Whether you write it or have someone else write it, it’s part of your life. I’m talking about your small business blog. Every good small business owner and marketing team leader knows how important a blog is to the inbound marketing process. However, you probably aren’t aware of all the ways a blog can add value to your business.
1. Two Way Education via a Small Business Blog
You already know that your blog is a great tool for marketing. You also know that your blog is an excellent resource for potential customers. A lot of the people who take the time to read your blog are learning something new because of it. Would be you be surprised if I told you that they weren’t the only people learning something new? That’s right. Your blog is teaching you, too.
People who write their own blog articles usually need to do a bit of research. There are a lot of times where you may only know part of what you want to say and are unable to finish a blog without some time spent researching. Yes, even those who are experts in a field still need to do some research. After all, without research where are you going to find your SEO links?
A business owner who hires third-party writers is still in a position learn. The education in this case usually occurs during the topic research. You cannot expect a writer to produce a well-written article without providing a well-researched topic and supporting resources.
2. A Community Service
Yes, it’s true, a good blog is a community service. The community here is made up of your target buyers and current customers. If you own a small animal veterinary medicine practice then your blog on flea and tick protection is a service to the community of pet owners.
I like to view a lot of my blogs as service blogs. Will they all result in new customers for SMA? Probably not directly. But, I hope that the people who read my blogs appreciate the information that I’m sharing and the honest way in which I share it. I’d like to think that these people keep coming back for more and at some point will be in need of marketing help and will turn to the people responsible for supplying them with pages of good free content.
3. A Blog is a Business Card
A blog is a business card? You bet it is!
Imagine this: You’re at a tradeshow, and someone comes by your both. You start talking to them, and you exchange business cards. At this point, you either hope and pray that they email you or you will need to send one of those “it was great meeting you” emails. Nobody likes to send those, nobody. But wait! Suddenly the person you are chatting with brings up a problem they are having – a problem that you have written about on your blog. Now you get to tell them that not only do you have knowledge of their particular problem, but you have information that you can easily share. So, you volunteer to send them a link to your blog article via email.
Let’s recap what just happened here. By leveraging your blog you can put all the contact information normally found on your blog directly into a potential customer’s email box so long as your email signature contains all the necessary contact info. Additionally, you deliver this contact info alongside information that you know they need. It’s not magic but it may seem like it is, a blog as a business card.
There you have it. Three new ways to view your blog. If you have questions about content marketing or are looking for some help with your blog I know some people that would be more than happy to chat with you. Of course, I’m talking about the amazing team at SMA Marketing.
