Most of you will know about blogs. Some of you many have even dabbled in having a blog. The truth is, blogging has been around since the 1990s and so, to some, it can seem a bit passé. In today’s world of all-singing, all-dancing, multimedia events designed to ‘wow’ potential clients, a blog is something far more subtle, but it is that very subtly that makes it invaluable.
When I said, “the truth is…it can seem a bit passé,” I was being disingenuous. The blog remains an important part of any business website. If your business has something to say, and you want to reach out to potential customers, it remains a powerful tool. Don’t forget, a responsive audience for your blog is also a potential client.
My eight reasons for having a blog:
1. Drives traffic to your website
The endgame for any online strategy is to bring people to your website – your online shop front. It has been suggested that customers who read a blog are 97% more likely to click through to a website, giving you a chance to turn curiosity into a sale.
On top of that, any click through to your website will also improve search engine optimisation (SEO), thereby helping you to rise up the Google rankings. The higher up you are, the more chance you have of someone finding your website and choosing your service/product.
2. Show your skills
While a blog should never just be an advertisement, and the focus should always be on helping readers, it is still a way for you to talk directly to potential customers.
This blog is a case in point - as a company that works with businesses in multiple sectors, we see the true value of the blog. I am therefore writing this blog to help you understand the true value of the blog and yet, it is also an opportunity for us to demonstrate our blog writing abilities.
3. Keep customers informed
Customers like to work with companies that give back to their communities and actively protect the environment. A case in point - some of the most popular blogs we’ve written for Cleankill Pest Control have related to their charity work. It is a great way for them to demonstrate their company’s ethos and it allows people to decide if they want to work with them. As the Managing Director of Cleankill, Paul Bates, recently wrote in a blog for the Business West website, companies work with businesses that reflect their standards.
4. Attract employees
It isn’t just potential customers that will be reading your blogs, it’s also potential employees. If you write a blog about one of your employees succeeding – for example, winning an award – it will show other people that you care and support your employees. Everyone aspires to work in a positive and supportive workplace.
5. Get your employees involved
Engaged workforces contribute greatly to the success of a business. If employees are asked to write a blog, they will feel part of the team. This will not only help to meld your team, it will also add value to their experience and the way your clients will view your company.
6. Be the expert
We are lucky enough to work with people who are experts in their industries. If you, or people in your company, are experts, then use that expertise in a blog. A good blog should never be an advertisement but the fact you are writing about, for example, the true cost of ignoring preventive pest control, is a clear demonstration to customers that you know what you are talking about.
Advice should be inclusive, free from financial obligation and it should be clear. So, for example, a blog about ways to keep rats out of your business is only good if it gives people useful advice. If, all it says is, ‘call us and buy our service’, then it is an advert and people will ignore you.
7. Be part of the community
No business operates in a vacuum. Throughout my blogs I will often include links to companies we work with, employ, recommend, etc. Going back to point 3, we are part of a community of likeminded businesses who all share common values. Cleankill, Catsfield Christmas Tree Farm, Konzepts, Melted Inside, Holland Harper, etc. all share the similar beliefs and business goals. If you like the way one of them operates, then there is a good chance you will like the way the others operate.
8. If you’re not, your competitors are
A study from 2020 found that 89% of content managers used blogs as part of their online strategy, making the blog one of the big three content types. So, even if you think you have nothing to offer, you competitors probably think they have and they will be benefiting from the things above.
As I said at the start, blogging is a subtle marketing tactic. It is not always possible to draw a direct link between a blog and a sale but without a blog you are missing out on a simple and effective tool for building the reputation of your business.
We have considerable experience in writing blogs for businesses of all kinds. If you would like to discuss adding a blog to your marketing strategy, contact Suzi on 01323 449744 or e-mail suzi@blueberry-pr.co.uk.