No matter the size of your business, blogging for business is an integral component of any online marketing strategy. Without some sort of a blog you can be sure that your online presence, leads, and potential for new customers will dwindle. However, by providing a blog for the public to read you can improve your business in these 4 distinct ways:
- Drive traffic
- Increase SEO
- Help you to become a thought leader
- Improve customer relationships
Drive traffic
Having a blog allows you to develop quality content for your audience, possibly turning them into potential customers. This also gives you a foundation for your social sharing campaigns. Share your blogs on your social platforms with catchy images and posts to stand out. Posting blogs will also allow you to create inbound links within the copy that redirect your audience back to landing pages and portions of your site you want them to see.
Increase your SEO
Blogging is very helpful in getting you search engine love. The crux of this is keywords. When you’re blogging it’s important to use keywords and phrases that your customers are searching. Be sure to nail down topics, categories, and words you want to be found for. Even if you don’t go out of your way for these terms, just blogging about particular topics over time will naturally increase your search keywords. Being deliberate will only increase the results.
Become an industry/ thought leader
Having thoughtful articles on your website positions your company as a trusted resource and brand. This is exactly what you want your articles to do. By posting articles that connect with your audience you are marketing your knowledge of the industry and products within it.
This also helps you build trust with customers. As you blog, make sure you have well written and researched content. Write blogs that provide credible and thoughtful solutions to your customers problems and questions. This will establish your blogs as a hub for answers within your industry which will build your brand’s strength and reach.
Besides, who doesn’t like to read and gain new insight into the world around them.
Develop better relationships
Blogs provide the necessary function of bringing customers directly to your site. Unlike being found on social media, customers can get to know your company and products or services directly from your site. Having a section devoted to informational blogs also helps your site look less self-promotional.
Consider this, consumer research comprises the majority of the sales process. Which means when customers have reached your site they are likely still in the research phase and not yet ready to purchase. Having a blog where potential customers can conduct further research is the best way to increase interest and provide the information consumers are often looking for. Give your audience the information they deserve and you will increase your likelihood of gaining their trust and business.
Basically, despite what you may believe the benefits of having an online blog far outweigh the disadvantages. By not blogging for business you are missing out on a huge audience of potential customers. However the takeaway here is that if you’re going to create a blog, make sure it provides quality information. Having a blog that sucks, is as detrimental as not having one at all. As long as your blogs are credible, unique, and helpful you will witness increased leads and sales potentials.
