To blog or not to blog? That is the question. At theBLOQparq (tBp), we understand that time is not something anyone, especially entrepreneurs, like to waste. When you commit to doing something, you want to make sure it’s worthwhile – and that includes blogging. So to answer the opening question, tBp is entirely on board with the importance of blogging. It may not be the newest or most innovative form of marketing, but it has a longstanding reputation for positively impacting brands. Here are 5 benefits of implementing a business blog.
1. Increases Website Traffic
Blogging is a great way to optimize your site for search engines and increase your odds of being found by countless individuals pursuing the internet. Having a business website is great, but it can fall short when it comes to searchability. Most websites don’t have that many pages and are not updated regularly. Adding a blog to the mix can solve both of those issues. Every time you make another blog post go live, you create an additional opportunity for your site to appear on the search engine results page (SERP). The more organic traffic you can get, the better.
Source: Hubspot
Think about it for a minute. Without a blog, what are your other options for driving people to your site? You could cross your fingers and hope people accidentally stumble across your site. However, the odds of that are improbable, considering they don’t know who you are, what you do, or the name of your business. Another alternative is to pay a boatload of money for ads. This might work for a while, but it is not the most cost-effective or practical long-term solution. Blogging, on the other hand, is a practice worth perfecting. It alerts Google (and everyone wants to get Google’s attention nowadays) that your site is active and worth revisiting to check out new content.
2. Establishes Your Brand
The more trust you build with your audience and potential consumer base, the better. One of the top ways to do this is by utilizing a blog. It serves as a medium for you to showcase all you know regarding your product, service, and industry. It is wise to choose topics that answer relevant questions your target market is likely to have. You can also incorporate keywords and terms that will help boost your SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Earning yourself (and your employees) the title of expert in your line of business will serve you well in the long run.
When prospects reach a point where they turn to your blog, knowing they will find the information they are looking for, they are more likely to become customers — hopefully, loyal ones. A blog is a perfect platform for showcasing your brand’s personality and brains to better establish your place in the market and get ahead of the competition.
3. Encourages Engagement And Action
Once you’ve garnered somewhat of a following on your blog, you’ll want to make the most of the reader’s attention by incorporating a CTA (call to action). This is your chance to turn your website traffic into legitimate business leads, which is not an opportunity you want to miss. The request you are making should be straightforward. Most people have short attention spans and don’t want to feel like they are being tricked into giving away personal information. It’s a good idea to attach some sort of incentive to the CTA like freebies, discounts, or access to even more desirable information and resources. Whatever tactic you choose, be consistent about incorporating CTAs into your blog posts and elsewhere on your site.
Source: DemandMetric
4. Provides Repurposed Content
One of the complex tasks of marketing for your small business is coming up with new content regularly. Well, we’ve got some excellent news for you! Blogging is an entrepreneur’s best friend when it comes to getting the most mileage out of your marketing efforts. It provides content that is ready to be repurposed on all sorts of mediums, particularly social networks—everything from Twitter and Facebook to LinkedIn and Instagram. And ideally, you won’t be the only one sharing. Imagine a whole slew of people reposting your content onto their social media channels, driving new visitors to your website, and giving your brand exponential exposure! It’s all possible, and it starts with a blog.
5. Enhances Link Building
One of the many talents of an entrepreneur is their ability to see the bigger picture; to connect things. In terms of blogging, this involves implementing inbound links and backlinks in your posts. Google’s ranking algorithm is very complex (it includes 200 variables), but the usage of links is one factor that can move you up the list. Incorporating links to other well-known, established websites along with links to other indexed pages on your site will help enhance your brand’s searchability.
You can have the best website in the world, but if nobody goes to it – it won’t matter. The top priority of any business is to be found so others can discover (and fall in love) with your products and services. Committing to blogging is a dedication your business deserves. tBp understands the many benefits of having a blog and appreciates that it aligns with our ideals of paying it forward. Like this one, our collection of posts is aimed at helping entrepreneurs like you achieve their business ownership goals. So get to typing and post your way to your full potential.