14 Feb 2024
- 03 May 2016
- 6 Min read
4 reasons blogging is essential for your small business
Many small business owners take the view that a company blog is just an extra function that is bolted on their website, often used as a place to dump periodic updates or product information. Some blogs can often go months, and sometimes up to a year, without getting a single update, which is a huge opportunity missed.
While it’s understandable that many businesses feel that they don’t have the time or resources to keep up a steady stream of high-quality posts, they may well alter their priorities once they find out how valuable a regularly updated and insightful blog can be for their brand.
Several credible sources have carried out research into the difference that a well-maintained company blog can make, and they have all served up some interesting nuggets for blog-sceptics to digest. HubSpot found that the average company that maintains a blog get 55% more visitors to their site and 97% more inbound links, while the Content Marketing Association found that 82% of consumers like reading content from brands when it’s relevant.
Let’s take a closer look at four key reasons why you should make the time to develop your company blog into something great.
Blog posts will drive traffic to your website
© Michael Gil – licence
Your blog can drive traffic to your company website in quite a few ways, with the first and most obvious being the boost it can give your site’s SEO value. Each blog post that you upload adds another indexed page to your website, increasing the chances that it will appear in search engine results and driving traffic to you through organic search.
You can add further SEO value to your blog posts by writing high-quality and relevant content to ensure that it has a higher chance of appearing in a lofty position in Google’s search results. The search giant recently confirmed that good content is one of the most important factors in the way it ranks its pages (see our recent industry round-up for the full story), so making sure that you are producing useful information with related keywords should be a priority.
A company blog can also drive traffic to your website if your posts have a strong shareability. If you are able to create content that potential customers will find interesting enough to share on their social media accounts, you will be able to enjoy the benefits of increased brand exposure and more traffic driven towards the original post on your website. If your company blog is good enough, new visitors may find themselves compelled to browse through the rest of your website and become customers.
Insightful posts can position you as an industry expert
Well-written blog posts can play an important role in positioning your brand as an industry leader — not only will they demonstrate the vast amount of knowledge you have to offer, but they will help to build trust with your potential customer base. If you can write in a knowledgeable way about your own products and services, readers will be more inclined to trust you and invest in what you offer.
Insightful posts can also improve your B2B relations, especially if you are able to give unique or fresh comment on issues in and around your industry. If your peers feel they can turn to you for advice, you may soon find that you are attracting more B2B leads than ever before. Turn yourself into an information hub for your sector with thoroughly researched and articulate content. Entrepreneur have a handy guide to positioning yourself as an industry expert, which takes into account blogging as well as a number of other methods.
A blog can give your business a voice
Your blog can be the place where you show the human side of your business, as well as giving you the opportunity to interact with your customer base. It is the perfect place to share news or initiatives that go beyond your website, such as a charity event that your staff are taking part in or the opening of a new store. A blog also gives you the space to comment on news events or trends that are related to your industry.
While you can still promote your products and services in your blog, you can use these posts to express their selling points from a more personal point of view. If you have a certain member of staff who is an expert in the topic of the article, why not get them to write, contribute, or have it attributed to them? Readers will be more likely to view the blog post as more authentic if it feels as if it is coming from a fellow human who knows what they are talking about. MeetContent have an interesting article on the power of the first person perspective, which explores the benefits a more personal piece of content can have on the reader.
As well as showing a more human side to your brand, your blog also gives you the opportunity to interact directly with your customer base in the comments section for each post. Opening a healthy dialogue with the public can portray your brand in a good light, especially if the exchanges are positive or interesting.
A regularly updated blog can be good for your business internally
By keeping your blog relevant and current, you will be forcing your company to remain focussed on your marketing strategy, as well as ensuring that you stay well informed about your industry. At some point you will probably need to create a schedule to make sure it is updated regularly — the perfect excuse to frequently review the content you are producing.
If you share out the responsibilities for writing around your expert staff, not only will you guarantee you get content on a wide range of topics, but you will also encourage your staff to remain informed about current events and trends within your sector. In doing so, your company on the whole will be a lot more in touch with the industry you are trying to become a leader within.
Consider these essential reasons why your business should begin or revitalise your company blog, and use the information to create content that will enhance your business’s reputation, exposure, and internal practices.
If you feel that you need our help producing high-quality content for your blog or assistance creating an effective content strategy, why not get in touch or connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google+.
