If your blog posts aren’t connecting with visitors the way you’d like, a few simple tweaks can help. Let’s look at three examples for an HVAC business blog. You can apply these ideas to any business.
1. Open with a real-life example
If your blog posts open with general statements, try a real-life example instead.
For example:
General statement: Spring is a great time to be sure your HVAC system is up to date and ready for summer.
That’s a timely reminder, but like other reminders, it tends to get overlooked and relocated to the back burner.
What if you replace that general statement with a real-life example instead? Here’s one, based on something that actually happened to me:
It’s easy to forget about your HVAC system till it starts blowing heat on the Fourth of July and HVAC shops are closed for the holiday.
A real-life example grabs your visitor’s attention by making the problem real for them. No one wants to be in that situation with an AC blowing heat on a summer holiday. When that example hits home, your blog visitor is more likely to stay on the page and read more.
2. Make suggestions specific
Blog posts sometimes give generic advice like “Don’t forget to change your HVAC filters regularly.”
That simple advice is meant to be helpful and easy to remember. Unfortunately, a busy blog visitor is likely to tune it out. They might think about it for a moment. Then they’ll file it away as something they know they’re supposed to do. And they won’t actually do it. Or even remember you told them to.
Instead, replace that generic phrase with details that will make them stop and think:
“When was the last time you changed your HVAC filters? A clogged filter causes your unit to work harder, costing you more in power usage and wear-and-tear, especially during this high-pollen season in [insert name of your city].”
That hits home. It will visually stay with them and probably come to mind again the next time their HVAC unit turns on. They will remember to change their filter. They will remember how you reminded them. They will be grateful to you for helping them prevent a problem. And they will trust you the next time they have a problem.
3. End your post with a specific next step
Many blogs do great work of connecting and engaging with their reader, only to send them away without a next step: a call to action.
Business blogs generally end with a call to action, but it’s often general: “Contact us to learn more.”
What if you gave your visitor a more specific step: “Take a few minutes right now to check and change your HVAC filter. If you can’t remember the last time you replaced it, it’s probably due for a change.”
You might be asking how that ending is helpful. After all, now you’re sending your visitor away from your blog to check their HVAC filter.
Here’s why it’s helpful: When they can check that filter off their list, they will remember that your blog, and by extension, your business has helped them do something to keep their HVAC system running smoothly.
When they encounter a problem in the future, they will remember how you’ve already helped them. That’s how you build trust. And trust builds loyal customers.
Often, it’s the simplest tweaks that will help your blog engage with potential customers. If you have a blog post that’s not doing as well as you’d hoped, try one of those simple changes. It’s those little tweaks that make a business blog sound conversational, helpful, and memorable.
Janet Eriksson 