A company blog can drive business to your website and attract new clients
To blog or not to blog, that is the question. As a business leader, you may wonder what the point of having a blog is. Is it really worth all the time and effort? In a world filled with digital influences, does anyone really read all of the stuff written in a typical blog?
Yes, they do!! In fact, a recent HubSpot study shows that businesses who prioritize blogging are 13 times more likely to see a positive return on investment when it comes to their marketing efforts. Furthermore:
- B2B companies with blogs get 67 more leads than those without.
- 61 of US consumers have made a purchase based on a blog post.
- 37 of marketers find that blogs are the most important method of content marketing.
Business leaders who want to grow their companies and increase conversion rates have come to rely on blogging as an essential marketing tool. Blogging—when done correctly—is a relatively easy, inexpensive way to drive traffic to your website, establish you as an authority in your industry, attract new clients and increase sales.
Benefits of having a blog
According to Forbes Council Member James Parsons, “…blogging is of critical importance for a modern business, whether online or brick-and-mortar.” Parsons cites the following benefits:
- Blogging drives traffic
- Blogging builds authority and trust
- Blogging gives you social media content
- Blogging builds individual thought leadership
- Blogging opens up networking opportunities
“From an SEO standpoint, having a blog can dramatically increase your company’s visibility online because Google sees it as new content,” explains, Lori Piencykoski, Digital Marketing Specialist, Marketing Direction. “Blogging gets your site listed in search results, which is a great way for people who have never heard of your brand to find your site.”
When you highlight the products and services you provide, you are positioning yourself as an industry expert. Posting articles that resonate with your audience and showcasing your knowledge go a long way toward establishing a relationship of trust. Simply having a blog illustrates the effort you’re putting into your business, which signifies trustworthiness.
Blogging can also help build your email database. In Marketing Direction’s April newsletter, we talked about how email marketing is still a powerhouse among the many forms of marketing available today. However, getting people to sign up for your newsletter isn’t always that easy. A blog can help with subscriptions, as long as you’re providing informative, relevant and engaging content.
Tips to successful blogging
“Provide them with content they want to see, and they’ll find it when they go looking,” says Parsons. While there’s no fixed formula to creating the perfect blog post, there are some things to keep in mind.
Write for your clients. Remember, the purpose of your blog is to engage, connect and ultimately inspire a purchase. The content should aim to either solve a problem or provide fresh insights relevant to your industry.
“Posts that help visitors solve problems or include tips to make something in their life easier or better are far more interesting to potential leads than in-your-face ads,” states a small business blog published by OpenVine. “Of course, your products or services will be part of the solutions you provide in your posts, but in a subtle, helpful way.” Be sure to avoid self-promotion and outright sales pitches.
“Write a blog about answering the questions asked most frequently by your existing clients,” suggests Lori. “You’re establishing yourself as an industry expert so advise readers with valuable information from which they can benefit.” For example, if you’re a CPA firm, explain what changes in tax law are going to affect their taxes next year.
Write compelling titles and catchy subheads. Don’t’ be afraid to get creative with your titles in order to get attention. That being said, titles should be a description of what your content is about. Make sure that when a user finds your link on Google search and clicks on it, it delivers exactly what it says it does.
“Above all else, do not resort to clickbait tactics,” Lori emphasizes.
Write how you normally speak. Blogs are meant to be informal and conversational. Use layman’s terms instead of lingo that requires the use of a dictionary. “If you must use a technical term,” says Lori, “include a link to the definition if you feel it might be too ambiguous for general readers.”
Write for SEO. Fresh and relevant blog content provides a multitude of benefits. “Blogging is good for SEO because it helps with a number of things that are important ranking factors,” according to HostGator. “When you have a blog that’s updated regularly with blog posts that are high quality and on topics relevant to your audience, it can make a huge difference to how your overall website performs in search engines.”
Lori adds that blog posts should be broken down into sections with subheadings and one or two paragraphs under each. Include at least one photo and/or video in order to break up the text. “Be sure to embed videos through YouTube or Vimeo, never auto play,” advises Lori. Why?
Aim for a frequency you can maintain. Opinions vary on the ideal frequency of blog posts. Lori says her clients post once or twice a month on average. The key is to be consistent so aim for a frequency you’re sure you can maintain. Search engines like fresh content and the more frequently you update your blog (and simultaneously, your website) the more likely your website will climb up search engine rankings and gain greater visibility.
If you blog it, they will come
The beauty of a blog is that it compounds over time. “A blog might not have much return on investment in the first year, but by the third, it might be responsible for more than half of your sales,” Parsons says.
HubSpot reports that more than three-quarters of their blog views are from older posts. Although it’s important to create new posts, older posts can remain relevant to your readers for a long time. And, as long as they continue to bring in a reasonable amount of organic traffic, old blog posts can be easily updated to suit current campaigns.
Starting a blog requires preparation and planning, and maintaining one is a bit of work, but it can be a highly effective marketing platform. “As long as you can speak the English language, you can write a blog,” states Lori. “Make sure you know what you’re writing about, check your facts and write for your target audience.”
