SYLACAUGA, Ala. – Some say blogging is the reason Barack Obama won the election. “His Internet marketing campaign was huge,” said Jeff Korhan at Agrium Advanced Technologies recent Green Industry Grad School on Dec. 9 during his talk titled “Emerging Trends in Internet Marketing.”
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The purpose of blogging and using new means of communication, such as online social networking, is to “take advantage of fresh opportunities to tell people who you are,” explained Korhan, a green industry speaker, trainer and marketing consultant with True Nature, Naperville, Ohio. “The purpose of all your marketing is to get the phone to ring so you can make the sale.” Using this tool, Obama got the votes, Korhan said, challenging landscapers to do the same with their marketing methods to get the customers.
The reason to embrace newer forms of marketing is because they are used more heavily today by the consumer and, as a result, provide a landscape contractor with a means for talking to the customer in a friendlier and more accepted manner.
The two challenges in using blogs and social networking sites is letting the customer know who you are and what you stand for and keeping this message consistent, as well as learning more about who they are and how they make buying decisions.
A big benefit to blogging is that it costs relatively little money and a short amount of time to maintain a Web presence, while Web sites today cost a lot more to create and sustain. Korhan, for instance, says he puts two to three hours per week into publishing a short weekly video blog. “You want to be where your customers are looking, and today’s customers are on the Web,” he says.
“Blogging is active,” Korhan adds. “It changes frequently, building your brand over time and is search engine optimization friendly. People like variety and change and they favor active sites. This means if you are regularly blogging, your name is more apt to pop up when people are searching for you on the Web.”
Korhan offers a few tips for landscape bloggers:
- Have a clear, short business message, and carry your message with purposeful simple stories. Use strong titles, and remember to edit your work.
- Use keywords your customers use to search for you to increase search engine optimization. Use these words every time you blog to create key word density.
- Use social media marketing to put a face on your business.
- Have the courage and discipline to stay the course.
- Use images, links and videos where possible to maintain interest from potential customers.
The blogging game is easy, Korhan says. While there is a learning curve for those folks who aren’t familiar with Internet tools, learning how to use them is easy.
“Just jump in and get your feet wet, Korhan advises. “All PR is good PR.”