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These days, it seems like everyone has a blog site. In fact, WordPress blogs alone are read by over 400 million people every month, with users creating over 80 million new posts, 44 million comments and 23 billion page views each and every month.
But despite that, many old-school businessmen question whether they should bother with blogging in the first place. They think that it isn’t for them or that their potential customers have no interest in reading what they have to say.
This is particularly common in more traditional businesses, but the truth is that creating content can work for anyone, no matter what they do.
Still, it’s often difficult to get the boss to agree to it, which is why it helps if you explain the benefits of blogging before you seek permission. Here are just a few of the best reasons why small businesses should start blogging.
I write for six years, so I can share my own experience. I created main points to write about. You may check one of my last Edubirdie review.
- It helps you to think in new ways
One of the main reasons why blogging is a good idea is that it forces you to stop and think about your business and your industry. It’ll also encourage you to browse other sites to see what’s newsworthy, making sure that you stay ahead of the curve.
This is equally as important for sole traders as it is for big businesses. If you’re an accountant, for example, then your blog could well be the difference between someone choosing you and choosing a competitor.
On top of that, blogging also prompts you to focus on what you want to achieve with your business. There’s no point blogging for the sake of blogging, and you’ll want to make sure that whatever you’re writing about is a good fit with what you stand for as a whole. If you run a toy shop and you’re big on educational games, for example, then you might want to blog about the best games on the market for different ages and subject matters.
- It’s great for marketing
Blogging is one of the best things you can do to support SEO efforts. That’s because search engines love fresh, original content, and because it creates more pages that can be indexed in their results.
In fact, 72% of online marketers say that content creation is their most effective SEO tactic, and 60% of businesses who blog acquire more customers than those who don’t.
Better still, while your blog will form the basis of your content marketing strategy, helping you to increase website traffic and sales, there’s no need to be a professional writer or designer. One my good friend, a writer, goes so far as to say that “spelling and grammar mistakes can even make you seem more human,” although he adds that they should never be deliberately added for the sake of it.
- It gives you a voice
Companies who launch a blog are able to comment on the industry they’re in, effectively becoming active participants instead of casual observers. It also allows them to build up a buzz around their products and services, boosting sales by positioning them as knowledgeable, personal and approachable.
This is where smaller businesses have an advantage over big multinationals. One of the benefits of buying from a small business is that employees remember your name and tailor their services based on what they know you like.
When small businesses start blogging, it’s important for them to let their personality shine through in what they’re writing.
- It allows you to share your expertise
If you’re knowledgeable in your field then running a blog can be a great way of proving it to other people. Customers love to buy from people who know their stuff, and that’s true whether you’re selling goods or services.
Another option is to break into guest blogging by approaching relevant sites and offering to write for them. This has a number of benefits, but the main one is that it connects you with a ready audience and saves you the hassle of having to build one, simultaneously giving your business free PR from a credible source.
- It creates a two-way conversation
Blogs are like social networking sites in that they allow customers to have a conversation with the businesses that they’re buying from. When you start blogging, you have a golden opportunity to talk about the issues that your customers are interested in, and you can invite them to share a comment of their own.
This can even be harnessed and put to good use elsewhere in your company.
For example, if customers tell you that they want a certain kind of product then you can start to stock it. Your customers are also likely to suggest potential improvements, and you can dig into your blog site’s analytics to get a good idea of what topics they’re interested in.
What’s next?
It doesn’t have to be difficult to start blogging. In fact, it only takes a couple of minutes to create a WordPress blog, and many websites now come with blogging functionality built into their back end. This means that you can often just log into your site and get started.
That’s usually the best way for businesses to start blogging, and while a little strategy is always a good idea, it’s better to push ahead than to be paralysed by indecision. Try it sometime – you might be surprised at how much you enjoy it. And how much your customers enjoy it, too!
Need some help developing your strategy? Check out our SEO blog writing services or schedule a free consultation to see how we can help your blog!
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