If you are one of the many small businesses online today, you may wonder why you need a blog. You already have products and services online. You also have some way for your customers to contact you from your site. You may have social media for your business. So why would you also have a blog? You need a blog for your small business to grow traffic to your site, engage customers, establish your authority in your industry and build your brand.
Increased Traffic
Successful websites require traffic, or customers, to sell products and services online. Blogging is one of the ways to attract customers. Blog posts provide industry and product information and most importantly, solutions to customer problems. Potential customers may not know your product or service exists, and will likely search for a solution to their problem. Blog posts increase the chances of your site being in the search results. Well crafted blog posts include phrases related to customer solutions. These phrases help your site show up higher in the search results.
Customer Support and Engagement
Your product or service is designed to solve customer problems, right? Blog posts connect your product features and benefits to your customer’s problems by providing solutions. The solutions may be in the form of expanded product descriptions, real-world scenarios, customer success stories, or additional instructions for use.
Industry Authority
Customers often use the web to decide WHICH product to buy. Blog posts provide additional information about your products and your company. This information can set your business apart from similar businesses in your industry. For example, a blog with how-to articles, industry-related product information, and humanizing employee profiles can instill trust by showing that you care about your customers, you are aware of industry trends, and your employees are relatable people. These put your company ahead with a customer who compares your site to another site that only has product listings and contact information.
Blogs Build Brands
Your company blog puts your company name, logo, and products in front of more people. Blog posts may also be humorous, feature employee activities, and have a large readership outside of just solutions and product information. Blog posts are easily shared on social media. The more your company brand is seen, the more it is associated with your products. Your blog can be the vehicle for building your brand and making your products the most well known for solving customer problems.
If your company has a blog, it’s time to examine it to make sure the posts contain the search terms most used by your customers. If you do not already have a company blog, now is the time to start one. It’s easy to do, and there are many resources online to help you get started. If you need help starting or optimizing your blog, contact me.