The More Things Change The More They Stay The Same?

I had to go to Toronto for a business meeting last Thursday and on the commuter train on the way there I had time to think about how an Internet-based business that revolves around blogs is different than any other model that came before it.  I’ve done business with people I’ve ever met and never even talked to and strangely enough that impersonal aspect can be offset by Instant Messaging and even Skype for those who want to use it.

Human Nature

So I got to be in the downtown core only to find it was in the fashionable section and one of the first things I thought of was that no matter how far technology advances some people still want to see someone face-to-face before they do business.  And that’s just human nature I suppose. I wasn’t surprised to find that my prospective client had a problem with people that wouldn’t travel into the city to have a quick meeting before he hired them.

That seems to be one of the things that won’t change the matter how far technology leaps ahead—there are still people who want to do business eye to eye. It’s all fine and dandy to have a wonderful websites full of great testimonials and blogs galore that you’ve written but some of the more established businesses will want to have a look at you before they hire you to do any work for them.

Personal Touch

When I got home I read a great article in Copyblogger by Sonia Simone on the same topic called Finding Your Village Of Customers. More and more business seems to be attempting to balance all the great things that social media and search engine optimization can do for them with a personal touch.

It seems that with the advent of the Internet as a viable way of doing business globally, many businesses are actually getting smaller rather than larger and the result is more personal contact between small business owners and their clients. The businesses that are adapting to this model are more intimate and there is a more complete relationship between the client and the owner of the company.

It’s important to remember that when your client base is small you can be much more responsive to the needs of individual clients. This in turn means they you’ll get more positive testimonials that you can use as advertising and promotional fodder for your blog.

It’s clear at least on this level that the more things change in the world of Internet commerce the more they stay the same on a level where the personal touch is the path to success. One of the prerequisites to be successful in the smaller venues is that you position yourself as an expert with your blog.

That means that you will need to write from a knowledgeable standpoint or have ghostwriters create articles and blogs for you that position you as an authority on the subject. Someone that your readers/customers will look for leadership from in that market.

Written by Rob Starr from Rob Starr
Posted on September 13th, 2009 and filed under Promote your blog
Do not forget to subscribe to our RSS feed for updates

2