A business blog may just be what you need to get you to the top of the marketing pile.
Blogging has now been integrated into the corporate landscape, and has become an accepted method of communicating with customers and employees.
Blogs generally rank higher on search engines, and are therefore a very efficient internet marketing tool. This article looks at some of the facts to consider when choosing a business blog.
Things to Consider
Be sure to select a blog name that will stand out, because you want people to remember your blog when they have to do business. But make sure to also choose a name that aptly represents your brand.
This will make it easier for your target audience to find you when they need to.
Also, make sure the blog has quality content that will encourage visitors to stay. They should also be encouraged to visit links you may have to products/services.
When choosing a business blog there are several factors to consider. One of the first of these is choosing the blogging platform.
You want to choose a platform that is flexible enough to allow your business to grow in cyberspace. When selecting a blogging platform ask yourself these questions:
Is it easy to use?
Does it have flexible theme options and features?
Does it offer opportunities for monetization?
Choose a Platform
Selecting the wrong platform can lead to a lot of frustration, and get in the way of your success, so be sure to choose the platform that is best suited to the needs of your business.
Two of the most popular blogging platforms are WordPress, and Medium.
Publish Fast
If you don’t have a lot of time to spend on e-marketing, then blogs are convenient, because they allow you to get things done a lot faster. It takes less time to update content, or roll out new promotions and marketing strategies.
Blogs also make it easier to interact with users. It is an interactive tool that allows you to build trust with your readers.
Be sure to provide technical information where possible, as this will boost your credibility on the web, and also help to generate more web traffic.
If you are creating your blog to appeal to a particular niche market, then there are niche blog directories that you can submit your blog to.
Spread the Word
These directories will enable you to increase traffic to your blog, so you can expect more visitors to come your way when you make a submission.
A business blog can do a lot for your business, just remember to remain customer-focused in outlook, as you seek to improve web traffic and grow your business.
Many small business owners start a blog as a marketing tool, but still underestimate the benefits it offers their company. Indeed, some owners only focus on their blog as a publicity tool and wonder why their business is not growing as much as they expected.
Let’s look at four of the most important, often unexpected benefits that a company blog provides.
1. Search Engine Optimization
The search engines love sites that update frequently with new content. Consequently, running a business blog with regular posts helps improve your site’s search engine rankings.
Given that it is easier to update a blog than it is to adjust a static website, you’re also getting better rankings in return for less effort.
Even better, if you allow a group of staff members to publish articles, rather than relying on a single person, you can generate fresh content much quicker.
2. Build Relationships
Used properly, blogging allows you to build a relationship with your readers, rather than just working as a glorified press release system.
The interactive nature of blogging encourages comments and feedback from visitors, which you can use to your advantage.
Don’t just post sales pitches!
Building relationships is a multi-step process, which starts with posting content that your readers will respond to, so that they visit often to take part in the debate. This encourages them to subscribe to your blog.
Once they’re subscribed, people are often more willing to provide extra personal information, give feedback, and be included on mailing lists.
This generates valuable information for your business providing insight into what your customers think about your company.
It can also generate new ideas for products and services. Basically, your blog can act as a free market research tool.
3. Build a Reputation
By providing quality content relevant to your field, you can build a reputation as an expert.
Over time, your customers and blog visitors will begin to consider you the go-to person for their issues. This gives your business an important benefit over the competition.
Reputation is an incredible competitive advantage, especially for small businesses that must stand against established companies in their industry.
A reputation as an authority generates word of mouth references – and every good businessman knows that word of mouth is the holy grail of advertising.
The price of reputation is twofold. First, you must make sure that your blog posts contain only useful information to demonstrate your knowledge, with a creative bent to attract readers. Second, it takes time to build a good reputation, so plan for the long haul.
4. In-depth reviews
Blogging can also be useful when it comes to providing in-depth reviews of your products and services.
This is very useful for educating customers about what you offer, explaining how to use your products and services, and offering tips and tricks. But you can also use your blog to respond to customer comments and complaints. Show them that you listen to their issues and take action to improve.
This is really an extension of the most common purpose of a business blog, which is as a marketing outlet.
Given that blogs also allow you to upload photos and videos, you can provide useful, interesting, responsive content at the same time as pre-selling your products and services. This can help dramatically improve conversion rates.
Blogging is more than just a way to announce company news, new products and special deals. It can also help position your site better on the search engines, build a community of loyal customers and even reach out to educate your visitors.
The important thing is to plan your blogging strategy as you do every other marketing option, and make sure that you only publish high-quality content that is useful to your target audience.
