5 REASONS YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS A BLOG
Blogging … it’s all about parenting, recipes and outrageously expensive holiday destinations, right?
Yes … and no. There are plenty of personal blogs published for entertainment. Some bloggers make a really good living from posting about their lives online and collecting tidy little kickbacks from sponsors and advertisers while they’re at it.
In the business world, blogging is a powerful marketing tool. And it’s not just for big brands and corporates, even small businesses can reap the benefits of blogging - with just a little effort, or the help of a trusty copywriter.
A blog is a series of articles, published on your website. It’s where you post news and information you want to share with your clients. And most businesses have lots of information to share. A blog is the perfect space to talk to clients about innovations in your industry, trends in the market, introduce staff and answer frequently asked questions about your industry.
For example, if you’re a mortgage broker, a lot of potential clients may wonder “what’s the difference between a mortgage broker and a bank?” Use your blog to tell them.
If you’re in the beauty industry, ‘test drive’ new products and write reviews. If you’re a fashion retailer, show people how to style an outfit for different seasons, or talk about coming trends.
If you sell paint or tiles, blog about different grouting techniques, explain how to lay tiles in a ‘subway’ pattern, or write about preparing timber furniture for staining.
If you have a business of any kind, you can blog!
So, here are my five top reasons your business should start blogging:
1. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
SEO can be the difference between being found on page 1 of a Google search, or page 10. Do you ever keep looking past the first pages when you search on Google? I bet you don’t go to page 5.
Think about the search terms you type into Google when you want to find something. Things like ‘where is the best Thai food in Sydney’ or ‘beauty salons in Broadbeach’ or ‘how do I get red wine out of beige carpet’. These are keywords and you need to use the right ones for your business and spread them throughout your website. Writing regular blogs gives you lots of opportunities to get more of those keywords on your site.
Google also prefers websites that regularly add new content. Think about it, how often do you update the pages on your website? Unless they have a blog, most businesses never add new content to their website. Those that do are seen as more valuable, because they aren’t sitting there dormant. Someone is showing them a bit of love, so Google decides to show them some too!
There’s a lot more to SEO, but having a blog is one way to improve your site’s search ranking. An SEO copywriter can really help you with well-written, keyword rich blog posts.
2. To be an authority in your field
Most businesses pride themselves on their reputation. Building trust with your customers and clients is critical, and what better way to do that, than by sharing high quality content on your website.
Be the authority in your field. Show them you know what you’re talking about and that they can trust you for the correct information. Blogging helps build brand awareness, and creates confidence in your ability and expertise.
3. To give something back to your customers
It isn’t always about selling! A lot of businesses are afraid of giving away their knowledge ‘for free’. But guess what? These days, knowledge is free.
It’s called the internet, and you can search for everything. Don’t be afraid to give something back to your customers. Not only will they appreciate it, they’ll remember it. It can help build goodwill, and can increase the likelihood they’ll use your business in the future, or recommend you to others.
Sharing knowledge isn’t doing yourself out of a job.
4. To drive traffic to your website
A blog is another reason for people to visit your website, and anything that drives more traffic to your site is good.
A lot of businesses think their social media channels give them enough exposure. But often people see one Facebook post from you, or quickly scroll past a photo on Instagram.
How much did they learn about your business? If you create a valuable blog post and share a link to that blog on Facebook, you’re essential taking that potential customer away from Facebook where you’re competing for their attention. You have them on your website now. They’re reading your blog. They like what they read, so they click around. They read your service page, browse your products and they can buy, or book or contact you. They find out a lot more about your business than they would from one social media post.
5. To give you quality content to share on social media
If you write regular blog posts, you won’t run short of content to share on social media. Blog sharing is great. After you post the link to your blog post, you can pull out bite sized pieces to use throughout the next few weeks.
Add an image and keep linking back to the blog. More traffic to you website and simple social media posts all ready written.
Once you have a good archive of blog posts, you can then start re-purposing older posts in your social media channels. If a new client asks you a question about something you have blogged about previously, share it again!
An example of a Facebook post, with a link to an older blog post:
"We had a great question from a new customer today about keeping cut flowers fresh, so just in case you missed it, here’s a blog post we wrote earlier this year! [include link]"
If you need a confident copywriter to create some blog posts for your business website, get in touch for an obligation free quote.
Dayarne Smith
Would you like to chat to Dayarne about your next project?