Every Business Needs a Blog
There are several reasons why every business should have a regularly updated blog on their website. Note the emphasis on regularly updated. The benefits listed in this article do not apply to blogs that are left neglected.
Our Top Ten Reasons
This article will briefly outline what we consider to be the ten most important benefits of keeping an updated blog.
1. A blog will improve your search engine rankings (Improved SEO) Thus increasing traffic to your website
There are several ways a regularly updated blog can boost your website’s search engine ranking.
Firstly, Google prefers websites that are regularly updated. By frequently adding fresh content to your blog, you’re showing Google that your website is active.
Additionally, each blog post adds a new page to your website. The more pages your website contains, the more likely it is that a page will match what somebody is searching for. This is particularly useful when targeting long-tail keywords (precise search phrases).
A blog also keeps visitors on your website for longer. This helps your ranking because the amount of time that users spend on your website is one of the factors that Google considers.
However, each blog post must be optimised correctly. This involves strategically placing keywords in the URL, title, headings, body content, image tags, and meta tags.
2. Blogging helps you build an audience which will attract new customers to your business
By writing about topics relevant to your industry, you start to build a following. As your audience becomes familiar with your brand, they develop trust and ultimately become customers. The wider your reach, the more potential customers you’re able to freely contact.
The great thing about building an audience is the snowball effect. The larger your audience becomes, the faster it grows. A larger audience means that there are more people potentially sharing your content.
3. Helpful blog posts Build goodwill which improves customer relationships
You should focus on posting useful information to your blog. By doing this, you’re offering your audience something of value. Although you’re not charging a fee for this information, you’re earning goodwill.
This is particularly powerful if you post articles that solve specific problems. For example, imagine your computer isn’t working. You search on Google and find an article that explains how to fix the problem. Obviously, you’re going to be thankful to the author of that article.
Alternatively, imagine you’re worried about a new piece of legislation that might affect your business. The problem is, you don’t understand it properly. You search on Google, and you find an article that clearly explains exactly what it means for businesses in your industry, thus putting your mind to rest.
An appreciative audience sees your business in a positive light. Should they ever develop a need for your products or services, they’re likely to reward you with their business.
4. A blog can be used to educate customers and prospects
As covered in the previous point, people are grateful when you help them. Educating your audience is an excellent way of providing help. Therefore, your blog should primarily be used to share helpful educational posts relevant to your industry.
Educated customers make the best customers. They understand how you can help them. They’re less likely to cause problems, and they’re loyal. They know what they’re buying, and they know the value of what you offer.
It’s easier to sell to an existing customer than it is to acquire a new one. It’s also easier to retain customers if they understand the value of what you offer.
5. A blog lets people connect with your brand
A blog provides a channel for connecting with prospective and existing customers. Through frequent communication, you build rapport.
Posting about topics that are meaningful to your audience encourages them to interact with your content (this is known as engagement). An engaged audience understands your business and what you stand for. Provided you stand for something positive, this can only help your business.
6. a Blog adds a personal touch to your business
Your blog provides an opportunity to show the real humans behind your business. I’m not only referring to blog posts like “Meet The Team” but also articles that provide a unique human perspective or opinion.
When people see your business for the people behind it, they’re more likely to connect. It’s easier to become friends with a person than a faceless corporate entity.
7. A Blog can be used to answers FAQ
A blog is a great way to answer frequently asked questions. These types of questions make excellent subjects for blog posts because they cover exactly what your customers want to know.
You can ‘kill two birds with one stone’ by having a dedicated FAQ page on your website that links to the relevant blog posts.
8. A Blog builds authority and helps establish your business as an industry leader
A well-written blog builds trust and establishes your authority within your industry. By providing a digital library of well-researched information, you position your business as the ‘go-to’ place for accurate, helpful industry advice.
Being a trusted source of information is a privileged position for any business. Trust is one of the most important factors that potential customers consider before buying.
With so much information freely available on the internet, becoming an industry thought leader is an excellent way to differentiate your business. This is great for smaller companies as it provides an even playing field to match the large established businesses.
9. blog content supports social media strategy & provides content for newsletters
Blog posts can easily be repurposed for social media and newsletters. For example, you could produce a monthly round-up newsletter that links to the blog posts released over the past month (this could either be a physical newsletter or distributed via email).
Blog posts can be shared on social media to provide more content for your followers to engage with. A single blog post can be shared in its entirety and be used to fuel several run-on posts. Extract individual points, quotes, and arguments then post them to social media accounts separately. These posts can be used to drive engagement with your audience and generate new conversations.
10. A blog Demonstrates that your business is passionate and active
An active blog makes your business look good. It demonstrates that your business is active, alive and passionate. It shows that you care, want to help and are willing to put in extra effort.
Imagine if someone visits a website and sees that it’s out of date. They find a blog that was last updated three years ago (or not at all). They also find links to empty social media accounts. This visitor is not going to view the business as proactive, engaged and passionate about what they do. They’re more likely to view the website as a ‘zombie website’ and move on to the next one.
Alternatively, imagine if a visitor sees an updated website. They find a blog with lots of interesting posts and helpful articles containing passionate opinions. They find active social media accounts sharing opinions and advice. The visitor is going to think that this is a company that cares about what they do.
I don’t need to tell you where I would take my business.
What Are You Waiting For?
Many businesses are put off by the time investment required to run a blog. To write a high-quality blog, you must take the time to plan the articles. They should be researched, written with care, checked, and all the finishing touches need to be added. There’s no point in writing a lazy low-quality blog. If anything, this will only harm your business.
But don’t let this put you off. While it’s true that you should update your blog as often as possible, one post a week is sufficient for most businesses. It might be a lot of work, but the rewards are clearly worth the effort.