Why do I need a blog?

By the time you’ve read to the end, you’re more likely to be asking “Why would I NOT need a blog?”

Quite simply, every business can benefit from a regularly updated blog.  There are many positives and virtually no negatives (apart from the fact that it takes time to set up and keep updated –  but every business activity takes time, doesn’t it?)

Let’s explore a few of the reasons you need a blog for your business.

Blogging boosts your search engine rankings.

SEO (search engine optimisation) is a term the majority of business owners will have heard.  Put simply, it means “getting found on Google”.

Google is by far the most popular search engine and it’s where the majority of people go nowadays when they want to find something, whether that’s a particular product, or specific information.

But here’s the thing: most people aren’t going to look beyond the first page of search results (unless they have plenty of time to spare).   If your website isn’t on that first page, chances are it won’t be found.

These days, Google is very clever – it understands far more than single keywords.  A well-written blog post that answers a specific question has a very good chance of appearing near the top of the results –  what if you’d written that post?

Also, Google pays attention to websites that are frequently updated – by its very nature, a blog is updated frequently.  Google therefore sees this as a signal that the website is trustworthy and a valuable resource.

Establish yourself as an expert in your niche.

Regular blog posts that provide information about topics relevant to your current and potential clients, and that answer frequently asked questions, go a long way towards making you a “thought leader”.

In other words, you’re positioning yourself in your clients’ eyes as someone who can be trusted to help solve those problems that keep them awake at night.  They’ll soon begin seeking you out when they need help – and maybe referring you to their colleagues too.   How beneficial would that be to your business?

You ARE an expert – you know more about solving specific problems than a potential client,  even if it’s only a little bit more!   It’s your job to make this clear throughout your marketing, and business blogging is a key strategy you need to use.

Blogging is free.

We don’t get much for free these days!  OK, you’ll need a website if you don’t already have one, but there’s no need to pay for anything other than your domain name and hosting fees.  £50 per year should easily cover everything. The horror stories I’ve heard about astronomical prices and highly unethical practices from website companies would fill an entire blog post, so let’s just leave that there…

A regularly updated blog is a free source of traffic to your website – we’ve previously mentioned that Google loves fresh content, and what could be better than getting potential clients to your website WITHOUT running pay-per-click ads or spending a fortune on SEO (lots of unethical companies in that niche too!)

Email marketing is often free, but most people don’t read marketing emails –  and with GDPR in force, it’s a bit of a minefield.

Anyone can blog.  Yes, that includes you.  If you can write, you can blog.  It’s not rocket science.

What do I blog about?

This has to be the most frequently asked question, and it seems to be a major sticking point for people even when they understand how important blogging is.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Think about the questions your current and potential clients are always asking – write answers to those.
• Write a case study –  how did you help a client get great results? (obviously, ask permission before doing this, and change names if required to preserve anonymity)
• Write a list – tools or apps you couldn’t live without, blogs and websites you always visit to keep up to date – people love to read lists!
• Write a “how to” post.  Explain comprehensively how to do something that your clients would find useful – even better if you include a video demonstration. “How To” is one of the top search terms in Google and YouTube, so this type of post is always valuable.
• Take a look at competitors’ blogs for further ideas and inspiration.  You should never copy word-for-word, of course, but writing a similar post in your own words, with your own slant on the topic, is perfectly OK and very worthwhile.

Are you getting the idea?  Write down a few potential blog post topics now –  keep a folder specifically for this.

Ready to start blogging?

I hope you’re beginning to understand how important blogging is for your business.   If you need further inspiration, take a look at my post “Blog Like You Mean It”

I’d love to read your blog –  why not share in the comments,  or message me on Facebook.

Not blogging yet and not sure about the best way to get started? Have you been blogging for a while but there are aspects you don’t understand, or you’re not happy with the way your blog looks?
Either way, my blogging support package Be A Better Blogger  has something to suit your needs –  why not take a look now?

PIN IT