Now in the middle of 2014, we’ve found many business owners still asking, “Why does my company need a blog?” With Google’s algorithms rapidly updating and marketers around the world questioning the future of SEO, it’s easy to let your digital marketing fall to the backburner as you wait for the waters to settle.
However, if you plan to compete in the online arena on any level, a blog is a must. No matter your industry or your target customer, a blog is an absolute necessity.
Here are the top 5 reasons your business needs a blog:
1. Bring traffic to your site
Gone are the days of flipping through the phone book to find a business’s contact information. If your customers want to find you, they’ll look online. In the same way the biggest phonebook advertisement used to bring in the most phone calls, the company ranked highest in online search results now receives the most clicks. In order to bring new customers to your site, they need to be able to find you easily through search engines.
Bringing customers to your site is especially beneficial if:
- You have online contact forms
- Your contact information is listed on your homepage
- You run an e-commerce site
- You want to generate quality sales leads
2. Create consistent content
Why does a blog bring more traffic to your site? Because search engines reward sites with consistently updated web content. If your site is nothing more than a group of landing pages, very little (if any) content will change. You might add a page here or delete a page there, but it won’t be updated enough for search engines to register. Consistently published blog posts, on the other hand, are search engine gold. Every new post counts as a new web page. This means your site is constantly publishing relevant information, which is more helpful to users than any static page. More pages leads to more traffic, which leads to more customers.
3. Become the authority in your industry
Blogging became the corporate standard because it’s a way to show customers you really know what you’re talking about. Rather than one lonely FAQ page, a well-kept blog will provide how-tos, industry tips and tricks and valuable information your potential customers are searching for. Blogging creates an invaluable connection with your target audience. Your most loyal customers will be those who trust your content and feel a genuine connection with your brand.
4. Engage with your customers
Blogging isn’t a one-way street. The task of creating consistent content requires customer outreach. Engagement is the best way to learn what your audience is looking for from your industry. Once the blog has been published, the blog post itself will encourage customers to leave comments, or make an appointment with your business. The easiest way to start a business blog is to compile a list of the top 10 most frequently asked questions, then write a blog post for each answer. In doing so, you’re both creating value for your reader (which search engines love) and giving your customers another platform to reach you through.
5. Cover all digital marketing bases
There’s a reason it’s called the World Wide Web. No single page on the internet can exist independent of another. To create a solid content marketing strategy, you have to involve your home site, social media and the sites of other leaders in your industry or related industries.
An established blog works on multiple levels.
- Your social media followers have something to talk about
- Your home page gains credibility with Google
- Partner businesses have a way to share knowledge (and your contact information) with their own customers.
If you have a weekly newsletter, customers are more likely to subscribe once they’ve seen the value your company offers. A blog is the easiest way to connect your various online marketing initiatives.
10 years ago, every business was asking whether they needed a website.
Those who took the initiative early watched their customer base expand rapidly. Individuals in their communities had one place to find all necessary information about their business. Now that every viable company has their own website, the new question is whether every business needs a blog.
Don’t be left behind as your competitors’ blogs steal your digital thunder. Take the time to build a solid blog to round out your digital marketing strategy. Your customers, new and old, will thank you.
Photo credit: Kenneth Lu
