While most large businesses have full-on content marketing programs and blogs, it’s just as important (and easy) for a small business or startup to incorporate a blog as well. But a website alone doesn’t always offer enough information, personality, or authority to truly stand out from the crowd.
This is where a company blog can shine.
If you’re looking for inspiration, here are seven reasons why your company needs a blog.
Keep your audience updated about your business
Beyond your company website, a blog is a fantastic tool to keep your audience in the loop about your business. While a website might be more practical in content and straightforward in tone, a blog offers more flexibility to connect with customers, to share updates in a way that shows who you are, not just what you do.
Think of your blog as your direct communication channel. It’s a space to talk in depth about your products and services, share timely content, and comment on relevant industry trends in a way that lets your brand personality shine.
Great for building long tail and driving traffic
A chief reason every company needs a blog is to increase their visibility. Put simply, the more blog content you create, the more opportunities you’ll have to show up in search engines and drive organic traffic to your website.
Blogs provide the perfect platform to strengthen your SEO strategy. Your business can boost its chances of generating traffic and converting leads by creating fresh and well-written articles that incorporate long-tail keywords, images and videos.
Can help improve internal linking
Unlike inbound linking, internal linking is something that is completely within your control. This means there’s no reason not to use them within your blog posts. It can help visitors with site navigation, pointing them to the most important pages on your website.
Internally linking to other blog posts and pages on your website can also improve your SEO success. The more relevant links you have, the more likely it is you’ll rank better, which can lead to more traffic and potential leads.
Get feedback from your customers
Good business websites do a solid job of giving customers the information they need, but it is usually done so in a one-way manner. There’s often no room to ask questions, comment on content, or start a conversation.
This is why a blog is so powerful. It creates a two-way conversation with customers, leads and industry peers. With a more relatable tone and an interactive platform, you can encourage feedback and discussion in the comment sections of your blogs.
Having in-depth conversations with your customers is a great way to build trust and authority in your brand. Plus, it allows you to examine your business from your audience’s point of view and make changes to improve your services.
Helps you build your email database
Email marketing is still a solid marketing strategy. But it’s not always easy to get people to sign up. This is where a blog can help. It ensures your business stays top of mind and helps reinforce your audience’s need to keep updated.
If people find your blog content informative, relevant and engaging, chances are they’ll trust that your email newsletters are as well. To push them towards signing up, include internal links in both your blogs and newsletters. This makes it easier for them to read about promotions, new products, or business updates on your blog.
Teach and explain more about products
Blogs allow for in-depth explanations and teaching about what your products and services can really offer. For example, you could write customer case studies, explore specific benefits, or provide easy-to-read “how to” guides on your most technical services.
The more your company produces content like this, the more it will be seen as an authority in the industry. This not only builds up your knowledge bank, it also breeds innovation and creativity. The deeper and more complex your posts are, the more ideas you’re likely to generate.
It’s much easier to get social exposure with blog articles
Blogging is a simple way to get discovered via social media. Every time you write a blog post, you’re creating content that people can easily share on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other channels. This helps expose your company to audiences you might not even know yet.
On the other hand, blog content helps fuel your social media output. Instead of trying to pull new social media content ideas out of a hat, you can simply promote and link recent and relevant blog posts. You’re simultaneously strengthening your social media presence and bringing in new visitors. It’s a win-win.
If you’re looking to reach new audiences, build your brand and stand out from the competition. Take inspiration from the reasons above and get started on a business blog.
Having a blog not only provides a strong foundation for your marketing, it’s also fun and inspiring—and a great way to share ideas, generate new ones, and build a community of like-minded and engaged people.