With the rise of social media, there have been dire predictions of the demise of business blogs. Not true. Today, business blogs can bring more benefits to you and your business than ever before. Here are just a few:
Organic Search Rankings
Business blogs first gained popularity because of their ability to improve website search engine results. This hasn’t changed. You can still use a blog to optimize for search terms you couldn’t capture on your static web pages. They’re also an easy way to get fresh content on your website: another factor Google considers when ranking your website in search results.
Demonstrate Expertise and Educate
A business blog is a fantastic way to showcase your experience and expertise. For example, we use the Webcopyplus blog to build credibility with clients and prospects by demonstrating our expertise and interest in communications, marketing and business in general. When contacted by prospects, we can sometimes tell which individuals have read our blog and which haven’t. Those who have read our blog come with a better understanding of what we do and with the beginnings of a company-client relationship already in place.
You can also use a blog to educate prospects and move them along the buying cycle. The buying cycle includes gathering information and assessing alternative solutions. If your blog discusses problems and solutions, you’ll provide prospects with valuable information while, quite possibly, getting yourself included on their list of possible solutions.
A Way to Hone Your Skills
For some of us, getting something down in writing is a powerful way to crystalize our understanding of a topic. If you’re having difficulties describing a new service offering or dissecting a particularly complex problem, then writing a post on the topic may help you comprehend it better and help you communicate it to others. It helps overcome what our copywriters call expert paralysis.
An Informal Research Tool
Most business blogs allow for reader comments. These comments are a great way to get customer or prospect feedback. While they won’t be a truly representative sample, blog post comments can provide you with helpful, anecdotal input.
Content for Other Media
Rather than social media replacing business blogs, business blogs help support social media. Blog posts can be used as fodder for tweets, Facebook posts, newsletters and even sales presentations. Rather than being in competition with one another, these media can work together effectively, with your business blog as the starting point for a host of communications.
By the way, if you’re thinking of hiring a copywriter to write your blog posts, you might want to check out 6 Reasons Not to Hire a Copywriter.
Business blogs are a dime a dozen. That’s why you need exceptionally useful or interesting info to stick out. Otherwise you’re wasting your time.