In 2022, if your business isn’t actively posting new blogs, you will be at a disadvantage. Believe it or not, blogs are still an important marketing tool – and they’re not going away any time soon.
There’s no doubt that communication is key when it comes to business. To succeed, you need to be able to relay your message to your audience in a clear and concise way. And did you know that blogging can help with that?
A good blog can act as a tool for strengthening relationships with customers, reaching new audiences, and sharing your company’s story.
In this post, we’ll explain why your business should have a blog and give you some tips on getting started. So read on and learn more!
1. Establish Authority
Blogging is a great way to establish your authority in the industry. Your prospective customers are searching for the answers to their questions, and when they come to you as an expert, they’ll be more likely to choose you over your competitors.
Imagine this: you’re wondering whether your cold email campaign results are good enough. You search online for cold email statistics, and you end up on this blog about cold email stats. Reading this will increase your trust in the ColdList brand and their tooling – because these guys know what they’re talking about.
If you can build up enough trust with your audience, they’ll also be more receptive when it comes time to introduce them to your products or services. This helps you win new customers and build long-lasting relationships with them.
2. Reach a Wider Audience
When you write a blog, you can reach a wider audience by making it easy for your current customers to share what you’ve written. Add social media sharing buttons to your website so that people can quickly post your content to their profiles or allow readers to sign up for email updates when new posts are published so that they never miss an update from you. With this approach, your blogs can connect with potential customers as well as keep in touch with the ones you already have.
However, note that your content will only be shared if it’s high-quality and is packed with value to the reader. So don’t just write a text stuffed with keywords and pray you’ll end up high in Google – no, take the time to research and to think about what value you can provide to the reader.
If you’re not sure what kind of blogs provide value to your audience, you can check out these creative blog posts ideas for some extra information.
3. Educate and Engage an Audience
Creating content allows you to educate and engage your audience, arguably the most important part of marketing. People will only buy from someone they trust, so if your primary goal is to make sales, you need customers to trust your brand.
A blog helps build that trust because it can provide value without asking for anything in return. It’s a way to show potential customers who you are and why they should buy from you.
Informational, educational blog posts like this one help people understand what you sell and how it can help them.
By providing value through education, the customer feels like they’re getting something worthwhile without having to make a purchase right away.
Later, when they do decide to buy, they’ll be more inclined to choose your brand over a competitor’s because of the relationship you’ve built with them (via the informational value of your blog).
4. Drive Traffic to Your Website
Remember, every post you write is another indexed page on your site, which means more opportunities – and more ways – for people to find you. A blog gives you the opportunity to include keywords on your website that help Google index your pages, which means it will be easier for people to find you online.
Use keywords throughout your blog post – but don’t go overboard, or you’ll end up getting penalized by Google. Use them thoughtfully and sparingly, and make sure they’re always relevant to the topic at hand.
By using the right keywords in your blog, you’ll help guide potential customers toward your website. Think of it like someone who is lost in the woods. They are looking for a way out using their keywords and you can grab their hand and guide them to a solution.
Writing a blog is a great way to share this solution in an easily digestible package.
This is especially true for businesses that provide services or products that require some education before customers feel comfortable buying them (e.g., if you sell lawnmowers, it’s probably useful for shoppers to read up on the differences between gas and electric models).
But even if your business doesn’t have this kind of barrier to entry, blogging is still a great way to drive traffic back to your website. The more insights and information you can share with potential customers, the better informed they’ll be when making decisions about where they shop.
In other words: More traffic = more leads = more sales!
5. Attract Qualified Leads
Once you’ve built up a loyal readership, it’s time to monetize your content.
You can best do this in 2 ways:
1. Incorporate your product or service in your blog content
When it comes to product or service placement, subtlety is key. If you blatantly advertise your product or service in every post, readers will quickly tune out and lose interest. However, if you subtly weave it into your content in a way that provides value to the reader, they’ll be more likely to stick around.
Take for example a look at this blog by Ahrefs. They provide a valuable guide on how to get started with technical SEO. In their guide, they don’t even mention their product until chapter 4. And as you can see in the picture below, when they do mention it, it’s subtle and it doesn’t distract from the valuable content.
2. Create some sort of lead magnet
Once you’ve established authority on a topic, you can create a lead magnet. This could be a guide, an ebook, or even a webinar for people who want to learn more about the topic. For example, if you were marketing for an accounting firm, you could offer a free webinar on how to manage your finances better.
Here are the steps for creating an effective lead magnet:
- Decide what format makes the most sense for your audience (e-book, webinar, etc.)
- Choose your topic based on what will help solve your target customer’s biggest pain points
- Create content that is easy to understand and offers valuable advice at each step of the way (not just random tips)
- Include a call-to-action at the end of every piece of content, regardless of whether it’s on social media or in your blog posts. Make sure they’re clear and concise so that your audience knows exactly what action they should take next.
6. Grow Your Email List
If people find that your blog posts are helpful, interesting and engaging, they are more likely to trust your email newsletters as well. The perfect chance for you to grow your email list!
Email marketing is one of the most efficient and effective ways to reach your target audience. It allows you to stay in touch with your readers and keep them updated on what’s new with your business – all while building a stronger relationship with them.
End your blog with a sign-up to your e-mail list. Include something like “If you enjoyed this post and want to receive more like it straight to your inbox, enter your email here!”
Make sure to also include a link to your sign-up form in your menu bar or sidebar. The easier you make it for people to find, the better!
7. Repurpose Your Content for Other Channels and Get More Social Exposure
Once you’ve created valuable content for your blog, it’s easy to repurpose it for other channels. For example, if you write a blog post about the best way to prepare for a job interview, you can turn that into a social media graphic, an email newsletter, or even a video.
The key is to make sure that the content you create is evergreen – meaning it will still be relevant and useful even months or years down the road. That way, you can continue to get mileage out of your content without having to constantly create new things from scratch.
If you’re interested in learning more – we’ve created a guide on how to repurpose your content.
8. Show Off Your Personality
Your blog is an opportunity for you to share your opinions, ideas, and thoughts with the world. It’s a chance for people to get to know the person behind the business.
Use your blog as a platform to show off your talent, share your story and give people a glimpse into your life and what you’re passionate about.
This aspect is especially important when you’re doing B2B sales. People want to do business with other people, not faceless companies. By sharing your personality on your blog, you’re more likely to build trust and relationships with potential customers.
9. Increase Brand Awareness and Recognition
A business blog is a great platform to increase brand awareness and recognition. By providing valuable content on a regular basis, you can attract new readers and followers who may not have heard of your business before.
As your blog grows, so will your reach and influence. You’ll be able to connect with more people and expand your brand’s reach.
10. It’s Not as Hard as You Think
If you’re still on the fence about starting a business blog, I’m here to tell you that it’s not as hard as you think. Sure, it takes time and effort to produce quality content, but it’s worth it in the long run.
Blogging is a great way to connect with your audience, build trust, and increase sales. So if you’re not doing it already, I encourage you to start a business blog today. It just might be the best decision you ever make for your business.
If you need help getting started, there are plenty of resources out there to help you. There are also many companies that offer blogging services if you want to outsource the work.
At Content Jungle, we can also help you take care of your blog from A to Z. Feel free to get in touch via carolina@gocontentjungle.com or book a free chat.
