Why Blogging Matters for Your Business

Blogging feels like a chore to small business owners. And unlike bookkeeping or some administrative tasks, this chore is one you often push aside.

Reasons You Don’t Blog

I’ve spoken to a lot of business owners about blogging, and there are plenty of reasons not to:

● I’m busy.
● No one reads it.
● Whoops, a client emergency. Too busy!
● I have no idea what to write.
● I don’t care much about blogging.
● I use other marketing tools.
● Something came up. (I’m busy.)

Does one of those sound like you? Even if you have every intention of blogging, you might get started in January only to stop by March. Lapses happen to a lot of people because blogging takes time, research, planning, and energy. And when your website visit numbers are low, you may think spending your time or money on a blog for your website is a waste.

OK, Myra, I know why I’m NOT blogging. Tell me why I should bother.

Why Your Business Needs a Blog

Blogging is not a waste of time or money. If you own a business, create a blog and publish an entry at least twice a month. Here is why:

● Credibility. According to a Demand Gen Report, 47% of buyers viewed three to five pieces of content before engaging with a sales rep. People who visit your website will not read every single blog post. But if they go to your blog in search of information, they can find it on your blog. That blog shows a stream of posts that share your expertise and prove you are worth their investment in you.
● Search results. You may have heard of Google. Content is an important part of getting found in search results. This works in a few different ways. First, people will search for something and click on a link within the first page or two of search results. Your blog posts may appear in search results, and if someone clicks, he or she is more likely to consider using your product or service. About 50% of search queries are four words or longer. That means people are typing in longer questions. Your blog post needs to be the answer. Second, companies that blog have 97% more links to their site. The more links you have, the higher you rank in results.
● Social media. Sharing photos of your team and other office news on social media is a fantastic way to connect with your audience. But social media is also useful for sharing information — so your followers and fans can share it with theirs. Create your own content, so people will click and come back to your website, not a competitor's.

The Real Deal

Studies and statistics are showing that content works. People ignore paid ads and focus on organic results. So even if you are spending money on Pay-Per-Click ads or other marketing tools, you need to be blogging as well. If you’re not sure about getting a blog post written every week or even every month, contact us to learn how we can help.