A business blog is a key part of any inbound marketing program.
There are 5 fundamental benefits to business blogging:
1) Promote and Position Yourself / Your Company as a “Thought Leader”
Each well-written post on a business or personal blog is a public declaration of your thought leadership, integrity, humor, and professional insights. You don’t have to debate the laws of physics (unless that’s your bailiwick) to get recognition. For example, a summary of recent changes in your industry, or a reaction to a recent news article can be extremely effective blog posts. Set up Google Alerts and feed them into your reader to have a constant stream of blog / article topics. It’s “Research-made-simple.”
2) Engage Customers in a Meaningful Conversation
Most blogware these days (WordPress, Blogger, et al.) are advanced enough to allow some level of engagement; readers should have the option to comment on each post. Those that comment on your article very well could be sales leads, or they may just support your views (or challenge, so be prepared). Either way, comments derive more comments, and soon, you’ll be at the center of your own industry-specific conversation with potential customers and partners. Closing the deal is up to you!
3) Every Blog Post creates SEO Kindling
We’ve all heard of the “long-tail” of search, and this just supports the need for content generation that is rich in search terms relevant to your target audience. In other words, write and they will come! You can’t realistically optimize your site for every search term, but you can certainly write articles targeting niche keyword phrases that will draw highly qualified prospects. For example, if you were to write an article on the intricacies of “specific photo copier brand’s” technical support system, you may not draw much “every-day” search engine traffic, but there is a good chance it will rank well very soon for searches like “copier + Tech support + brand+ etc.” Those visitors, optimistically, should be VERY interested in your thoughts on the matter.
4) In Google, Fresher Content = Better Website
Today (and I say this because their recognition requirements change quite often), Google, Bing and Yahoo periodically crawl websites looking for updated, fresh content. As a rule of thumb, it is better to have them crawl your site as often as possible. Sites that get logged by search engines more often have more frequent updates and more authority (helping in search ranks). Blogging consistently ensures there will be fresh content on your site for them to find.
5) Blogging Puts A Face on Your Brand
Blogging offers an opportunity for a company to present its insightful, helpful, personal side. Through a blog, potential customers can get a sense of your company’s people, culture, and base brand. Blogs are an opportunity to provide a less cut-and-dry view of your company that is more engaging and less “corporate.”
Of course, this is just a handful of reasons. Don’t forget “Staying on top of the industry” and “Sharpening the Saw.” It’s advisable to keep the conversation going at all times. Fresh content means you’re ALIVE. What would be a better alternative?
Keep Cooking,
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef
