There is a clear “knowing / doing” gap when it comes to blogging. Companies know they should be blogging, but they are not doing it. The gap of people actually blogging and those who know they should continues to expand. As we work with clients, we educate them on the value of blogging. We have found companies are more likely to blog if they can see a correlation between posting blogs and increasing revenue.
So we've compiled a list of the 10 beneficial reasons your company should blog more... or start to:
1) Build authority.
If you continue to write blog posts around the same subject matter, you begin to build your website’s authority for that subject in the eyes of the search engines. This may lead to higher rankings for desired keyword phrases. It also can make you an authority in the eyes of your customers or clients as well. If they can turn to you to answer questions they're having about the field you're in, they're more likely to turn to you for the answers next time too.
2) Connect with new customers.
Blogs are like press releases. When posts get indexed by search engines, it increases the opportunity for new customers to find your company.
3) Increase your visibility within social media.
Blog postings can be syndicated into your Facebook business page, Google + business page, Twitter and LinkedIn profiles. If you continuously give insightful and relevant information that your audience enjoys and interacts with your posts are more likely to be shared. This gives you an even greater reach in social and can lead to new people finding your blog and therefore your company.
4) Answer frequently asked questions.
Are there questions people keep calling your office and asking? In the future, direct them to your website to get the answer and save your staff time from answering the same questions again and again. Being a company that answers the questions that everyone is looking for makes you the hero in the eyes of the people tirelessly scanning the web for answers.
5) Generate return visits.
An informative blog on your industry gives people a reason to continually visit your website to stay informed. These return visits can still be just as valuable as their first visits in gaining SEO value.
6) Create a voice within your industry.
A blog can be used to voice your perspective on changes within your industry and predict upcoming trends.
7) Create a personality.
Customers buy from people they like. If your company has a voice and a personality when interacting with your customers then they are more likely to want to interact back with you. And a two-way conversation is always better than one-way. People don't like to be constantly sold to.
8) Stand out from competition.
Content is king on the Internet. If you are looking to rank higher than competitors, consistent blog posting may be key. Right now, not everyone is blogging. And they're missing out on greater awareness and possible new leads.
9) Get feedback.
Blogs can be used as a conversation piece between you and your customers, enabling you to get insight on potential new revenue opportunities. Or maybe they just have something to add to your story. Either way, make sure you reply to comments on your blog posts. Let them know they've been heard and they'll be more likely to interact with you in the future.
10) Get traffic.
The more people who visit your website each day, the better chance you have at getting new business!
Don't let the writing scare you. You know your business the best. Share your knowledge with your customers. You'll be sure to see a difference in the way the search engines find your site and the way customers interact with you.
Sales & Marketing Technologies provides digital marketing consulting. We are more than happy to speak with you in greater detail about potential blog strategies to expand your company’s reach on the Internet.