In today’s climate of short, real-time social posting, running a blog remains a vital tool for businesses. Though blogging may cost you more in time and effort than uploading a vine or tweeting your brand’s latest release, regular business blogging is still a relatively easy, inexpensive way to boost your brand’s inbound marketing efforts, generate website traffic and convert more prospective customers.
Here are some of the top reasons why running a business blog is so important.
Blogging helps drive traffic to your business website
When you blog, you are essentially creating brand-relevant content for your potential and existing customers to read. As each written blog post creates yet another indexed page on your website, the more you blog, the more opportunities your brand has to show up in search engine results and social media links that drive traffic back to your business website. Blog post links (with exciting teasers and visuals, of course) therefore give web surfers and social followers a reason to click through to your main website and specific landing pages.
Blogging boosts search engine optimization
As mentioned above, each time you blog, you increase the likelihood of your brand being viewed on search engine and social media searches. This means that blogging increases your SEO – your search engine optimization. Great blogs include relevant SEO keywords of interest to your target audience, so they can easily find your blog – and website, when seeking a particular product or service. In short, the more you blog, the more you’re seen. And the more you’re seen, the more chances you have to connect, convert and conquer your brand’s industry, one customer at a time.
Blogging helps develop relationships with new and existing customers
Blogging is a more casual, friendly way for your business to connect with your target audience and turn traffic into engaged leads. Beyond the inviting, informative nature of the blog itself you can develop customer-brand relationships by asking and answering visitor questions and comments, and reeling new prospects in by ending each post with a lead-generating call-to-action (CTA). That way, your audience will grow to trust and become invested in your brand and offering, so you can hand them over to your sales team for the close.
Blogging helps position your brand as an industry leader
Well-written blogs on common questions or issues within your industry establish your brand’s authority and position the business as an industry leader that knows its stuff and isn’t afraid to say so! Regardless of your company’s size, providing valuable or expert information in the form of blog posts shows your target audience that you are credible and can be trusted. This can directly lead to increased interest in your brand’s products or services and subsequent conversions.