Blogging! If you haven’t started a blog for your small business or organization, now is the time to start. It’s more important than you might think for the success and growth of your business.
Blogging is a relatively easy and INEXPENSIVE way to promote your business and your brand. Make sure your blogs contain high quality content and you will increase traffic to your site.
But first – what is a blog and how do I start “blogging”??
- A blog is a regularly updated website or web page, typically one run by an individual or small group, that is written in an informal or conversational style.
- Choose a blogging platform, such as wordpress.com
- Create new posts and write about your industry!
- IT’S THAT EASY!
These 5 benefits of blogging for your business will make you want to start typing away immediately!
Reason 1. Blogging boosts your search engine optimization ranking.
Every small business wants to be able to be found on the first couple pages of Google, ideally, the first page. Page 1 placement is where 90% of Google traffic comes from, and only 10% of people will advance onto the second page to find what they are searching for.
What’s more — paid “adwords” are only clicked by 10% of people! That means that organic search results account for 90% of all traffic.
When you blog, Google and other search engines notice you publishing content and, if the content is of high-quality, your ranking in search results will slowly start to climb. If done consistently and thoroughly, you can climb to that coveted first page of Google.
This translates to more page traffic, new clients, and more profits.
Reason 2. Blogging allows you to start forming relationships with people who are reading your content.
A great feature of most blogs is that you are able to comment on the blogs. When people who read your blogs have an interesting comment or idea that they want to share, they can easily post it on the blog page – stimulating a conversation that helps your brand gain recognition.
The more interesting your blog, the more likely someone will comment on it! When a lot of people start commenting on blogs, people who happen to land on your blog will feel more confident in the quality of your content.
Reason 3. Blogging allows you to identify your business as an industry leader!
Let’s suppose you are searching for a product online. Most people consider price, quality, and customer reviews when deciding on where to buy a product.
Yet, if you are between two different companies, would you rather purchase a product from a company that has numerous high quality blog posts about their industry, or from the company that has no published content?
How would you know if the company without published content is reputable, despite what it may claim on its website?
Most people would choose the company that has published blog content, because it shows that the company KNOWS what they are talking about and what they are selling. The people at Google who engineer your site to appear on the first couple pages of Google agree!
Reason 4. Blogging gives you a way to develop your brand!
Your brand can be defined as a perception by the customer – “what sticks in the customer’s mind, associated with a product, service, or organization — whether or not, at that particular moment, the customer bought or did not buy.”
Building your brand takes time and a vision. Blogging allows you to publish content that will help your customer form a mental picture of your company, even if they decide not to purchase at the time of viewing your content.
The next time that the customer sees your content, they will have a certain “brand image” in their mind, and may be more likely to purchase because they remember what you are all about! Some companies that have done a great job at branding are Apple, Verizon, and Toyota.
Reason 5. Blogging creates opportunities for your viewers to share your business’s content
If you share your blog posts to facebook, instagram, reddit, twitter, or more, you give your viewers the option to share your content to help do some of your marketing for you!
Thank you for reading
