Photo credit: Canary Beck.
You may have heard about the tremendous benefits of blogging, but you could be wondering if it’s relevant to your business or if it’s worth the time investment. I can tell you from personal experience that it has really helped my business.
I’ve blogged, at least once a week, for the past few years. My posts have helped to dramatically increase my search engine rankings and generate top-of-mind awareness among my readers. Because of these efforts, I’ve had the opportunity to work with clients from New York, Los Angeles, Texas and even Europe. Not bad for a small business from central Pennsylvania.
So if you’re on the fence about starting a blog, I want you to understand the outstanding benefits you can achieve by doing it the right way.
1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – The buzz surrounding SEO is so hot that there are a lot of “snake oil salesman” charging outrageous prices and promising the world. But when it comes down to it, blogging at least once a week for at least a full year is one of the best things you can do to improve your SEO.
2. Reach New Audiences – Like social media, blogging is a unique tool that can capitalize on the Internet’s power to help you reach audiences that were once unthinkable. Want to attract customers from bigger markets or even overseas? A consistently great blog can help get you there.
3. Online Synergy – Blogging has the potential to serve as the backbone for a powerful online presence. In other words, it can serve as a critical link between your social media channels and website to create an online presence that is greater than the sum of its parts.
4. Establish Credibility – In businesses where trust and word-of-mouth referrals are huge factors, blogging offers a tremendous opportunity to establish you or your business as a trusted expert. A great blog is perfect for generating “Top-of-Mind Awareness.”
5. Personalize Your Brand – I firmly believe that, as people, we relate more with other people than with brands or logos. A blog gives you a great opportunity to let your personality shine or showcase the great people and business partners that make your company special.
6. Provide Context – You only have so many characters on Twitter, and who wants to read a 400-word Facebook post? Blogs are a perfect way to provide context to your messages. Like explaining why an offer is a great deal rather than simply saying it’s a great deal. Or giving a full bio of your new employee as opposed to simply announcing he or she has joined your company on Twitter.
