As an entrepreneur, if you’re anything like me, you’re always looking for new ways to connect with potential customers, build your brand’s reputation, and (of course) grow your revenue. One of the most effective strategies to make progress toward all of those goals is starting—and maintaining—a blog. I know, I know, it sounds old-school in the days of TikTok-sized attention spans and booming demand for video-based content, but for businesses at least, blogs are still an in-demand resource and a powerful marketing tool.
Here are a few of the ways a blog can be good for business:
Control Your Marketing Spend
Depending on the systems and platforms you already have in place, there may be some upfront investment in setting up a blog. But once you’re set up, ongoing costs are minimal and can be tailored to fit within your budget. (For example, you can publish new posts more or less frequently depending on the resources available to create—or pay for—content.)
Even better, most of your blog posts will contain evergreen content that you can use to drive traffic and engage with leads for a good while after they’re published. You can mine your blog content for emails, social media posts, and other marketing channels. (Learn how to repurpose your marketing content in my free guide!)
Drive Website Traffic
Providing valuable content on a regular basis will keep your audience coming back consistently, building strong relationships with potential buyers and driving them further down the marketing funnel toward purchase.
Not to mention that regular blogging is great for SEO, and improved standing in search results will introduce new customers to your brand. After all, Google’s algorithms favor fresh (i.e., regularly updated), relevant content built around popular search terms, and a blog is a great way to produce just that.
Establish Your Expertise
Today’s consumers (both B2B and B2C) want to buy from brands they trust, and blogging is a great way to build that trust. First and foremost, it’s a way to establish your expertise in your industry. The more valuable insights you share with your readers, the more likely they are to recognize you as a leader in the field.
What’s more, your blog posts give your brand a voice that helps to further develop that all-important personal relationship with readers. When they feel like they really know and can trust a brand, consumers are likely to choose it over their competitors.
Engage With Customers
A blog is an excellent place to showcase your products or services—special features, new releases, customer success stories, and more. But it’s also a way to engage with your customers. Consider including content that highlights your team members and their achievements, your company’s involvement in community initiatives and outreach, and other types of posts that show readers who you are beyond your products and services.
Invite readers to comment on posts with their own questions, thoughts, and experiences. And be sure you’re sharing in other channels such as social media and email in order to encourage your audience to respond and engage in conversation with your content.
A blog is a powerful way for entrepreneurs to promote their businesses and connect with potential customers. But the process of starting—and maintaining—a regular posting cadence can be daunting. I break it down in my free e-book, Blogging for Businesses. Download it today, and reach out when you’re ready to discuss how I can support your business’s blogging efforts