3 Practical Reasons For A Small Business To Have A Blog
To blog or not to blog ... that is the question. I talk with small business owners all the time aboutthe virtues of adding a blog to their website, and the reaction is usually the same - I don't want a blog. Let's face it; most small business owners think that blogging is for someone else. They don't have the time to sit down and write blogs, and they're reluctant to make a commitment to creating regular and compelling content. And besides, most business owners are more comfortable doing the things they do best; and that's running the business ... not blogging.
Okay ... I get that ... really. Now let's change the subject... Let's create a list of the most important "core results" you hope to achieve from your online marketing efforts. If you do, there are three important objectives that are bound to rank high on your list: brand awareness, website traffic, and converting visitors into loyal customers. There's probably not a single thing you can do to get as big an impact on all three of these objectives, than having a blog on your website. These are my three most "practical" reasons for a business to have a blog.
Establish Yourself as an Expert
Simply put, people like to buy from businesses that know what they are doing. Purchasing products and services from someone who is skilled and knowledgeable about that product or service makes for a more comfortable experience than just purchasing from anybody. This is especially true when customers have questions or need to seek advice during the buying process. A business blog is an effective way to establish you as an expert. By posting relevant and useful information, or providing tips and how-to's, you build confidence in your brand. Customers start to see you as the expert in the field and become more likely to turn to you when they're ready to make a purchase.
Optimizing SEO to Increase Website Traffic
Like it or not, search engines favor websites that frequently update your content. It makes your site seem more relevant. And a blog is the part of your website that usually gets updated most often ... usually on a daily or weekly basis. Additionally, each blog post becomes its own page on the site, which increases the number of pages your site has and increasing the number of keywords--words that your customers are searching for--that you can target through your site. A frequently read company blog is an exceptionally powerful SEO weapon. Statistics indicate companies that blog often see an increase in traffic to their site, more inbound links, and have more pages indexed in search engines. This results in increased SEO.
Engage Your Customers
Interacting with customers on a blog is a bit different than interacting with customers through other social media, like Facebook and Twitter. Having a company blog gives you a unique opportunity to tell a compelling story about who you are and what you stand for. Use it to make big announcements or get feedback from your customers. Your blog also gives a more human aspect to your business. People get to connect the voice of your blog to the voice of your business. You can engage your customers with discussions about upcoming events, share company news, provide valuable information that can be helpful to your customers, and offer best practices for using your products. And because you update it regularly, customers keep coming back for more--giving you additional opportunities to sell to them. I suggest updating your blog on a regular schedule ... every day, every few days, or just once a week.
But the benefits of having a company blog go way beyond these 3 reasons. Blogging is a powerful marketing tool you can use for engaging your existing customers while attracting potential new customers. It's fast, efficient and a terrific way to build brand awareness and customer loyalty. Best of all --- it allows you to be seen as the industry expert while building trust and likability. While it's true that blogging requires a serious commitment of time and creativity, the benefits of having a blog outweigh not having one. If writing updated posts is just out of the question for you, consider delegating to a key employee or using a ghostwriter to do the actual blogging. The truth is, when it comes to establishing an effective social media footprint, blogging can turn out to be your best friend.
I'd love to hear your thoughts. Don't have a blog yet? Why not?!