If you have a business, you are likely to have an online presence. Having regular visitors to your website is essential for growing your brand and maintaining loyal customers.
Adding a blog to your website can help increase your search engine optimisation ranking. But what is most important, blogging can dramatically increase your visitors, and potentially lead to more sales. If you are not currently blogging for your business, you should be. Read on to find out why.
Blogging is good for search engines
Regular, fresh content will mean those search engine robots will be visiting your website more frequently. This will help you to rank higher and you will have more chance of being seen when your potential customers search for your services.
There are a few techniques which can help you improve your ranking, if you are unfamiliar with this area there are companies which offer SEO services.
Blogging allows you to share your expertise
Having a blog on your website gives you a platform to share your expert advice. Internet users are drawn in by valuable content, particularly if it gives them new information.
Pitching yourself as an expert will allow you to connect directly with your target audience. This may even result in additional publicity as you may be asked to blog or write for other publications.
If you do choose to write posts for others, make sure you request a link back to your own blog. Make sure your posts are accurate and original or it could be detrimental to your business.
Blogging gives you the opportunity to cross promote
Once your blog is established, you will be able to cross promote with other brands you aren’t in competition with. You will be able to swap resources and network with likeminded people. For example, you may be able to offer a giveaway which will benefit all parties involved – and your readers will love it!
Blogging lets you share your good news
If you are having a sale or are launching a new product, you can promote it on your blog. This is a place where you can share your news and success in your own words. Include photos from events and offer previews of upcoming product launches.
When you have something to offer, it will encourage readers to keep coming back to see what you will do next. Use your blog to self-promote and create a buzz!
Blogging can connect with your social media profiles
Sometimes, posting randomly on social media can feel like a waste of time. However, when you write a new blog post you can share it on your various profiles. This will encourage a direct action as users will have to visit your website in order to read it.
You will no longer be limited to a short word count, instead use a snippet of your article which will tempt them to click to find out more.
Blogging gives your customers a way to connect
When you have a comments section, your readers can interact with you directly. Use a premium spam filter and approve any comments manually to avoid any inappropriate activity.
Customers tend to choose a brand which gives them a personalised experience, and allowing an open line of communication is one way to do this. Having positive comments on your blog posts creates a feeling of trust, and shows new customers that you are a legitimate business. Offer rewards for product reviews and photographs for maximum interaction.
Blogging can increase your sales
Businesses are only successful when they have customers purchasing their goods and services. The aim of blogging for your brand is an increase in sales.
Creating special offers and prompting visitors to sign up to your email newsletter is one strategy which is worth implementing. Use your blog to showcase how your products work, and embed instructional videos. Include links to product pages and services within your posts where appropriate.
Before you start
Many bloggers use SEO services from marketing companies. However, you can always do SEO by yourself – by following the above tips. Setting up a blog for your business is a straightforward process. Choose a theme which mirrors the rest of your website and a font which is easy to read. A blog set up on your own domain, rather than a third party will look more professional.
The most important thing to remember is to keep up with your content and keep publishing regularly. Try to avoid using duplicate articles and come up with informative topics.
Know your target demographic and write posts which you know they would want to read. You may not notice an immediate increase in visitors but if you are writing consistently you will certainly be rewarded in the long run.
Blogging is a time commitment but is worth the effort. However, if you feel as though you do not have the time necessary to dedicate towards blogging, some SEO services do offer content writing.