You want to grow your business and reach new prospects. Duh. What business owner doesn’t? But somehow, you’re not showing up in search engine results like you want. The leads aren’t pouring in like you’d like them to. Something’s missing. We also refer to this as Content Dysfunction and it can happen to anyone. Fortunately, I can tell you what that missing something is: it’s a business blog.
If you’re not sold on the infinite marketing possibilities that a blog can generate for your business, then I have seven ridiculously compelling reasons why you’d be a fool not to start.
#1. Improves your SEO
If you’re wondering why your search engine results aren’t stellar and you DON’T have a business blog, then I have little sympathy for you. Search engines like Google and Bing are relentlessly crawling the internet in search of content that will match search terms. The fresher the content, the more search engines will love you and match you to relevant search terms. A website that is constantly being updated with fresh content provides search bots with the content they crave and gives you endless opportunities to explore key words relevant to your industry. This translates into an awesome, long-term SEO strategy that will only improve over time.
You want to be viewed as an expert in your industry, right? Then prove it! Of course, you’d do this by actually providing people with your services, but this has to extend to your online reach, as well. A blog gives you the opportunity to establish your business as an authority online. It goes beyond the service pages on your site by demonstrating your expertise in an in-depth way.
#3. Provides value to your customers
Search engines exist to provide the most relevant content based on a user’s search. People want answers to their searches. Blog content is a means for search engines to find you and to provide the answers to the questions that people are asking. Even if someone doesn’t buy your services immediately, you’ll still have solved a problem and exposed them to your brand, which will lead to further interactions in the long term. Viewing your blog as an opportunity to provide value to a consumer will increase its own value for you.
#4. Opens up more marketing opportunities
Making blog content a priority opens up the floodgates for other marketing opportunities. It’s content you can share and promote on social media (which leads people back to your site and increases your reach), and that you can put directly into the hands of the consumer with email marketing. A business blog is a steady, reliable source of original content that does nothing but benefit your business and your customers. What’s not to love about that??
#5. It’s yours to keep forever
Unlike Google AdWords (or some other PPC campaign), which stops promoting you once you stop paying for it, your blog content remains on your domain and in search results forever. It’s yours to keep. It never goes stale. It simply continues to work in your favor, even long after you’ve stopped blogging.
#6. You don’t have to be a “writer”
You read that right—you don’t have to be a master of the English language in order to have a business blog. But that doesn’t mean you can’t learn how to be a great writer, either. But if you want a few writing pointers…
- Start with an idea and write out the main thoughts as bullet points.
- Do a little research to support your argument.
- Write an intro (a summary of why you’re writing the article in the first place).
- Dedicate a paragraph or two to each thought.
- Finish with a closing thought on said topic.
See? In its simplest form, writing a blog post is as easy as that. Over time and with practice, you’ll get better. Run spell check. Make sure you’re using the correct word. Google writing tip for beginners or hand it over to someone at your company who IS a good writer. Always have someone proofread your work and give feedback. Know your limitations. If all else fails, hire a blogging service or a hungry freelance writer to help you out. Not being a professional writer should not keep you from blogging… but always have the goal of creating amazing, professional content.
#7. Any type of business can profit from a blog
Don’t think your business is interesting enough to write about? Balderdash. Even if your industry isn’t “sexy”, there’s still plenty for you to talk about. You exist as a business because there’s a demand for your services, right? You fill a niche somewhere, at the very least.
All it takes is investing in the time to come up with ideas. Start with a quick and dirty idea like addressing pain points. Highlight a project you’ve completed. Discuss an industry trend you see emerging. Or spend 20 minutes brainstorming with your team. I’ll bet you a gazillion dollars at least ONE person on your team can come up with a single topic. Not fitting the typical blog profile means that you can truly stand out from your competitors and speak with authority on the topics you know best.
You have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain from starting a business blog. From boosting the SEO power of your site to having great content for your social media channels, a business blog is an essential tool that should be your first and foremost marketing priority. Yes, it takes time and effort. But don’t all great things? If you truly want to market your business (and your website), blogging should be the first place you start.
