Let’s say you’re considering a blog for you business… or maybe already started one. But at the end of the day, you’re just not sure why you need a blog.
I mean, can it really make that much of a difference? Will it do what every business ultimately wants — increase your leads and client conversion?
Let’s talk about it.
This article will tell you exactly what a blog can do for your company. And trust me, it can’t do everything…
So I’ve included what it can’t do, too.
In the end, you need realistic ideas about why maintaining a blog is worth your time… because honestly, it’s not necessarily easy. A blog isn’t just words, it’s a business strategy that requires some serious effort to get results.
I’ll start with why it’s great, so you get a feel for if it’s worth your time.
BENEFITS OF BLOGGING FOR BUSINESS
Realistically, your business page is pretty static. Unless you’re constantly adding new projects, it virtually always looks the same.
Who would visit the exact same content over and over again?
That’s basically the definition of insanity. But a blog can change all that. They provide relevant, fresh content regularly that can bring back old traffic for a second chance to convert.
And not only will it increase revisits, it will gain you new traffic, too!
In fact, according to TrafficGenerationCafe, once you have about 50 blog posts your traffic will increase by as much as 77%… well worth the investment.
- SERIOUSLY UP YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA GAME
Let’s be honest… no one except your family and maybe closest friends are gonna share your business page on social media.
An intriguing blog post, however, has a lot more potential to get passed on.
NYT Marketing reported that 94% of individuals share a piece of content online because they think it will be helpful to others. Makes sense.
People are sharing real, relevant, useful articles… like informative blog posts.
The more of a trusted resource you become for your target audience, the more you’ll reach them. Content truly is king.
- GET MORE CLIENTS… REALLY!
Blogs don’t just get you more traffic, more social media shares, and more indexed pages on search engines…
They get you customers. And that’s what everyone wants, right?
HubSpot estimates that almost 60% of sites with a blog converted a reader into a client. So for the majority of sites with a blog, it’s yielded a paying customer.
Really, blogs can make you money.
That being said, your blog needs to have content strategy. Just like every successful business plan that pushes clients through the marketing funnel, it’s more than just words.
- MARKET YOUR BRAND AS AN AUTHORITY
One of the benefits of blogging for business is they show you know what you’re talking about.
Think about it… Let’s say one day, your sink springs a leak. So you take to the big ol’ world wide web to find out some information.
You type into a search engine “reasons for a leaking sink” and BOOM, up pops an article. It’s a clear, concise, awesome resource that explains exactly what you’re looking for.
Then at the end, there’s a suggestion… “Is your sink leaking? Call us. We can fix it, FAST!”
Why not? You’re not a plumber. And this company just showed you they know exactly what they’re talking about by providing you with a super informative piece. They showed you they’re an industry authority.
With a blog you don’t just say you’re the best — you show your reader you’re the best by providing them with tutorials, industry interviews, or infographics… through your content.
By answering the questions your potential clients are searching for, not only do you get them on your website, you show them you’re the go-to person for all their solutions.
DOWNFALLS OF BLOGGING
Ok, so there’s some great benefits of blogging for business. But what about what they can’t do? Your blog can be the ultimate content weapon, but it has a few downfalls.
- THEY DON’T UPDATE THEMSELVES
A good active blog that generates results requires topic research, keyword planning, and SEO. Not to mention formatting, finding images, and sharing on social media.
When you’re already busy, that’s a lot of work.
HubSpot revealed companies that blog 20 or more times a month receive the best return on traffic and leads. A post on every business day… at least!
If your company is looking at creating and managing its own blog, the maintenance time requirement can’t be ignored.
You want to make sure your blog is actually getting results or it’s just a waste of time. So you may need to consider getting some help to ensure your blog is useful content that has an awesome business strategy. Which leads to the next point.
- STRATEGY IS REQUIRED
You can’t write random content, let it just sit there, and expect results.
Unfortunately, it isn’t that easy. Then everyone would have a successful blog already! There’s some serious strategy involved.
For example, did you know the peak blog reading time is 7am? Likely not. It’s no wonder the majority of companies, 64% according to TopRankBlog, outsource their writing needs for the best results.
DO YOU NEED A BLOG?
To answer that question, ask yourself:
- Is your site’s content static? Do people need a new reason to come visit your website?
- Are you struggling with getting social media shares? Does anyone pass on your content, yielding more traffic and brand awareness?
- Could you use more clients? And better conversion rate on your site’s traffic?
If you answered yes to any (or all) of these, it’s time to get a blog.
But remember, blogs can’t update themselves or magically have a good content strategy.
So before you start wasting precious time on writing mediocre posts, consider doing what the majority of successful companies do and outsource your writing.
If you have any questions about what a blog can or can’t do for your business, send me an email or leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you.