I really had to write this post… Don’t be afraid of blogs

By: Luisa Moreno

Ask yourself a question. Are you one of those marketing/sales managers who think that blogging is for journalist wannabes or technology experts? Even worse, would you like a blogger to write about your product to position your brand among her circle of influence?

Well, as marketing/sales manager of a electronic security, A/V technology, HVAC or construction manufacturing brand, it is time for you to start enjoying the advantages that blogging brings to your business in terms of brand positioning, community building, lead nurturing and market education.

And I write this because never before in the history of marketing, electronic security, A/V technology, HVAC or construction manufacturing brands had so many tools at hand to communicate and share a message with their customers. Regardless of if you’re segmenting your customers from a B2C or a B2B perspective, or if your business is a niche business such as electronic security, A/V technology, HVAC or construction, blogs are a powerful tool to address the different needs of your current and potential customers.

And I know that you may be thinking already about ROI. Thoughts such as what do I get out of the time I invest in blogging? Honestly, I think that a customer may feel more inclined towards buying your electronic security, AV, HVAC or construction equipment if you have been her point of reference or if you answered the questions related to problems she had while using technology, even if she uses a competitor’s brand.

Now, it is very important to understand blogging and social media marketing from a community perspective. Such resources are effective when you use them to give something to the market, to educate, to provide answers to people’s problems. Blogs and social media networks aren’t effective when you fill them up with advertising and promotion content (yes, John. I know what you did. Take down of your blog those “buy now” or “sale” buttons now).

A good strategy to start a blog is to adopt a mentor position. I’m convinced that regardless of what your business is, electronic security, A/V technology, HVAC or construction manufacturing, you, as a marketing/sales manager have had the opportunity to listen to your customers’ problems. Then be proactive and take one step ahead to answer questions before you be asked. Customers’ love free and uninterested advice.

To close this post, I want to share an amazing case of commercial success by using a blog. Along my quest on social media marketing, I heard about Marcus Sheridan multiple times. Marcus, know as “the Sales Lion” had a pool business when the market crashed in 2008 and when many competitors went out of business, Marcus saved River Pools and Spas by blogging. How did he achieve it? Simple… He just took his time to answer to the many questions of potential customers. If Marcus did it, I don’t see a reason why you can’t do it.

If Marcus could revitalize his pool business, you can do the same even if you are in the electronic security, A/V, HVAC or construction business. If you want to learn about Marcus Sheridan’s experiences, follow him in Twitter by following @TheSalesLion.

What do you think about this post? Send me your comments to [email protected]. We all can help to the development of marketing in technology niches.

Author:

Julian Arcila
Marketing | Communications Consultant
Signalis Group

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