Why Having a Blog is Good For Your Business
Blogs get a bad wrap these days - they are everywhere, sometimes have really spammy content, and being a "blogger" seems a little bit like a made up profession. I get it. But having a blog for your business can help in so many ways. The key is doing it well and doing it consistently! Like anything in business, quality and consistence are key to having a blog, growing a following, and generating more sales.
Blogs Set You Apart
Blog writing is a fun way of letting your potential or current customer to get to know you. You can add your own style and tone to what you write and let your personality shine. You may be writing about a topic that zillions of others on the internet have already tackled, but by putting your unique spin on things - by telling a personal story or adding cutesy writing - you can set yourself apart.
Blogs Help With SEO
There's a science behind search engines, and it all starts with SEO. Search Engine Optimization. One of the key components to ranking high in search is having great keyword density. In layman's terms this means by sprinkling a highly searched word throughout your website so when Google "crawls" it, it hits on the keyword time after time, meaning it's actually relevant to what someone searching that term wants to read about. For instance, notice how I use the word "blog" in my headings, title and throughout the body of this very post... well, it's because my keyword is "blog" so I'm being tactical in my writing!
Blogs Keep You Current and Relevant
Having and keeping up with a blog can allow you to stay current with news or trends in your industry. It gives you a voice in the content marketing world we live in. By having a platform to publish your opinions or experience with certain topics, you allow engagement with your audience and position yourself as an expert. Publishing consistently also helps with your SEO!
Blogs Help Educate
I can't tell you how many blog posts I've written in my career that actually taught me something! Doing the research for blog posts in like any other form of writing! You want to give the facts and cite the sources. In addition, your industry may be one that needs some explanation to consumers. For example, my dad owns a business where he designs and sells monuments. Yep, the ones that go in cemeteries. At first thought, this might seem a little strange to you, but there is so much cool stuff that goes on behind the scenes that you wouldn't know about! I've written blog posts about how headstones are made and it continues to be one of the most popular posts I've ever written!
Blogs Position You As the Expert
People search the internet for knowledge. Your blog can give your customer base that knowledge. You are the subject matter expert in your field, and you probably know more than you think you do about what you do to make a living. Share that knowledge! Being an expert doesn't mean having years and years of experience, it just means having experience! Share your stories, your opinions, your experience. This will help you gain trust with your customers and position you as an expert in that field.