As a marketing change agent working in digital communications this is a question which I get frequently asked “Should a business be blogging” .This is then followed up by “but just what benefits will we see as a result”. I always try to answer this question as simply as I possibly can so the person asking it gets a somewhat clearer picture of just what blogging is and how it can benefit their business.
Why is blogging important?
• It creates awareness – it gives your business more chance of being found online and makes you visible among search engines who just love content.
• Demonstrates the business or your authority, passion, expertise and experience in your business industry.
• It drives traffic to your website
• It refreshes or updates your website’s content on a regular basis; major search engines such as Google love nothing more than new content.
• It helps spread your business message beyond the reader by making it sharable on social media platforms such as Twitter & Facebook
• It shares links about your regular blogging and is another great way to drive traffic back to your website and for users to find out more about what you do – you could look at this as lead generation.
For many businesses the next questions can be “Where will we find the time?” or “What will we blog about?” .
Here are a few tips which I have found helpful along the way..
• Blog regularly – When I started out blogging I won’t lie, it took it a little while to think about what it was I wanted to blog about and trying to make it interesting. Reading other blogs and getting ideas makes the process a little easier.
• Give your blog a personality
• Keep the topic relevant, picking something which is currently in the media or fashionable is always good
• Engage your reader
• Try to write it so that people can understand it, nice simple flow always works best – but people need to be able to read it.
• Don’t over think your blog & aim for 350-400 words
• Keep SEO in mind – use keywords as often as possible.
• Write in the same way you talk – let your blog be flowing, friendly & conversational
Now it’s your turn. Blogging is one of the most effective organic ways to improve your visibility on the web but blogging regularly will also help build trust with your customer. It will help you become a recognized voice in your industry which can and will open doors for your business.
Remember to share it with your family & friends.
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