People joke about Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) but
when they are well done, they can make a business hum right along. Following established
SOPs creates consistency for customers and allows workers to know what has to
be done, how and when it needs to be done – and often, who is going to do it. Processes
make it easier to grow and promote greater profits because energy can be
expended on expansion, not the routine – just like using AddressTwo!
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| Use a process to take away the frustration of writing. |
In
today’s business environment, many business owners know about the “free”
marketing available using blogging and social media like Facebook and Twitter.
And they like the cost of it. The price they see is that the content has to be written and that’s when all of us at Whitesides
Words hear:
- I don't have anything to say
- I can't write it so people would understand.
- Who would want to hear what I have to say?
My reply is, “Yes, you do. Yes, you can and a lot of people
are looking for the information you provide.” Let’s look at blogging and one SOP
process to make it routine and more easily achievable.
First off, understand that people search the Internet every
day looking for products, services and solutions to their problems. Identify
the problems your business can solve or prevent, explain how and searchers are
led to your website. But just writing how you can solve a problem probably
won’t give you the 300 – 500 word blog post. It’s easy, though, to achieve that
if you create a story following a format, a process:
- Set up the story: Share that you are telling about a customer experience, a news item that highlights a problem, a common situation you encounter or a customer testimonial.
- Explain the problem: How was it found (symptoms or signs) and how to diagnose it.
- Offer the solution(s): Explain the possible solutions and then tell which was chosen and why. Don’t get too technical or divulge too many details. Most customers want evidence of expertise and professionalism, but then they want you to fix the problem.
- Share the outcome: How did the fix go? Did other problems crop up? What was prevented by fixing it now?
- Suggest they contact you: This is a “call to action.” A sentence at the end that says your company is there to help them solve their problems, too. All they have to do is pick up the phone!
Just think of all the situations and problems you encounter
every week. Use this process and you could have at least one blog post per
week. In fact, others in your business could follow the process and contribute,
too!
Just think about it!
Elaine Whitesides
