A Good Blog Can Be Good For Business

Why in the world would you write a blog about your business? You really don’t have the time, do you?

You’re already running spots on TV and radio. You have a Facebook page and rustle up some print and digital ads with local media. That’s enough, right, especially in this time of economic turmoil brought on by the coronavirus outbreak?

Well, do you want to restore and grow your business? Do you want to drive more sales?

Producing a blog for your business can set you apart from the competition. A well-crafted blog for your website or social media channels can help you build a real audience online, one that may really appreciate your timely information, keen insights and insider knowledge. Though it goes without saying, we’ll say it anyway: When you set yourself apart from the competition, customers choose you.

What are the benefits of a blog for your business?

• You boost your online presence. As your audience grows (because your blog will be terrific!), so will interest in your business. Readers will share your content with others on social media. You’ll also boost your SEO profile with your fresh content.
• Though your potential audience is limitless, you will refine your focus on a target audience that can actually move the dial on your sales. You may generate more leads, attract converts to your way of doing business, and retain customers who like your products and how you do business.
• You can become a thought leader in your niche, no matter the products or services you provide. With a well-executed blog strategy that produces quality content, you could become a go-to resource for people with questions about the topics that you know so well.
• It will build brand awareness as you provide relevant, useful content to your audience in a very cost-effective way.

Need more convincing that this is not a digital fad, one soon to pass? Here are some blogging factoids from the research folks at HubSpot:

• Over 75% of internet users say they read blogs regularly. (Quoracreative, 2019)
• Marketers who prioritize blogging efforts are 13 times more likely to see positive ROI. (HubSpot, 2019)
• 55% of marketers say blog content creation is their top inbound marketing priority. (HubSpot, 2018)
• In the U.S. in 2020, over 31 million people will be able to call themselves bloggers. (Quoracreative, 2019)
• WordPress users produce over 70.5 million new blog posts and over 52 million new comments monthly. (WordPress, 2019)
• 36% of people prefer list-based headlines. (Impact, 2019)
• 66% of marketers surveyed used blogs in their social media content. (Social Media Examiner, 2019)
• Listicles are the most popular blog post format among business blogs. (Responsive Inbound Marketing, 2019)
• Using statistics in blog posts improves consumer trust. (Forbes, 2018)
• 43% of people admit to skimming blog posts. (HubSpot, 2018)
• 23% of today’s posts on social media include a link to a blog post. (Quoracreative, 2019)

Now that you are convinced, here are a few things to keep in mind as you light your fuse and launch your blog:

This isn’t about you.

It is about the customers you already serve and the potential customers you’d love to do business with. It’s fine if you want to write about your cute, new puppy or daily frustrations with working from home or long lines at the store – just do it in a personal blog on in long Facebook posts.

Your business blog is for customers who come to you to solve problems or satisfy wants. More than ever, people are looking for valuable content to help them deal with the crazy world around us. Approach every blog with that in mind. Ask yourself, “What can I write that may help or educate a customer, win me a reader, earn me some bonus points and generate a few more sales?”

The blogosphere is a crowded, competitive space.  Consumers have lots of options when it comes to searching out information to help them with their daily lives. That’s why your blog must engage readers and promise more than the other bloggers. Better info. Better advice. Better deals.

Make your content sing.

Write well. Get to the point. Short and sweet is much appreciated by time-starved consumers. You don’t have to write a book. But know when to provide needed detail to deliver a truly relevant, interesting and helpful piece. Write a good, compelling headline atop your blog. Bland headlines generate little interest.

Don’t wing it. Have a content plan.

Build out a content calendar. Know what you want to write about. Do some research. Give yourself time to produce quality content. A poorly written blog is worse than no blog at all. It will send a message to clients, potential customers and your general audience that your enterprise is not focused on delivering quality in everything it does. And if you are going to incorporate images into your blog, make sure they are high-quality graphics or photos that enhance your words, not cheesy images that send the wrong message. Check out iStock, Shutterstock, Getty another other stock image services to add punch to your blog.

Pick your channel.

Will you host your blog on your website? Will you post directly or link to your content on Facebook, LinkedIn or other social media? Choose a channel that you think people will easily find and visit regularly as you get started. Many new bloggers launch on WordPress or Blogger as their platform. That takes blogging to a higher level.

Your choice of platform should be guided by:

• How flexible is it for adding features as readership grows?
• Is it user friendly, not only for you the blogger, but for your readers?
• Can you pull it off yourself, or will you need support for graphics, design, programming?
• Are you blogging to earn revenue from subscribers or just drive traffic to your business?

Engage your audience.

• Ask them questions. Invite their suggestions for future topics. What do they want to know more about? When they write to you, capture their email addresses and add them to your database.

After you launch your blog, perhaps your goal is to turn those visitors into leads, then turn those leads into customers. B2B online marketers who have blogs gain 66% more leads, according to SEO Tribunal. Is that enticing enough to give blogging a go?