One of the biggest problems small businesses have when it comes to marketing is maximising return on investment. When you don’t have the marketing budget, or team, of a major corporation, every penny counts – and needs to go as far as possible.
So with limited time, and resources, running a blog can seem to some like a waste of time. However, the opposite is in fact the case. Having a blog on your website will have a positive impact on various different parts of your business.
If you don’t believe us, here are our top 6 reasons you should blog on your website:
Drives traffic
Everyone and their dog seems to have a website these days, and that trend will rise as the world continues to get more digital. This means more companies are competing for higher SEO rankings than ever before. Ranking in search is crucial in business, as it helps to get more eyes on your website which in turn, will help increase sales.
A key factor that impacts your SEO score is how regularly you update the content on your website. A blog provides an easy way to add new content to your website regularly, which in turn, will help to increase your ranking in search.
Conversions
As your blog increases traffic to your website, this may lead to more leads and/or conversions for your business. However, this isn’t the only way a blog can increase these key metrics for you.
People will inevitably have questions or simply be curious about your brand or business. Having a blog will give them more depth and information than other forms of marketing can provide. The more knowledgeable a potential customer is of your business, the more likely they are to buy from you.
Show your expertise
One of the main draws of social media is that it can be quick and easy. Writing a tweet, or posting a photo on Facebook or Instagram doesn’t take long, and can be effective. However, there is only so much you can say in 280 characters. There are also certain rules and trends that need to be followed in order to stay relevant on the various social media platforms.
Your blog, however, is your channel. This is where you can express your understanding of your industry, showcase how you can solve your customer’s problems, or highlight the expertise of your team in as much depth (and as many characters) as you like. This will serve as a platform for you to further educate potential customers on your products and services.
Establishes your Brand
In days gone by, a ‘good’ brand was simply a well-designed logo, a clever tagline, and a colour or two. Today, a brand is the identity of your business. The values you have and what you stand for. This is important to consumers, as they want the companies they do business with to share their values.
Having a blog allows you to express your brand in-depth and share it with your customers. You could use it to discuss steps you’ve taken towards sustainability, or perhaps some recent community engagement you’ve undertaken.
Establishing your brand is crucial for the success of your business, and a blog allows you to do this.
Helps with other marketing activities
One of the best parts of having a blog is that they provide a great source of content for your other social media channels. One well-written post can easily be changed and changed into multiple pieces of content for other channels which will drive more traffic to the post itself, and in turn, your website.
Blogs can also be used as landing pages, acting as a great replacement for the conventional ‘buy me now!’ landing pages of days gone by.
Customer Service
One of the main purposes you can use a blog for is to answer the main questions new and existing customers may have. Regardless of how long your business has been around for when a new customer arrives on your site, they will likely have the same questions that your current customers had when they first encountered your business.
Having these answers readily available in blog form gives new customers quick and easy access to the answers they need. This builds trust and a healthy relationship between you and your customers. This also frees your team up to deal with other issues.
Furthermore, should someone reach out to you in future with a question or issue, a blog post that addresses this will give you some solutions to the problem. Your staff can either share this blog post with the customer, or they can use it for themselves as a source for a solution.
Conclusion:
As you can see, a blog can be a very powerful tool that can make a big impact on your business. Be warned though, blogging simply for the sake of it won’t create the intended effect. Your blog needs proper time and attention in order to see the benefits we’ve discussed here.
If you don’t have the time, or resources, to add this to your marketing strategy, don’t worry – we here at 99social can handle your needs with ease. Our social media management packages start from just £99 per month, and with our help, you can get all these amazing benefits from your very own blog.