The power of blogs: 5 reasons why your business needs to be blogging
I’m sure if I asked you for reasons to blog you could probably come up with a few. That’s the problem though, we know it but we don’t put it into practice. We’re blase about blogging but because of that we aren’t using blogs to the maximum effect.
So think of this as a blog refresh, a pitstop. Let’s revisit the 5 best reasons why your business should be blogging - and when I say blogging I don’t mean a random blog, I mean why you need to be consistently producing high quality, original content.
Get settled, grab a cup of tea and let’s revisit 5 reasons why you should be blogging.
SEO
For most businesses this is the biggest reason. It’s the holy grail. There’s belief that blogs boost your SEO and will automatically send your website to the top spot of Google. There is some truth in that but only if you’re willing to do the work.
Google loves new content, fresh juicy content that gives real value to your clients. Naturally, blogs fall into that category - well the good, non-AI ones anyway.
If you’re creating blogs based on your client’s problems, writing about things they actually care about and you’re going into depth, giving them the information they want in a way that’s easy for them to read then your blogs will give you an SEO boost.
My caveat to that is consistency. Google also likes to know that you’re going to keep on publishing content. That means you can’t post and run. You need to be regularly producing content. Regularly means different things to different businesses, for some they can commit to a weekly blog but for others monthly is fine.
Businesses who care about their SEO need to be blogging regularly so make time for it in your diary.
2. Resource library
The other way that blogs can be useful is by thinking of them as a resource bank. Are there questions you’re always being asked? Or are there objections your sales team hear every day? Turn those topics into blogs. Then when you’re asked about them you can simply signpost them to the relevant blog, saving time and ensuring everyone is receiving the same information.
This also links back to SEO. If there are really common questions you’ve being asked, chances are they aren’t just asking you, they’re also asking Google.
Those long-tail keyphrases might be niche but if you’ve got a high quality blog about the topic you might find it becomes one of your best performing blogs.
3. Know, like, trust
It’s common knowledge that for someone to decide to work with you there needs to be an element of know, like, trust. Blogs are an ideal way to do this while building your reputation.
Social media gives people a taste of what you’re like, what you stand for, what you care about. But blogs allow you to dive deeper into those topics, to explore things that matter in your industry and showcase your brand more widely.
This can work particularly well if you publicise who’s written each blog. By giving your CEO a voice it builds their reputation, or by making it clear that Freddie in sales crafted a blog will give them an in with prospects.
The best way to get started with this is to look at your business values and work out what topics naturally relate. You’ll soon build a bank of themes and subjects that can be incorporated into your blog.
4. Brand building
A common goal for marketing is to build the brand’s reputation. There are different ways you can do that but blogs are a useful tool to have in your arsenal.
While you might host the blog on your website, you can share it more widely either via social media or even via industry publications. This provides you with a plethora of opportunities to elevate your brand and get in front of a wider audience who might not otherwise have noticed you.
5. Client journey
There’s a stat that I love to wheel out at any opportunity. It’s that on average someone engages with 8 touchpoints before they reach out to you. It’s a powerful stat because it reinforces the importance of recognising your lurkers. Those people who are watching, engaging in the background and waiting for the right moment.
Those people want to find out more, they aren’t ready to buy but the possibility is in their mind. To keep them engaged you need to supply them with more information and reasons to stick around.
You blog is amazing at this.
If they’re a long term lurker than a regular blog keeps reminding them you’re there.
If they’re more short term then it provides them with lots of different touch points, helping position you in their mind as the expert and building the know, like, trust factor.
There’s a limit to how good social media is for this. The problem with social is it’s brevity. You see it, it’s gone, there’s no depth, it’s a shop window. Great for luring people in but then they want to browse - that’s where your blog comes in.
It’s unlikely that your blog on its own will convert leads to prospects but what it becomes is a stepping stone in that journey, and one you shouldn’t overlook.
Sometimes we need reminding about what we already know, and in this case it’s that a well structured and resourced blog function can be worth its weight in gold for your business. Not only will it boost your SEO, it helps your audience get to know you on a deeper level and can become a vital part of your client journey.
To me, a blog is a must for any ambitious business.
Need help bringing your blog dreams to life? Let’s have a chat.
