With the abundance of social media options out there to choose from, business owners have multiple ways to increase their exposure. Social media is without a doubt a pivotal part of helping any new business grow. But in the maelstrom of social media options, many businesses are overlooking one of the most basic and important options at their disposal: blogging.
Yeah, sure, blogging is a little old, tired, and in some cases even a terrible cliché. But when a small business operates its blog properly, there can be an amazing amount of influence behind it.
Many people have a pretty common thought that seems sensible at first: "I can sum up a blog post in a tweet. Why waste the time and energy posting up a blog post?"
Well, here are three key reasons why.
Blogging is more personal. Unlike Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and all other social media kings, blog platforms such as Blogspot and Wordpress were built to actually write. By taking the time to write a blog post to your audience, it shows that you have taken the time and effort to craft a message to either teach them something or to better relate to them. A blog post is the absolute best way to build a relationship with your target audience.
A blog post stands a better chance of going viral than a tweet or a Facebook post. This is especially true of blog posts centered around original videos or photos. Take a look at Twitter during the course of any hour: most links are to blog posts. A well thought out blog post will go viral faster than anything else you can do with social media.
It helps build a sense of expertise in your industry. If you want people to see you as an expert or a go-to source within your industry, writing well-crafted and deeply researched blog posts are essential. Write posts with confidence but also let your personality shine through; humor and an ability to identify with your audience are always good traits to integrate into your posts.
For these reasons and many more, blogging remains crucial in order to position yourself at the top of your industry. Its ability to stimulate conversation and raise important issues is invaluable to small business.
Take a look at your own blog and ask yourself if it is getting the attention it deserves.