8 reasons why your small business needs a blog

Whether it's posting on social media, writing a weekly blog post, scripting for a podcast or video, social media is one of the more onerous tasks many business owners undertake as part of the vast repertoire of the never-ending to-do list.

Businesses understand that it should be an integral component of the content marketing arsenal, but most people are terrified of doing it or don't have the time.

Is blogging still relevant in 2020?

In my opinion, a resounding YES!

And I'm not the only one who thinks so.

Check out what Neal Schaffer says https://nealschaffer.com/are-blogs-still-relevant-in-2019/ 

It is the cheapest form of business promotion.

Blogging is a great way to sell business products and services and has evolved from being a keyword stuffing black hat practice to giving your small business a platform in an otherwise busy webspace.

A company can build its reputation by creating an online community through blogging.

How

It keeps your audience updated with what is happening in your business.

A blog gives you the flexibility to communicate in a less formal tone, so you connect with your audience. 

While your website content is practical highlighting your products, a blog provides the freedom to share updates in a way that shows the world more about who you are rather than what you do.

Your blog is your direct communication channel and provides the space to showcase what you do and whom you do it for without being too pushy.

It increases your visibility and the more quality content you create, the more likely you are to show up in search engines and drive traffic to your website.

It all sounds great but for many SMEs, running a blog is problematic.

Why?

Most small businesses lack time and commitment to keep up a blog.

They don't know who their audience is or where to get ideas to start writing a blog.

Where do you start?

Start with feedback from your customers. 

Ask your customer service and sales team; they are on the front line. 

What problems are they solving every day for your customers? 

Salespeople probably have a list of problems they've had to sort out and are likely to provide a wealth of blog content ideas.

Many of these problems are also the same ones that your prospective customer has.

Keep it simple

When writing brevity is the key. 

But there is strong evidence to suggest that blogs should be longer than 1,000 words and no less than 500 words.

But it depends on what and who you read.

Speaking from experience, most of us have little time to read.

Make it easy for readers to scan your blog, get the information they want and then take action.

Quality and niche

Your business blog should provide quality information that your reader finds helpful. 

Don't churn out blogs for the sake of it. 

Have something to say and make it relevant and meaningful.

Find your niche and write about how you can help other businesses with your solutions.

Your blog offers a solution to a would-be customer.

Your reader has a problem that needs fixing, and your website/business provides the solution.

Whey you are looking for a solution to a problem the first thing you do is type the query into your search engine.

If your blog makes fair use of SEO keywords, over time, people will find you. 

And I know it works because only today I had a telephone enquiry.

The company in question had found and read one of my blogs through search and the scenario I had written about replicated their current issues.

Straightaway I bagged some kudos because of that blog post.

Praying for time

Most companies want or expect quick results from blogging. 

But writing and keeping a blog isn't going to garner you with loads of leads and website enquiries, not straightaway unless you pay for Google Ads.

Be prepared to work hard for at least 3 - 6 months before the efforts of your hard work reward you.

Positioning yourself as the GO-TO EXPERT in your field takes time and deliberation.

Readers aren't going to part with their cash on the strength of you writing a couple of blogs.

They want to make sure you're authentic that your business can deliver what they're looking for so they will continue to show up to read your blogs and related subjects.

Make your content relatable.

Create your content using words that reflect the culture and brand of your business.

And be personable because your content is then relatable to the person who is reading it. 

You should write in a way that your reader nods their head in acknowledgement, "yes, that's my problem too!"

A long term affair?

Keep the conversation going. 

If a query or comment comes in via your website, respond quickly. 

Be willing to provide any information requested. 

When the conversation starts, you are now at the beginning of the sales process.

Make it easy to subscribe to your blog with subscribe and sign up boxes on your website and especially on your blog.

Consistency is the key.

Consistency is the key to success. 

If you don't want to do it yourself, then consider hiring a freelance writer who offers blogging services because it is hard work.

As you develop your repertoire of blog posts, you will have more quality content to link to internally.

Internal linking on your website and to blog posts can improve your SEO success.

The more relevant links you have, the more likely it is you will rank better.

And, it makes for better site navigation and can lead to more traffic and leads.

Over time your ranking in search engines will improve and will also show your depth of knowledge, technical expertise and your uniqueness which will set you apart from your competitors.

Blogging is a cost-effective and straightforward way to get recognised in the Websphere and via social media.

Your blog posts add to your social media output. 

By promoting and linking to your most recent blog posts, you are defining your social media presence and appealing to new audiences.

If you are looking to build your brand, then set up your business blog.

It'll not only strengthen your position as an industry thought leader, but it is also a good foundation for your business marketing efforts.

For more information on how to get started with your business blog contact me via my Linkedin Profile.