3 Business Benefits of Blogging
Think your business doesn't need a blog?
Think again.
Blogs are fairly new on the scene. These weblogs (we shortened it to blog in 1999) started surfacing in the mid 90s, then exploded in the early aughts. And it's no surprise. Hubspot — one of the best-known marketing software companies — links blogging to a 67% spike in leads and a 1,300% increase in ROI. Sounds crazy, right? Actually, it's crazy not to blog. A regularly-updated blog can help your business grow in a number of ways. Here are three of the top benefits of blogging for your business.
Cement your position as an industry leader.
Let's say someone is getting ready to sell their house. They want to find the best possible agent so they do some internet research. You have a wide range of relevant and informative real estate topics on your blog. Your competitor has a few key pages giving only a bird's eye view of their business. Who do you think will look more in-touch with the industry and the local market? You! Regularly updating your site with the latest industry news lends credence to your business, helping it distinguish itself as a leader.
Look fresh and relevant.
When I ask business owners to describe their business in a few words, I often hear them say things like "fun," "cool," or "friendly." The issue? It can be extremely tricky to convey those sentiments on the homepage of your website without undercutting your professionalism. Fortunately, your blog provides an alternate platform for the more personal side of your business. Whether there's a local event coming up that you think people should know about or a holiday recipe you're sure will help them be a hit at their next gathering, your blog is the place. A blog is the perfect forum for keeping your business's voice fresh and fun. And even if you're in an industry where you don't think that a personal voice matters, it does. Millennials are poised to be the biggest buying demographic and they care about purchasing from brands that resonate with their personal values and interests.
Help your site rank at the top of Google.
You know that people are out there Googling specific questions like, "How much car insurance do I need?", "What home decor trends are in for 2018?", and "What local events are coming up in Ventura, CA?" You probably don't want to (and shouldn't!) dedicate a core page of your website to answering these questions. But that doesn't mean you have to miss out on those people and their questions. When you blog, you can answer targeted questions to draw your ideal demographic to your website. What's more, optimizing blogs for keywords that are relevant to your site lets the web crawlers at Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc. know that your site is relevant to those keywords, further helping it rank. (Did all of this sound like a foreign language? Check out my guide to SEO.)
Think of your blog as a spokesperson for your business who never rests. If you want to start a blog on your site but don't know how, I can help! As an experienced blogger for a wide range of industries, I can take the guesswork and time commitment out of building and maintaining your blog. Contact me today.