Does your small business need a blog? Absolutely, it does
Let's put first things first.
When you plan your investment in digital marketing, you've got to understand your potential return on that investment.
Although it takes time, a business blog can be one of the best long-term investments you'll make in your business.
So if you're a business owner worried about how a blog can affect your bottom line, keep reading. We'll show you exactly how it works.
1. Sell more of your product or service.
Think of each piece of content in a blog as a salesperson answering one specific question or providing one specific sales point to your potential customer.
For instance, the purpose of this blog post to introduce you to the idea that a) your small business should have a blog and that b) we can write and produce your blog for you with our content services. So, for example, if you were a flooring company writing a blog post called "How to fix creaky hardwood floors (DIY)," you'd presumably be trying to help people fix their creaky hardwood floors.
And you would be.
However, you would also advertise your hardwood flooring service or de-creaking service to your exact target audience.
These salespeople stay live 24/7, ready to answer your potential client's questions and advertise your solution. Over time, as your audience reviews your blog posts and service pages, they learn to trust your brand. Eventually, that leads to "yes."
2. Differentiate yourself as a service authority
Remember, your potential customer doesn't know how to get to their desired result. That's why they need your service.
So when they're searching for an answer to their problem, ask yourself this:
Who are they more likely to trust: the company that says "trust us, we'll get the job done," or the website that shows them precisely how to solve problems that they're looking to solve?
By showing your potential customers how you will get a job done, you're advertising your service or product while building brand authority. So goodbye, "we get the job done well."
Hello, "this is the answer to your problem. So now, would you rather do it yourself or have us do it for you?"
3. Become ranked on Google for your top terms
There's a lot of factors that go into your small business becoming ranked on Google.
But here's the short: a well-written and well-trafficked blog can help you with most of them.
A few highlights:
Interlinking related web pages on your website via in-text links such as this one will teach Google about the search terms and topics you are discussing. Then, when Google knows what you're talking about, they know what questions you can answer.
- Driving more traffic to each page on your site will help increase your domain authority, which makes it easier to rank
- Updating the format, word choice, and elements of your blog to the latest Google updates can significantly impact your search results
Becoming ranked takes time and careful effort, but a well-maintained, strategic blog can exponentially build your site traffic and ranking.
4. Gain newsletter subscribers and opt-ins
Something crazy tends to happen when people start realizing you have the answers they are looking for.
They sign up without you asking.
But it doesn't hurt to ask either. When people browse your blog content, presenting them a pop-up to opt-in for your newsletter can drastically increase your audience and start looping people into your communications.
It's a great way to start compiling an email list, where potential clients are proactive about providing their email address and other contact information.
5. Drive customers by advertising blog content
This is not one of the most common uses of a business blog, but it can be among the most effective.
Advertising your most popular blog content to the people who need it can keep your costs minimized and start your customers off on the right foot with your brand.
After all, nobody likes a company who pushes for a sale right away.
Starting with an authentic desire to help via blog content is a great way to show potential customers that your head, heart, and work ethic are in the right place.
6. Deepen your relationship with, and upsell existing customers
It's unlikely that all of your customers are using all of your products.
But it is likely that they could be using more of your products.
Offering explanations and connecting with customers via a blog will show your existing customers all that you have to offer without risking a negative impact on your brand.
Let's say your current client is on your blog, reading about how they can get the most out of their new service. Then, they see a related post about a different problem that they have.
This creates a natural progression towards upselling that is not driven by direct sales.
In today's consumer-centric ecosystem, this is exactly the type of relationship that buyers crave.
7. Save customer service time by answering common questions.
Your top priority will always be about serving existing customers, and the good news is that blogs can be positioned to help.
The same principle for new customers applies here: your current clients have questions about how they can best use your service and get the most out of their investment in you.
The more you can answer those questions in blog posts, the less time you will spend solving customer complaints manually, and the happier your customers will be.
It's not just a blog...
It can be tempting for small business owners to determine the success of a blog based on vanity metrics like clicks and shares.
The reality is, a blog has the power to shape both your sales and customer experiences.
Let us blog for you
Don't be shy; contact us today and ask about our content marketing services.
You can also view our digital marketing case studies to see for yourself how we've implemented business blogs to build brand awareness and engagement for our clients.