3 reasons to blog
As a small business owner, adding a blog to your long list of to-dos may not sound terribly appealing. Believe me, I understand. Finding time to write 500 words about anything seems impossible. But, over the years, I’ve learned 3 very compelling reasons to give blogging a go and a few tricks to help you with content creation.
Blogging provides a myriad of benefits to businesses and leaders. At its core, a blog is a really straightforward way to share your brand and cultivate relationships with your audience. A blog attracts people to the top of the funnel consistently and for much less cost than advertising. From a content standpoint, a blog post provides material for newsletters, social media posts, educational materials, and any other information needed for your marketing campaigns. The possibilities for recycling content are virtually unlimited.
1. INCREASE WEB TRAFFIC
A recent Hubspot study found that businesses with a blog get 55% more traffic than those without. A blog also increases your opportunities to be found on search engines. The increase in keywords and possibilities for linkbacks from other sites sharing your post significantly impact your SEO optimization. You can totally use paid ads to help your site rank higher on Google, but blogging is a more effective, long-term approach.
2. BE A THOUGHT LEADER
Writing about what you know lets your audience see who you are and shows them how much you know about your industry. It can be challenging to establish yourself as an expert. But with strategic, honest blogging, you can share your knowledge and insights. You and the experience you bring to the table are what customers come back for over and over. Client relationships are built on trust, whether in plumbing, architecture, hardwood flooring, or everywhere in between. Through blogging, you increase credibility, confidence, and trustworthiness.
3. GENERATE MORE LEADS
As site traffic and recognition increase, search engines and your audience will see you as the expert in your industry. It’s a bit of a long game, but your blog will generate leads if you put in the effort. A strategy should be designed for your specific business, but generally, you’d use your blog to encourage email subscriptions. This puts your business in front of people on multiple avenues on a consistent basis. Moreover, it provides valuable information to existing clients who will be lifelong referrers of your business. So, when your audience needs a business like yours, they are likelier to choose/refer yours.
TIPS FOR GETTING STARTED:
The key is picking topics you want to learn about or are already knowledgeable in. That way, you’re never at a loss for words. The truth is we can talk for ages on topics we feel passionately about.
We all have different processes - outlining, free-form writing, and slide show style presentations. Whatever works for you, do it.
And if writing doesn’t come naturally, try recording your thoughts and transcribing them. Speaking is generally easier for people than writing. Or if you find transcribing complicated, you can always outsource. Blog writing is a super common offering from marketing firms like ours and freelancers alike.