Everyone keeps telling you that your small business should have a blog to engage with customers and increase online visibility, and a small piece of you knows they're right! But for one reason or another, you're still on the fence. Why?
Do you think blogging is a passing fad?
Does the thought scare you?
Are you worried you won't have time or resources to write it?
I can totally see how these are legitimate thoughts running through a small-business owner's mind. I will get to that last concern (lack of time and resources) later in this post, but let me first say that blogging is fun! It's a valuable tool that's not going away anytime soon and, when done right, the benefits are immeasurable.
If you're a business owner, it's time to overcome the aforementioned hangups and jump on the bandwagon. Here are 14 reasons why your small business needs a blog:
1. They give your business a voice – It's important to have a clear and authentic voice to communicate with new and existing clients. Blogs not only do that, but they help you stand out in the crowd. Let your personality shine, foster relationships, and share company news, trends, and tips that matter.
2. You become the authority – Over time, a consistent blogging strategy where you regularly churn out relevant and engaging content makes you a trusted, go-to source in the eyes of customer's searching online. They'll be more apt to buy from you, too.
3. They give your website oomph – Congrats on your amazing website, but if you're not continually updating it with value-added content and keywords clients search for, what's the point? Blogging is an effective way to improve search engine rankings.
4. Converting visitors into customers – To piggyback off No. 3 on this list, the more oomph your website has, the more traffic you will have on it. And the more traffic you have, the more likely those visitors will become customers. See how that works?
5. A blog keeps visitors on your website longer – The more reasons a potential customer has to stick around and explore your website, the better.
6. Blogs are FREE – In an age where we are all paying money to market and advertise our businesses, this is a do-it-yourself project that works. If you don't have the time or resources, and you don't mind paying, see the end of this article.
7. Connect with customers – I alluded to this already, but it cannot be overstated. As a small-business owner, you want to build relationships with people. You want them to share your posts, comment, give "Likes," and feel like they know you. It's a two-way conversation, folks.
8. You gain a competitive advantage – Talk about standing out. There are plenty of businesses out there, many are even in the same industry as you, that don't have a blog. That's even more of a reason for you to have one.
9. Customers expect it – People search for services, products, and information every second of every day. They expect to find what they're looking for, so give it to them.
10. Brand recognition – The more engaging your posts are, the more powerful that content becomes in the overall process of growing brand awareness. Customers who see a brand they recognize and trust are loyal for years to come.
11. More social shares – Whether it's Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or another social media platform of choice, blogs are great for sharing. This gives them a longer and healthier shelf life while opening the door for you to reach a larger audience with each share.
12. More insight into customers – As you continue to post, you learn more about your customers: what they like, don't like, are more apt to comment on and share, etc. Having insight into what your customers truly want and need is critical to long-term success.
13. A blog keeps you thinking – Blogging requires time and discipline, and it also keeps you thinking of different ways to engage with your customers. When you are constantly thinking of better ways to do things, that leads to a more intentional business strategy.
14. The content can be repurposed – Think outside the box. Blog content can be repurposed and used for things like newsletters, targeted email blasts, press releases, advertorials, a newspaper or magazine article, a book, and even other blogs.
Call Edit This® in Denton, TX for help with your next blog
If you haven't pulled the trigger on starting a blog for your small business because you're worried about not having the time or resources to do it on your own, call Edit This.
We are a writing & editing services company, and we pride ourselves on helping business owners just like yourself who may not have the time to add one more task to the to-do list. We bring your posts to life, whether we write them for you or take what you've crafted and spice it up to make sure it's clear, engaging, and error-free.
The best part is we bring to the table more than 20 years of award-winning writing and editing experience, and we are local. That means we can meet with you in person and learn everything about what you do and why you do it.
Thanks for reading!
*STEVE GAMEL is the President & Owner of Edit This, LLC, a writing and editing services company located in Denton, TX. Steve handles anything involving the written word. Give him a call today to help give your business a clear voice.