It is becoming increasingly important for
small and medium businesses to have a strong web presence and great content to
engage and communicate with their customers. In fact, according to research, businesses
that blog see a 126% higher lead growth than non-blogging businesses, 72% of
online marketeers say that content creation is their most effective SEO tactic
and 61% of consumers make a purchase after reading a blog recommendation. It is little wonder then that blogs are one
of the three primary forms of media content strategy used today.
If you are still wondering, despite these
figures, if a blog is right for your business, then read our 5 reasons why
blogging is fast becoming one of the most important marketing activities.
1)
Boost Search Engine Optimisation
It is every business’s wish to be on the
top of any organic
search. After all, the #1 result in Google’s organic search has a click
through rate (CTR) of 31.7%. Search engines,
Google included, crawl the internet all day, every day. It used to be enough to fill your website
with great content in order to rank in the top spots on Google, but with more
and more websites in every industry, the search engines are looking at other factors
to decide who should stand out from the crowd.
One of the things search engines love is fresh content. Blogs also allow you to have more content,
and more content means more chances to rank higher.
2)
Your website becomes
more relevant
Additional content also allows you to turn
up in search results for many more phrases, particularly when the content is
keyword rich, with lots of internal links.
Let’s say for example that you are a chiropractor. Your website is likely to include basic information
about what you do and how to make an appointment. Obviously, you want to turn up in searches
for other phrases people might use to find your services, for example spinal
adjustment. By talking in more detail
about what you do in your blogs you are naturally using more phrases. This in turn makes your site more relevant
for more search phrases and the search engines are likely to rank you
higher. There’s another advantage – if
you are answering common questions then Google may even reward you with a
featured snippet at the top of the search results.
3)
Connect with existing
and new customers
Blogs allow the opportunity to connect with
customers in a much more conversational way.
Offering out free advice, that answers customers questions, is a great
way to build trust in your business. It
might also be the difference between you and your competitor. Blogs can also become the beginning of a
two-way conversation. You can use your
blogs for regular newsletter content or mention them during conversations,
online or otherwise, with potential and current customers. For instance, as a chiropractor, if a new
patient contacts you in need of spinal adjustment, you can refer them to your
blog and ask them to bring any questions to their first appointment.
Read more about building trust
online.
4)
Increase Brand Awareness
A blog can represent your brand and your
company personality. By sharing advice and information you are telling your
customers that you are interested in building relationships, and not just in
closing a sale. A blog is also an
opportunity for others to link to your website, and traffic means growth. Unlike other marketing, blog posts also bring
in traffic long after they are published, making them a cost-effective tactic!
5)
Establish your business as
an industry leader
Content that helps your audience makes your
memorable and over time you can become the go to industry expert. Blogs allow for in-depth teaching about what
your products and services can really offer. You can write customer case
studies and how to guides. The more your
company produces content like this, the more you will be seen as an authority
in the industry.
6)
Helps you to think
outside the box
Over time your blog becomes more than just
a knowledge bank, it breeds innovation and creativity. In order to write interesting and fresh
content you need to be constantly looking at what other people are doing and keeping
up with what’s new in your industry.
The myths of blog writing
So, is it true? Do I have to blog every day? With over 400 million blogs being read a
month on WordPress alone, quality is more important. Your blog shouldn’t get stale and frequency is
about quality content balanced with the needs of your business. At Marketelements
we can work
with you to recommend the best blogging frequency for you.
What if I’m not a good writer? You know your industry, but you may not be a
writer. It’s true that a well-written
blog is likely to get more clicks and have more success in SEO. This is where Marketelements can
help. Make some notes, give us a call, and we will
write a blog that not only covers everything your customer needs to know, it will
also be written to improve your SEO.
No one will read it so why should I bother?
This is a common misconception. With the
right strategy this needn’t be the case.
At Marketelements we can advise you on how to make sure your blog has
the highest chance of being read by helping you to share it.
Give us a call
today to
discuss your blogging needs.
