When some people think of blogs, they think of the negatives. They might see a company’s unloved and unused blog and wonder what the post is. The blogs are rarely updated, and even when they are, they are poorly written and read by no-one.
All they see is a lot of time and effort for no return. It shouldn’t be this way. When done properly, a blog can be the lifeblood of your business, driving the visits and leads that keep your business afloat. But you need to put the effort in. Here we’ll take a look at the reasons why a blog is not just worth it – it’s essential.
It brings people to your website
Blogging is one of the most reliable and cost-effective ways of driving traffic to your website. It allows you to bulk up the content, targeting your important keywords, while giving people a reason to visit your site.
Beyond the static pages of your site, you have free rein to write about almost any topic you like. Keep things focused, though, and concentrate on topics you think are most beneficial to your readers. If you’re a dry cleaner, articles like ‘The best way of removing oil from your clothes’, or ‘5 top detergent brands reviewed’ are likely to appeal to people looking to get the best results for their clothes.
The bulk of your site will be made of pages that won’t change much over time, whereas your blog will be updated regularly – giving people a reason to come back.
It drives leads and sales
A blog can greatly increase your conversion rate of visitors into leads and sales. Would you trust a website for a cattery that has one page saying they will look after your cat, or one with multiple pages on cat care, cat grooming, cat massage, the benefits of catnip, and so on? A well-managed blog can help convince your readers that you really know what you’re talking about and can be trusted to do the job well.
Chad Harwood-Jones, founder of content marketing agency WooContent, says: ‘We encourage all of our clients to start a blog, and we find the ones that do have a much better rate of conversion across the board.’
You’ve done the hard bit of getting someone to your website over the millions of others out there, so give yourself the best chance of turning that visit into cash.
It will keep driving results in the long term
Once you’ve written a blog post or created another piece of content to add to it, it will be there forever. Evergreen content is the name given to posts that keep on giving – instead of driving an initial boost of traffic then tailing off, they’ll keep bringing new visitors. It makes sense to keep adding to them with up-to-date information, turning ‘5 top tip’ lists into, 10, 30, 101 and more, to stay ahead of the competition.
By building up your blog posts over time, even if single posts are driving a few visits a week, this can quickly build up to a significant volume.
It helps to boost social media profiles
Content is what keeps your social media presence ticking over. Blogs give you something to share and use to engage with your followers. Do they agree with the points you make? Do they have anything else to add, or any experience themselves? By creating engaging content, you give people a reason to talk to you and a way of finding a new audience.
When you create quality content you open up a way of reaching new customers without having to spend big on advertising.
Get going today
You can debate all you want about whether to start a blog, but you’ll be losing ground to your competitors all the time. Start by focusing on what you’re most passionate about when it comes to your business and industry, and find the words soon start flowing. It’s likely that the people who are interested in your services will find it engaging, too.
The proof is there that, when done well, a good blog can supercharge your business performance.
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