Blogs are written by various people for various different reasons. Some people choose to write blogs to express their opinion on matters they are interested in, i.e. sporting events, new music releases, food etc. This type of content is usually created for fun, without any commercial intent. Blogging for business, however, can result in big bucks and its potential impact cannot be underestimated. A blog is a fantastic tool for allowing businesses to engage with their customers. B2B marketers using blogs receive 67% more leads than those that do not according to HubSpot, meaning you may want to review your blog strategy. If you are still to be convinced about its impact, here are six reasons you should invest some time into your blog:
1) Improved SEO Rankings
A blog is an ideal way of driving traffic to your website. The content you include in your blog fuels SEO. Search engines, such as Google, look favourably on good content and will reward you for your efforts. A blog gives you the chance to create relevant content for your readers, which is likely to drive traffic back to your site and increase the likelihood of conversions. If you are wanting to advertise a certain aspect of your business, you can drive traffic to specific landing pages on your site by including inbound links in your articles. In addition to this, blogs can be the hub from which your social media content is formed. Post links to the blog on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc., which will give readers a reason to click through to your site. Repurpose the blog descriptions to ensure they are relevant at times when your topic is trending, for maximum exposure.
2) Builds Relationships With Customers
A blog offers an easy way of gaining brand exposure and connecting with existing and potential new customers. Being a trustworthy source of information will direct readers to your site, and will allow them to get to know your business and brand. Blogs also allow for comments to be posted by customers, which is a great way of instigating a business/customer relationship and increase the chance of potential leads.
3) Positions You As Subject Leader
Demonstrate your knowledge within a certain field or industry in your blog. A stream of informative posts gives authority to your brand and is likely to create a loyal following of readers. Whether you are writing a blog about a product or service, it’s vitally important that you build trust and show the customers that you are the hub of knowledge for that industry – this will gain repeated visits to your site.
4) Gives Your Company A Voice
If you are wanting to show people what your company is all about, a blog is the ideal place to do this. It offers you the opportunity to discuss a range of topics, including market trends, news items, company updates etc. on a platform away from your main website, offering the freedom to be more conversational and to display the characteristics you want your company to portray. This can be a very effective method of separating yourself from the crowd and really can help your business shine.
5) Gives Insight Into Your Audience
Blog analytics are an incredibly effective tool as they offer you the opportunity to study the trends and patterns of your readers. Whether you are looking for what articles were the most read, which blogs received the most click-throughs, shares, comments etc., this data can be vitally important in driving future decisions that will maximise chances of customer interaction and subsequently conversions.
6) It’s Free And It Works!
Blog writing is a cost-effective method of maximising your brand’s exposure, so there’s really no excuse for not having one! A blog not only helps to build awareness and trust, but is also a long-term asset that will work day and night for you on search engines, such as Google, ensuring your expertise, products and services can be found any time of the day. In addition to this, companies who blog receive 97% more links to their website according to HubSpot. Assuming that is true, and all the evidence suggests it is, business blogging is not an option for your business; it’s a necessity. Ensure you produce enlightened news from within your industry to gain trust and a following – this will not only increase your reputation, but it will also increase links from other websites to yours.
Does your business blog? Has it affected your company in a positive way? Get in touch and let us know.