Business owners who don’t have a blog often ask if they should start one. Others who have let theirs get dusty wonder if they should begin posting regularly again. Even those who currently have a business blog will sometimes question if the time spent creating content is going to increase their business.
The answer to all of these questions is a resounding yes.
Blogging has many benefits, both to the bottom line of the business and to the relationships you form with customers. Most every business, regardless of type, can benefit from having an interesting and informative blog.
Here are four awesome results a blog can reap for you:
1. Bring New Customers to Your Website:
A blog with good SEO (Search Engine Optimization) helps brings people to your business website when they’re searching for information on a topic related to your business. Say someone searches the Internet to figure out whether he should buy renters’ insurance. He finds your blog; he finds the information he needs on your blog. He could get this information from your competitors, but he reads some engaging content on your blog and makes a connection with your company. He decides he likes your company and the way you do business.
Abracadabra! You have a new customer.
If you notice on our blog, we don’t really write about Grasshopper too much. Why? Because a blog about a virtual phone system just isn’t that interesting. By writing about things related to our industry, like entrepreneurship and small businesses, it’s not only more interesting to our readers but it also applies to more people other than just our customers, thus driving new visitors to our site.
2. Establish Yourself as an Expert in the Field:
When you blog about topics related to your business on a regular basis, you keep abreast of current trends and hot topics in your field. This has a double-whammy effect. When you do the research, you’ll become more knowledgeable about your field. This helps you provide better service to your clients, and by writing about your business, you establish yourself as an expert, both to your customers and to others in your industry.
3. Keep People Coming Back:
If the website for your local coffee shop stays the same every day, how often are you going to check the website? Probably only when you forget what time the shop opens on Saturday morning.
But if the website has a blog with surprise daily specials, a graphic about new trends in coffee, or information about the latest brew, odds are you’ll visit the website much more often.
Company blogs give people a reason to keep coming back to your site, especially when they need information. And when they are in the market for your type of product or service, guess who they’ll think of? You.
4. Build Relationships with Current Customers:
While online contact is no substitute for personal interaction, websites help foster relationships and spur dialogue.
Through your blog posts, your customers can get to know you and learn more about your background and thoughts on your industry. When your customers post comments or questions to your blog posts, you get a better understanding of their needs and how you can address them. Blog comments provide the perfect springboard for meaningful dialogue so make sure you respond to them!
At Grasshopper, we use our blog to further our relationships with our customers by writing customer spotlights and inviting them to guest post. These types of posts not only allow you to establish better relationships with your customers but they’re also a great way to break up your everyday content and keep things fresh.
It’s definitely worth it to invest some time in creating a meaningful business blog. You may not see tangible results immediately, but as you grow this marketing tool, you’ll find that blogs are not only cost-effective; they are in fact beneficial to your business, and your bottom line.
