4 Reasons your business needs a blog – A business blog helps you build brand awareness, connect with customers, boost visibility and build an email list
Why does your business needs a blog?
Do you have a blog on your small business website? If you don’t, you could be missing out on a great way to increase your site traffic and boost your sales.
But, you may be doubtful about your ROI in starting a blog for your business.
So, before you reject the idea, here are a few blogging trends to consider:
Firstly, a study conducted by Mastercard revealed that:
68% of South African consumers are shopping more online since the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic. (Source)
Secondly, this article states that in the U.S.
- More than 50% of blog readers are online shoppers.
- 61% of U.S. online shoppers gain more confidence about making a purchase based on recommendations they read in blogs. . (Source)
South African consumers are sure to follow suit. So why not embrace this exciting trend and start a blog for your business? Creating a blog that posts helpful content has the potential to radically increase your visibility online and ultimately improve your turnover.
Business blog examples
If you’re wondering about the how and why of business blogging, here is a brilliant example for you to study.
The Rawson Property Group
Known for their success nationally in the property market, this company also has a blog on its business website. It features the usual resources relating to this niche.
But the blog also has lifestyle articles that are bound to spark reader interest. Here are a few blog posts to check out:
These simple and helpful articles promote a positive image of the business. Readers see this company as one that seeks to enrich their lives whether they buy from Rawson or not.
These thoughtful blog posts promote the view that this is not a money hungry company but an ethical one. So, if and when they’re in the market for property, they’re very likely to use this company.
Reasons your business needs a blog
Starting a blog for your business helps you as a business owner to:
Build awareness of your brand
Awareness of your brand is the key to a successful business. No matter how well designed your company web site is, you will not make any sales and your business will fail if no one visits it. That’s why you need to start a blog that offers helpful content which lures readers to your website.
Have you ever seen bees buzzing around a flower? Think of your business blog as nectar attracting bees.
Craft a content strategy that features articles that motivate readers to improve their lives in some way.Then share the links on your social media channels. The effect will be readers flocking to your business website like bees to a honeypot.
And there you have it. Your blog has given your business website greater visibility and you now have the opportunity to turn readers into customers.
Connect with your customers
A blog allows you a unique opportunity to connect with your customers. They get to ‘see’ the face behind the business and learn about the ‘WHY’ that birthed your company.
A smart content strategy encourages reader feedback. Craft blog posts that address your ideal customer’s pain points. This will make them engage via comments, questions and suggestions on how your product or service can be improved.
You can even survey your readers about your service and products. Ask them to share their personal experiences with your products.
Such feedback is invaluable as you can now plan your marketing and promotion with the customer in mind.
Boost your business visibility online
The last thing you want is for your well – designed business web site to be a ghost town.
A brilliant way to avoid this is to use SEO to attract the billions of people who are online. A great resource is this post which gives you the inside scoop on all you need to know about SEO for your small business.
A point to note is that SEO will not bring your business an increase in traffic overnight. But, once your SEO efforts kick in, you get consistent organic traffic that may last for years.
Build an email list
An email list is like a list that keeps on giving leads to your business.
Email marketing is a powerful way to promote your brand, build customer loyalty and make sales. Want to know how to build an engaged list of subscribers? Here’s a resource loaded with helpful tips to get started.
Starting a weekly or monthly newsletter gives you the chance to connect with your subscribers.. You can get up close and personal with then by giving them a ‘ behind the scenes view’ of your business. Sharing your WHY about your company boosts the like, know and trust factor with your subscribers.
Your newsletter is like a business card. Send an email blast to your subscribers with links to your latest published posts. Add social share buttons to your newsletter to encourage your subscribers to share your blog content on their social platforms. This is also a positive way to increase your online presence for your business.
Of course, each article ought to feature a snippet about one of your products or services to turn readers into customers. You can sweeten things with subscriber only discounts when new products are launched. Another way to generate more leads is to offer special monthly or holiday sales to your list.
Conclusion
So, there you have it. 4 compelling reasons to start a blog for your small business.