Blogging for business is a hugely important part of any marketing strategy, and if you’re not already doing it, now’s the time to start. According to HubSpot, 38% of marketers believe blogs are the most important form of content marketing.
A business blog is a very simple and easy-to-use platform in which you can share timely and relevant information about your product or service with your customers, and communicate with them directly. TechClient notes that 77% of internet users read blogs, while 23% of internet time is spent by users on blogs and social networks.
There is a prime audience ready to read them, combined of both existing customers and new ones who have never heard of your business before. A business blog can be quickly integrated into your website, without huge expense, and provides you with a direct way of communicating with your audience. You may in fact already have a blog, but could be feeling unsure about where to take it. Here’s our definitive list of why writing a blog for your business directly helps your bottom line…
Search engine optimization
One of the key benefits of blogging for business is improved search engine optimization (SEO). If written effectively, your blog content will be packed with keywords that customers are searching for on Google. These shouldn’t feel forced into the content though, as ultimately it is still humans that need to read your content, not robots. This is something a skilled copywriter will be able to seamlessly integrate into your articles.
For search engines, blog content is valuable as it helps to answer people’s questions, and it gives them a lot more information about your business. You will get rewarded for this by being ranked higher up the search engine results pages (SERPs) – a huge bonus for gaining traffic.
Acquire more customers
A survey by HubSpot found that 60% of businesses who write a blog see their acquisition of customers grow. Additionally, Mullen and Mullen, who have for the past 10 years been providing a tailoring service for gentlemen across the UK, found that their traffic increased by 40% when they started using Copify. They also reported significant improvements in many competitive organic search terms. Their goal in blogging for business was to engage with customers more and increase traffic, so the results were exactly as hoped.
Free PR
Many businesses want to be featured in key media publications, both in print and online. While this is desirable, often this is very difficult to actually achieve effectively, and can often have limited results. Businesses can plow fortunes into expensive PR firms and retainer fees, only to end up spending additional money on less-than-successful advertising. What many don’t realize is that they have their on free PR tool at their fingertips.
A blog bridges this gap and allows a business to directly tell customers why they are so brilliant. They don’t need to rely on other sources to communicate or interpret this effectively. Blogging as a business also helps to drive press interest, as journalists will identify brands as being experts in their area and look to interview them. Through your blog, you are establishing your authority in an area. Journalists will learn more about the brand and may be more keen to feature them.
When using copywriting services such as Copify, this is where you will find your blogs truly shine as a PR tool – you’ll be getting authoritative, expert writers offering informed and well-researched articles on topics that concern your business. They know how to blog for business effectively, and will help you craft a strong and cohesive brand voice that will set you apart from your competitors.
Brand voice
An effective blog helps to create a brand voice. You don’t necessarily have to just talk about your product or service. You can also talk about a wide range of relevant areas that help to create a sense of your interests, angle and market positioning.
It gives you a space to talk about timely news topics or trends, comment on things happening in your sector, and share company initiatives. If you’ve recently launched or developed something new, this can also be spoken about on your blog. Through business blogging, you can let your company shine and create a personality. This helps people to connect, as it doesn’t feel so detached and void of character.
Social media content
It can often be difficult to think of how to engage customers through social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and email newsletters without becoming repetitive. However, your business blog sits at the heart of all of this. You are able to distribute fresh content through your many platforms, driving customers to your website. It gives them a regular reason to keep returning, which in turn can help drive them towards making spontaneous purchases.
Builds sales
Another great example of how blogging helps your business can be witnessed in your sales volume. Through driving more traffic to your website, building a connection with your audience, establishing a sense of trust and credibility, and informing customers about your services and products, the end result is building more sales. According to BlogHer’s 2012 Women and Social Media Study, 61% of US consumers have made a purchase based on a recommendation from a blog post.
Additionally, the 2016 Demand Gen Report found that 47% of buyers first viewed between three to five pieces of written content before they decided to engage with a sales representative. Your content is laying the foundations for the sales process. This also applies to business-to-business deals too – HubSpot reported in 2015 that those who use blogs see an additional 67% of leads compared with the B2B marketers who don’t adopt this.
Not just quantity, but quality
Ultimately, it’s not just about having a blog on your site but about ensuring you are producing high-quality, well-written, informed content that people actually want to read. People’s attention is short, they are bombarded with blogs from hundreds of companies, and your content needs to stand out. It should be interesting, entertaining, relevant and unique.
That’s where using Copify benefits your company. Copify puts you in touch with hundreds of qualified blog writers who can provide quality content on demand to whatever deadlines and quantity you require. Not only do you get to direct the content, but you also approve it and can reply with any edits if you feel necessary. Additionally, we can help you source images. It has been reported by Jeffbullas.com that when a blog contains images, it gets 94% more views. What better reason to start blogging for your business?
These views are made solely by the author.