It’s hard to consider starting a blog for your business when everyone (and their mother) has their own blog now. I don’t blame you for thinking, “It couldn’t possibly be useful in today’s society where blogs are created left and right for arbitrary reasons.” But business owners - both large and small - who are blogging, might be onto something.
Business Blogging: Everyone's Doing It.
A recent study conducted by HubSpot shows 82% of marketers use blogs in their social media content. So, if over half of them use it, why do they find it important or useful?
Consider this: a potential customer is already on your website, considering your services when they come across your blog page. By providing useful information, both credible and meaningful, can be the difference between a potential client becoming a paying client and a potential client googling for other solutions.
1. Blogging can improve seo
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is one of those words you can’t get away from these days, right? If you’re still feeling foggy on what the heck it is; SEO aims to maximize website traffic by using keywords to increase a website’s search-ability on search engines like Google.
In today’s technologically advancing world, it’s so important to make sure your customers are getting their questions answered and being directed to the right place. OpenVine lists a few ways to enhance blog posts for optimal SEO tips and tricks. Kelly Thomas Mango, of OpenVine explains that “Keyword research is essential for on-page optimization. Chances are you are naturally including keywords without realizing it simply by providing valuable content on a topic. However, there are a variety of tools and techniques for finding related keywords relevant to your blog post that you may not have considered.”
2. A strong blog can boost web traffic
Heavy traffic is seen as a negative thing, but not in the marketing world. A blog is one of many marketing tactics that can increase website traffic and engagement. A HubSpot study shows marketers who prioritize blogging efforts are thirteen times more likely to see a positive return on investment (ROI). This is an important statistic and proof blogs can pay off. But the keyword here is prioritize. In order to see positive ROI, it has to be a priority and it has to be consistent.
If your business utilizes blogging along with other marketing tactics, it can help in the long run by “being everywhere”, without being anywhere at all. Even though blogging is just one of the cogs in the digital marketing machine, it can make a big impact.
3. humanize your business with a blog
Yes, a blog can help with SEO and web traffic. But it can also be an avenue to be transparent with your customers and potential customers. If they are aware of what’s going on within the business on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, they might be more willing to invest in your services because there is a level of trust they come to appreciate from you
Transparency is a large component of creating meaningful relationships with clients. A potential client wants to know they can trust who they’re working with and a blog can be a great way to start doing this.
our best blogging advice? be simple, but consistent.
First, A business owner needs to recognize that blogging must be considered an ongoing process. Clients and customers will not engage with your page if the blog is not being updated often. It should be a consistent and transparent tool that doesn’t fail to provide new content.
Blogger reports that 65% percent of business blogs have not been updated in over a year or more. Knowing this, it really can’t be that hard to get a leg up on your competitors, right? the marketing firm across the street. (Check out the Blogger link for a cool infographic on blogging statistics across the board.) Even if you choose to only post a blog once a month, you’ll notice how quickly your business becomes it would be more engaging than others
Along with consistency, another component of a good blog is credibility. The reader needs to know they can trust the source and gain useful information. If each post is created with intentional goals, it will be apparent to readers. When you sit down to write, ask yourself, “What makes me an expert? How can I help my readers?, What are the areas of business I can educate others in?”, and you’ll hit the ground running. Readers need to be able to rely on you as a blogger and know what/when to expect a blog.
so what does blogging really do for my business?
Although blogging might seem like a fad or the “trendy thing to do”, keep in mind, it does have it’s benefits and you’d be silly not to take advantage. Blogging can give your business a personality, build SEO, increase brand awareness, provide a place for clients to learn about you, and can help you rise to the top as an industry expert.
Blogging is only beneficial when done strategically. If not taken seriously and thrown together it can quickly feel (and turn into) into a clunky marketing tactic. Blogging is one tool many businesses overlook, but can ultimately be the difference between subpar engagement and high engagement. If you’re interested in starting a blog for your business or need help getting on track, don’t hesitate to reach out.
