If someone were to ask you what the internet is made up of, what would you say? Information? Cat Videos? Business websites? BLOGS? When blogging started to become a thing, there were tons of sites acting as personal blogs. As these individual people started to gain popularity, businesses took notice and JUMPed on the band wagon. But why is blogging important for small businesses? What are the advantages of a business blog?
One of the primary functions of a company blog is simply driving traffic to your website.
i.e. getting them in the door.
Blog posts and informational pages simply live on your site waiting for someone to access them. While there are plenty of effective ways to get visitors on your company’s website such as traditional out-of-home advertisements and PPC ads, blog posts offer a more genuine way to reach customers. Most of the out-of-home advertisements we see are targeted at…no one in particular where print and internet ads can be more targeted at a user’s habits and interests. However, when a visitor clicks on a blog post link, they are taking the first step. It is much easier to convert someone who has already taken interest in what you have to say. We are not saying that PPC is ineffective, but that a blog should be used in conjunction with other media marketing tactics. The best part is, blogging costs nothing more than a little time and effort!
More Leads with a Lower Cost
What the survey to the right tells us is that we are seeing more businesses dedicating time to organic marketing efforts and that they are paying off by generating more leads with a lower cost. From there, all that is left is to get them from the blog post to view other pages on the site, preferably a product page or contact form. When a potential customer views a blog post, you already have a leg up in the game. They are past the biggest hurdle; getting your small business found on the internet. Blogging has a direct and significant impact on your SEO. Google and other search engines love fresh content. This is especially true when that content is related to your industry and contains strong keywords. A word of caution: if your articles are unrelated or poorly written, this can actually hurt your website.
Well-written doesn’t need to sound ‘scholarly.’ More often than not natural, conversational articles are easier for visitors to read. Don’t try to sound smart, it should sound `natural and knowledgeable`We can help write blog posts!
This is a screenshot from one of our client’s Google Analytics reports. This company is a human resources / staffing agency and their blog contains posts about work-place practices and company policies. This screenshot shows the top ten pages that visitors enter the site on. While the main pages of the site have been targeted for specific keywords, 7/10 are blog posts! And at the end of each blog post, two important things: links to more blog posts and links to information about their services.
Become a Knowledge Point
Blog posts also allow your business to obtain a credibility that is very difficult to achieve without a face-to-face sales pitch. Without even meeting them, your business becomes a knowledge point for current and potential customers. It says that you are a top-dog in your field and that you care about being up to date and insightful in your industry. Aside from industry news, it is common to write posts about the advantages, or how to use your products and services. There are numerous types of articles you can write to achieve this, but the goal will always be the same: to associate your business name with your visitors’ interests in a positive way.
Expand Your Reach
When people find something online beneficial, it is natural for them to want to share our knowledge and experiences on platforms like Facebook. From the business side, user shares and links are absolutely invaluable. Search engines also love this because a share is like an endorsement; your content is valuable and your business is knowledgeable. With every share, your reach expands exponentially.
Breaking into the internet as a small business is tough, especially if your marketing budget is minimal. Blogging can be one of your most powerful tools by generating content that is related to your industry and interesting to consumers. A blog functions as a tool to get visitors on your website. Good content and links to your other pages will do the rest!
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