The word “blog” wasn’t even in existence 15 years ago. Today, there are hundreds of millions of blogs on just about anything you can imagine. And while the trend was once primarily associated with individuals journaling, blogging has become a critical element for small and big businesses alike. If your business doesn’t have a blog, you’re missing out on a major way to boost your business and your brand.
Let us take a closer look at why blogging matters. Here are the reasons why your business needs a blog and the tips on how to write an awesome blog post.
What Is a Blog Post?
The word “blog” is an abbreviation of “weblog.” It refers to a regularly updated informational website or online journal. While blogging was once primarily for personal use, businesses have begun using them to connect with their audiences.
Individual webpages of blogs are called “posts.” Each post addresses a sub-topic while linking back to the overall blog. One of the most distinctive things about blogs is that they display information in reverse chronological order. This means that the most recent posts always appear first.
For businesses, blogs are a website section. A primary difference between your blog and the rest of your website is that while much of the content on your website remains static, your blog section should be frequently updated with new posts.
Why Create a Blog for Your Business
There are many benefits of blogging for your business, including the following:
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It boosts your SEO.
A good search engine ranking can make or break your business. While many factors impact how your site ranks, SEO is of critical importance. Blogs utilizing fresh, high-quality content featuring relevant keyword phrases are rewarded well in search results. Furthermore, great content gets shared and linked to which can further improve your ranking.
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It gives your brand a voice.
The importance of branding cannot be overstated when it comes to helping your business connect with customers. Blogging is an opportunity to develop and showcase your brand voice. This builds familiarity and trust — both of which support your relationship with consumers.
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You’ll position yourself as an industry expert.
What’s the first thing a person does when they have a problem or question? In most cases, they head straight to the internet. If that problem or question is related to the products and services you provide, wouldn’t you like them to get the answer from you? Blogging not only helps your customers find you, but also positions you as the authority in your field while simultaneously giving you a forum to introduce your products and services. Do this well, and you’ll become a go-to resource for your customers.
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It drives traffic to your website.
Businesses that routinely blog get significantly more inbound traffic to their websites than those that don’t. Not only that, but because people have searched and found your website (or followed a link from another relevant industry site), they’re more likely to be interested in your products and services. It follows that businesses with current blogs also see serious increases in sales and conversions.
How to Write a Blog Post
While the thought of starting a blog may seem overwhelming, the reality is that anyone can do it thanks to user-friendly content management systems like WordPress.
Ready to get started with writing blogs? These five tips can help answer the question: How do you write a blog?
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Know your audience.
A clear understanding of what your audience wants to know and what will resonate with them can help you create the most useful and relevant content.
If you’re wondering what to blog about, look to the wants and needs of your customers.
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Be consistent.
Consistency is key to reaping the benefits of blogging. While you don’t have to post every day, establishing a routine (and sticking to it) can help you keep readers and search engines happy.
Wondering how often to blog? According to HubSpot, small blogs should post optimized content 3-4 times a week to maximize organic traffic, and 1-2 times a week for brand awareness.
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Do your (keyword) research.
If you know your audience, then you know what to write about. But that’s only part of the equation. In order to catch the attention of search engines, you must also know what queries they’re searching on. By conducting keyword research, you’ll know exactly what keywords to include in your blogs to make sure that your target audience will find you.
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Optimize your post lengths.
Certain length posts perform better than others. There are pros and cons to short-form (under 1,000 words) and long-form (1,000-plus words) content. Familiarizing yourself with these can help you make the most of each post.
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Use images and videos.
Not only are visuals more engaging to readers, they can also make content easier to remember. Meanwhile, certain visuals —such as charts and infographics —may take longer to read and therefore will keep visitors at your site longer.
Search engines are also big fans of visuals — especially video! (Did we happen to mention that Google owns YouTube?)
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Prioritize quality over quantity.
While routine blogging is important, pushing out a bounty of low-quality content won’t do you any favors. Even if it means posting less, commit to creating and posting content that addresses customer concerns in the most compelling and valuable way.
At The Light Digital, we’re all about helping small businesses get the most out of digital marketing. Whether you’re looking for more information on how to write a blog post or to boost your lead generation efforts, we’re ready to jump in.
To start transforming your business through the power of digital marketing, contact us today.