Going Back to the Basics Here…
by Bill Nolan
Is it really beneficial for my business to have a blog?
This question still amazes me that it lingers in the minds of so many. Given the fact that I am taking time to write this blog topic gives you my thoughts on this question, and the fact that you are reading it solidifies my answer. If you think about what you’re asking then it’s really a no brainer. You don’t have to be a world renowned author to have an interesting blog, you only need to have something interesting to say and be creative in how you say it. The benefits of blogging for your business are numerous while the drawbacks are virtually non existent. So, my question to you is… what do you have to lose??
The 4 Decision Makers…
1. PERSONALITY : Good blogging shows aspects of your personality, and who doesn’t like doing business with someone they feel like they know? Not only are you giving your followers and potential clients valuable information, you are offering them a direct line to interact with you, and as we all know, engagement is the key to success in the social online world.
2. SEO : Your search engine ranking will prosper with a blog! Let me repeat this; your search engine ranking will prosper! Short of utilizing paid posts, frequent posting to your social accounts, that includes blogs, is the primary way to rocket up through the search rankings. Weekly, bi-weekly, or even monthly blog posts that compliment your standard posts keep those search engine spiders crawling to and through your accounts, and active accounts are likely to be indexed more often. Keep in mind your blog is also an excellent way to utilize prime keywords that pertain to your business… like social media management for instance! See the way I just plugged that in there?
3. KNOWLEDGE : Through blog topics you are consistently showing followers and future clients that you know what you’re talking about. This means that you’re not just blowing smoke about your business being spectacular. You are giving them a reason and showing them why they need to believe it is. Use your blog to relay what’s trending in your particular industry, link to projects that you have accomplished and so on. Remember the slogan, “don’t tell me what you can do, show me.”
4. BRAND AWARENESS : It’s another easy way for people to share your business’s content, and that is a BINGO for your brand. Remember, visitors will not only like and share your blog topics, they will link to them, subscribe to them, and even email your blog topics to their friends to enjoy as well. That’s exposure that sometimes money can’t buy, and you begin to reach people that you never expected to before.
It’s a win-win! JUST HAVE FUN… A blog allows you to express your business personality and knowledge. It gives everyone a friendly perspective of your company and what makes your business unique. In my opinion, this is the greatest thing about a blog. In a way, it can give a face to your business, make people feel comfortable doing business with you. This is what the cumulative goal of social media is about and blogging can be a powerful tool taking you there. We do caution about the do’s and don’ts of business blogging. We will have to reserve this for another blog. Until then, feel free to chat about here!