People go online because they’re looking for answers. In some ways, the internet has become a crutch we should probably do without at times, but alas, it’s hard to resist when the answers to all of your (and your kids’!) burning questions are literally at your fingertips. I can’t tell you the number of times my Google search query has begun with “How to…”
As a small business owner, you may very well have answers to these questions, but without an established online presence, how are we to know?
Enter the blog.
Blogs serve many purposes for your small business, but here are three biggies:
They demonstrate that you know your stuff.
They garner goodwill with Google.
They bring in new customers.
Let me elaborate on what I mean.
Your Blog Helps Establish You as an Expert
Maintaining an active blog for your business allows you to establish a presence in your market. Consider it yourself - are you more likely to trust a company whose website appears outdated and stale, or are you going to trust one who is actively posting new and interesting content?
While we’ve been taught never to judge a book by its cover, the hard truth is that your website gets judged by viewers in seconds. If it doesn’t have the content to deliver on their needs, your viewer will bounce (literally and figuratively).
Your Blog is Best Buds with Google
Another important reason to build up your blog arsenal is that it keeps your website in good favor with Google and other search engines. While the content and tone of your blog should be authentic (you don’t want it jammed top to bottom with SEO keywords), it’s equally important that it be useful.
Search engines reward quality content. Plus, the more blog posts you have, the more pages you have to be indexed. This leads to increased traffic to your website and in turn, more customers.
Your Blog is on the A-Team for Bringing in New Customers
On the spectrum of marketing tactics for your small business, the blog is a top performer. You want this player in the game at all times. It’s a workhorse that never stops. In fact, the longer it’s out there in the game, the better it plays because search engines favor websites that have a history of active participation.
The best part? Your blog is really low-cost to maintain. That’s not to say it doesn’t take work - it does, but relative to expensive advertising campaigns, posting a blog once or twice a week is essentially free advertising. It’s also content marketing you can leverage again and again by sharing it on social media and linking to it in your newsletters. These are all avenues for customers to find you, and when done consistently, they absolutely will.
If you’re ready to start a blog for your small business but aren’t quite sure how to do it, get in touch with me for help or to ask your questions about content marketing.