If you own a business, you are probably trying to do all the things. Everywhere you turn in business training or conferences, you hear about what your business must have to succeed in today’s online marketplace from an incredible website that converts, consistent social media updates and interaction, to authentic, ongoing client engagement and blogs. While all of these things are good, why is blogging important?
The Dreaded Business Blog
If you are like many business owners, you think “blog” is very much a four-letter word. It probably makes you think of all the things you are supposed to be doing for your business. The thought of blogging brings fears of staring at a blank screen that needs a certain number of words and photos, perfectly optimized for search rankings.
You likely started with magnificent goals of producing four blogs each month. Has that quickly dwindled to three and then two and then one blog? Or have you just given up on it altogether? If so, you are not alone. The overwhelming majority of our ALYKY clients have done just that. They feel obligated to have a blog because they know it is vital for their success. But they also feel overwhelmed by the thought of doing it.
Does that describe you? Reach out to the team at ALYKY for all your blogging needs. We can quickly and seamlessly take this weight off your shoulders.
Why Is Blogging Important for Business Success?
‘Why is blogging important” is the million dollar question. Especially when it comes to business. Very few business owners start a company so they can sit and write about it for the perusal of search engines like Google, or Yahoo, or Bing. They started their business because they have an incredible service or product that the world needs. Creating that product or service is what they want to spend their time on, not writing blog posts.
But the fact remains that blogging is critical to business success. Essential, vital, crucial – any synonym for “important” that you want to use. You need a blog.
The statistics are crystal clear when it comes to the link between blogging and the success that companies enjoy.
Businesses with a blog receive 55% more traffic to their sites than those who bypass this piece of marketing. You simply can’t afford to skip this website component.
We could list dozens of reasons that your business needs a blog. But we’ll keep it simple by offering just six. (PRO TIP: Readers love titles that promise a numbered list!)
1. Blogs Give You Wicked Good SEO
Truthfully, great SEO could be reasons one through five on this list, and that wouldn’t be an overstatement. Blogs have one primary purpose: to get your website as high as possible on the first search engine results page (SERP).
What is SEO? This phrase seems to be everywhere when it comes to digital marketing, and for a good reason. It stands for search engine optimization, which is precisely what it sounds like. Content with strong SEO will optimize your website to rank well in search engine results.
If you are wondering why this is so important, when is the last time you did an internet search and kept scrolling to the second page of results? Or even to the bottom of the first page? Never? Ok then. That is why SEO matters.
Robust SEO will make your website rank well. And having a blog is one of the best ways to achieve this. High-quality content on your blog page has the power to send your rankings, site traffic, and lead generation through the roof. That fact alone should make it clear that you need a blog. But wait. There’s more!
2. Blogs Help You Connect with Your Clients
In spite of how it may appear in our increasingly online world, people still yearn for personal connections. How can you connect with a customer or client that you may never meet in person? Your blog is an excellent starting point.
Although you surely have a stellar “About Us” page, that may not be enough to draw potential clients to you. A blog is a powerful platform for sharing extensive information about you and your business.
No, you do not have to go full Brene Brown in the vulnerability department here. You can connect and be authentic without revealing everything about you or your company. Use your blogs to delve deeper into what makes you tick and what sets your business apart.
Your blog is the perfect place to showcase your tone, brand, and personality, so that website visitors and potential customers feel that they know you. The more they can connect with you as a person or a business, the more likely they are to move forward with a purchase.
3. Blogs Show Your Expertise
Prospective clients not only want to know more about you, but they also want reassurance that they can trust you. Enter your blog.
This tool can single-handedly set you up as a trusted expert in your field. Blogs allow you to delve into endless topics that pertain to your products or your industry. Ideally, coming in at a length of 1200 words or more, blog posts give you time to develop ideas, provide links to research, and show that you know what you are doing.
In addition to proving your expert status to your website visitors, blogs help establish your expertise in search engines. The infamous Google E-A-T algorithm addresses this in that first initial. The “E” stands for expertise, and it is what Google wants to see on your site to rank you well.
Utilize your blog to showcase your knowledge in your field or industry. You will assure Google that you know what you are talking about, and you will prove it to potential customers as well.
4. Blogs Help Streamline Your Social Media Campaigns
When it comes to your digital marketing campaigns, there is no reason to reinvent the wheel. Once you have excellent content for your blog, you will be able to leverage it in other areas.
- Pull stats or quotes from your blog to use on Facebook or Instagram posts.
- Share your blog on your LinkedIn page.
- Summarize and condense a blog post into an email or e-newsletter.
Consistent engagement on social media platforms is a critical component of online marketing. But finding the time to keep up with all of the different areas can be a full-time job on its own. Simplify your workload by creating the blog post content one time and then use it in other ways as needed for your brand and business. Just another answer to the age old question, “why is blogging important.”
5. Blogs Generate Leads
So why is blogging important, again? Another reason is as you build consistent content through your blogs, highlighting your brand, personality, and expertise, you will attract relevant, high-quality leads. The nature of blogs allows for in-depth information and analysis, targeted to draw in your ideal clients.
Be sure to make good use of one or more calls to action in each blog post. This will help you gain excellent leads that are looking for just what you have to offer. What is a call to action? Glad you asked. It is pretty straightforward, actually. A call to action is the part of your blog where you encourage the reader to take the next step. It generally sounds something like this:
- Reach out today.
- Give us a call to schedule your consultation.
- Sign up for our email list.
- Click here for your free guide.
Incorporating a call to action gives your blog superpowers. Companies that invest in a blog generate 67% more leads than do businesses without one.
You may have the most amazing service or product ever created, but if you can’t connect to buyers, what’s the point? Harness the power of a blog and make it work for your business, long after you put pen to paper. Or finger to keyboard. Well-crafted blog articles can continue to rank high for months or even years after publication. That is a fantastic return on investment.
6. Blogs Make You Authoritative and Trustworthy
We mentioned the “E” in the Google E-A-T algorithm. But what about the other two letters? They stand for authoritativeness and trustworthiness. Search engines want proof that you are worth a high ranking on the results page. They want to trust that you will provide quality answers to their users’ questions.
One way you can prove your worthiness to Google is by building backlinks to your website. Backlinks occur when other businesses or experts link back to your site in their content. For example, let’s pretend that you sell a fantastic new kind of kitty litter. And, of course, you write blog posts about how great your kitty litter is. If a veterinarian finds your article and links back to it from their site, that is a backlink.
Search engines quickly see you as a trustworthy authority once these backlinks begin to build. Without focused, SEO-friendly blog posts, the vet wouldn’t have found you in the first place. Blogs are the key to your digital marketing life.
Yeah, But How Do I Start?
This question might be the most frequently asked in business. Certainly, when it comes to online marketing and blog writing. Luckily, the answer is so simple.
How do you start your blog? You hire ALYKY.
Our expert team of content strategists and writers will oversee every detail, so you don’t have to worry about a thing.
Call today to get started. You won’t believe how good it feels to hand off this chore to a bunch of geeks who really love words.
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