The Power of Blogs
Think blogging is a relic of the mid-2000s? Think again. While many marketers are shifting their long-form content to social media, blogging is still an amazing tool for marketing your business. And it might be even more important than ever when it comes to your online presence.
If you truly want to grow your website traffic consistently, boost your rankings, attract new customers, build trust with your current customers AND become a brand leader in your industry, then it is time to invest (or reinvest) in your blog.
Five things a blog can do for your business
1. Establish customer trust with expert advice
Blogs are an extension of good customer experience. No matter what business you are in, customers will have questions and want proof that you have the trusted answers. Blogs can be a space to answer questions and concerns important to your customer base. It’s a chance to show you genuinely care about their problems, and – more importantly – about how your services can help solve those problems. When a customer sees that you really know about the areas you claim to help, that will set the foundation of trust they need to become a believer in your product.
2. Generate leads
On average, companies with an active blog produce 67% more leads monthly than companies who don’t have a blog. Blogs are one of the most effective methods of demand generation in the awareness/interest stage of your sales funnel. Blogs can attract potential customers to your website by offering unique and engaging topics, provide a special deal and even motivate to buy. This opens the door for further communication, and eventually moves them further down your sales funnel.
3. Boost your search engine optimization
All major search engines – not just Google – love consistent, fresh, relevant content. Blogging is one of the most accessible and straightforward methods for you to increase your search engine optimization (SEO.) With every new blog posted on your website, you provide search engines new content to index. As long as you keep topics engaging, unique and add relevant keywords, your blog will boost your SEO every time you hit the “publish” button.
4. Gather audience insights
Blogs are a fantastic way to learn more about your target audience. The more you know about them, the better you can serve them and appeal to them (Hello, sales!) Google Analytics offers in-depth blog insights that will help you learn about what type of content your readers engage with most and allow you to tweak the information you present for optimal engagement and rankings.
Bonus: Customer reviews don’t only happen on Google or review sites. Customers can leave reviews right on your blog, offering a wealth of information for you as the business owner/manager that you can’t find anywhere else.
5. Grow your email list
Let’s face it – the importance of an email list for your business is here to stay. Having a continuously growing email database is vital for overall growth and success. A blog is a top method for growing your email list. Most blogging and website platforms offer page layouts that are fully optimized for calls to action like email capture.
6. Gain valuable social media content
There is nothing like original content to set you apart on social media. By having a unique POV and voice, you not only establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry, your followers will grow and stick around. Plus if your blog is truly informative and relatable, the odds of a customer sharing go sky high.
A regularly-updated blog continually increases your website’s value by providing helpful, well-written articles with strategy built-in and customer engagement in mind. It helps develop a foundation of trust in your customers, increase SEO, gather vital audience insights, and move customers further down your sales funnel.
If you want to continue growing and promoting your business, drop us a line, and we’ll help you get started!