”

If the Pantone Color of the Year for 2023 doesn’t resonate with you, feel free to check in with us for further impressions of these categories of colors trending for next year. Just click here to… Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Strategic Marketing Doesn’t Have to Be Your Most Hated Chore! (There’s plenty of other biz stuff you can hate!)

Seems like all anyone can talk about these days is being strategic for anything and everything you want to do, doesn't it? It's always about “thinking strategically” when you do this and making sure you “create a strategy” for that. It’s almost enough to make an entrepreneur loathe planning for anything; be it strategic marketing, list building, lead generation, or client acquisition.

Or, lately, going to the store, eating out, even entertaining guests – not to mention whether you're “allowed” to.

By now, you must be asking yourself what the big deal is about being strategic with your online marketing, email marketing, social media marketing, and yes, your brand building.

And you may well ask… “Who said it’s so important, and why?”

The simple answer is, “Everyone”. And yes, when we say everyone, we mean us too. For example, we’ve presented more than a few blog posts about the importance and benefits of strategic marketing in the past. These posts include everything from revising your ideal client profile to post-pandemic strategizing to strategic email marketing, business goal setting, and more.

So yes, you can say that here at TD Fall we are fully committed to being strategic about brand building, business building, lead generation, and all types of marketing. This includes content marketing, email marketing, social media marketing, and maybe even direct marketing (which could include “snail mail”).

5 Reasons Strategic Marketing Matters (Make that 5 x 2 reasons)

A well-defined marketing strategy helps you:

• Set – and reach – your business goals.

• A realistic marketing strategy keeps you focused and organized, enabling you to track your successes and (gulp!) your failures.

• Stay agile and responsive to the needs of your target market.

• Know when something works so you can do everything possible to keep it on track or make it better.

• Know when something doesn’t work as planned, as well as why, so you can fix it!

If these are not enough reasons to convince you it’s time to develop a strategic marketing plan, here are five more reasons that should:

1. Top marketers are organized – The most organized marketers are 397% more likely to report success.

2. Top marketers set goals – Goal-setting marketers are 376% more likely to report success. 70% of the most organized marketers achieve their goals Most of the Time, while an elite 10% of organized marketers Always achieve them.

3. Top marketers document their strategy – Marketers with a documented strategy are 313% more likely to report success.

4. Top marketers proactively plan projects and campaigns – Marketers who proactively plan projects are 356% more likely to report success.

5. Top marketers use agile project management processes – Marketers using agile project management were 252% more likely to report success.

This data was borrowed from a 2019 marketing survey of B2C and B2B marketing teams by the folks at CoSchedule.com.

Let’s Talk About Your Strategic Marketing Plan

While we’ve made it as clear as possible that we believe every online marketer needs a strategic business plan to succeed, it must also be said that it’s never been more important than it is as we move from 2022 to 2023! Never… More… Important!!!

In fact, after the madness of the past few years, your strategic marketing plan is so important, it comes before Step One! It’s done pre-marketing; that is, the first thing you MUST do before you invest your valuable time, energy, and money in any marketing activities.

Stated simply: Your guide to whom you target, how you talk about your business, and how you differentiate yourself from all other businesses in your industry. It is the strategic foundation of your marketing house.

If you’d to discuss the things we’ve shared about strategic marketing, feel free to… Contact TD Fall today.

Can Blogging a Blog Bump Up Your Business?

What the bloggity blog is going on with blogging a blog these days? Does blogging even matter anymore? Well, according to the SEO and marketing mavens at HubSpot – if you want to bump up your business in the new year – heck yeah!

Let’s begin with a couple of ideas about why blogging matters: first, more than anything, marketing your business is about educating your audience about what’s possible. Second, being an expert in one area may not translate to others. And yes, that can include writing valuable blog posts.

Now, one of the most common frustrations we hear from clients who dislike blogging is that they can’t come up with subjects to write about. (This happens with other content marketing too, like vlogging, for example.) Turns out, developing ideas for your blog is one of the easier challenges to overcome as we shared here.

Before we go there though, concerns like that beg the question of what you want to teach your audience! After all, if you don’t know what your goal in writing a post is, how can you address a subject effectively? (Simple answer is, you can’t!)

There are many types of blog posts, including a “How to” type, a “Newsy” type (also known as “Newsjacking”), an “Interview with an Expert” type, the tried and true “Infographic” post, the definitive “Final Authority” type of post, the Google-friendly “What is… [insert subject]” post, and more. (What? More? Yep!)

However, those are merely different kinds of blog posts; that is, the various ways you can approach a certain class of subjects that will (hopefully) capture the interest of your target audience.

3 Classes of Blog Posts to Work On

Essentially, there are just three things you can teach your audience, despite the many ways you can teach them. In other words, whether you choose the “How to” or “What is” approach to an individual blog post, they must address your industry, your brand, or your products or services.

This does not mean that these three categories cannot overlap in one post but, best practices suggest that maximum clarity is best achieved through a narrower focus on your subject. Doing this will also allow you to address the same issue in alternate ways.

If you want to bump up your business through blogging, think about these three classes of blog posts:

Big Picture or Industry Info – It is very often the case that prospects simply don’t know what they don’t know. This frequently includes a Big Picture view of your industry or niche. An example of this might be a dining room remodel.

What’s possible? Well, there’s career coaching, business start-up coaching, and profitability coaching. Or, your audience might be curious about coaches who specialize in online marketing, email marketing, social media marketing, content marketing, and/or messaging.

There could be a myriad of choices here, including entertaining business associates, clients, or even the boss! Or the dining room might be reserved for important family occasions and holidays. These differences will determine how casual or formal the new dining area should be.

You can literally define your niche, as well as yourself, using any type of blog post you choose. And, if you're creative, you can do it over and over again! (BTW… Creating an informative Infographic is a great way to approach the Big Picture post.)

Brand Comparison – How do you match up against your competition? Why do you deserve their business over another interior designer or furnishings dealer, when you all seem to offer the same things, at least to them? Where do you excel, and how?

These are all important questions to answer for prospective clients and they too can be approached in a variety of ways. You can display your expert status by writing a comprehensive “Final Authority” post on subjects that address any pain points that are common among your clients. You can offer real-world solutions to those pain points with a well-crafted “How to” blog post. Or, you can offer the latest information from studies on those solutions with a thoroughly researched “Newsy” post.

These are all brand-building steps that are possible with blogging because they can clearly set you apart from your competition. (BTW… You can do this without naming names. Simply say that, while others do it this way, my clients feel/are better off doing it like this!)

Products and/or Services – OK, it’s no brainer time here. Your business either offers products or services – or both. What are they? How are they better? How much do they cost? Why are they worth it?

The book you wrote and are selling about how to do or be better at something clearly lends itself to a “Final Authority” post. However, it may also be a fantastic opportunity for an “Interview with an Expert” post with another recognized authority who’s willing to praise your unique approach. Have you and your book been in the news? Well…

Because you offer some such personal services, answering the most popular search engine query about it should generate both traffic and a bump in business. Oh yeah, that would be the “What is… [insert subject or service]” question.

Think about it. How often do you find yourself sitting around and typing “What is [this, that, the other thing]” into a Google, Bing, or Yahoo! search? Weekly? Daily? Hourly? (Minutely? Can we write that? It’s our blog, so yeah. We can!)

Well, this is a pretty long blog post so, we’d like to ask you this question: What type of post is this and which class does it fall into? We have our own ideas on this but would love to get your impressions either as a comment here or by getting in touch with us directly. (Truly. We would love to hear from you. Please?)

If you’d to discuss the things we’ve shared about blogging a blog to bump up your business, feel free to… Contact TD Fall today.