I know there are naysayers out there who are not 100% convinced that blogging can help their business. Those folks may never have blogged yet still believe it is “just another business tactic” that will eat away at their time with little tangible return.
I’m hoping to change your mind, not just because I want you to hire WordsWorkCopywriting to write your blogs (well, maybe just a little!) but more because I know the influence blogging can have on growing a business.
Granted, blogging is not a stand-alone activity; you don’t write a blog and expect clients to immediately kick down your door. Just like with any marketing endeavor, blogging must be part of a carefully integrated program, and it takes time to see results. Patience is most definitely one of the keys to success.
Here are three things you should consider if you’re on the fence about whether or not to have a business blog:
1. These days pretty much every business has a website, and once the site is running the content largely stays the same. Sure there are companies that continually update various sections of their website, such as adding press releases, updating personnel, maintaining calendars of events, etc. But for the vast majority of small- and mid-sized companies, web content is static. The problem with allowing a website to remain unchanged is that search engines like new content! A blog prevents a site from languishing with old content; every time you post you are adding a new page for someone to land on, hence increasing the opportunity for your site to appear in web searches. With each blog post you will see greater traffic driving to your website. Pretty neat, huh?
2. A blog gives you fresh content to repurpose on the various social media platforms. If a post includes links to other individuals and companies with a strong social media following, you will find that your own readership can grow exponentially. You will undoubtedly gain visibility and recognition.
3. Blogs can help position you as a subject matter expert and brand you as an authority in your field. Forget about making a “hard sell” in your blog. While it’s okay to post special “offers” readers don’t want to feel as if you are using your platform solely to sell rather than inform and educate. A blog is the perfect platform to demonstrate your expertise in a certain area or industry. Readers will come back to your blog time and again, and consult the information you publish because they trust you as a source.
Blogging can play a vital role in your ongoing lead generation efforts. You may find that prospects who come to you as a result of reading your blog posts are often knowledgeable about your products and services and are further along in the sales
process. After all, by contacting you they have raised their hand and demonstrated interest. As a sales executive myself, I’d take prospects like that any day.