These days, having a website is almost a prerequisite to owning a business. The same can be said about having a blog. However, there are pitfalls, and they can be bad. A well-maintained and regularly updated blog can make you an authority, whereas sites with poorly articulated or outdated material can make your business look like a joke. Why blog? The short answer is because it’s a simple, low-cost platform for connecting with your customers and providing timely, relevant information.
Blogging Is Easy
One of the many benefits of blogging comes in the form of next-to-free advertising. Search engines love valuable content, and they will reward you for it in the form of highlighting your business. All you have to do is provide a steady stream of well-written content.
Why blog when I can just update my website? Good question. But, there is a huge difference between the two. Since your blogging site essentially acts as fodder for your Facebook, LinkedIn, and all other social media accounts, it gives you a much larger voice; it’s the place where your products can really shine. In the old days, businesses would hire a publicist to get reviews of their products into the hands of customers through newspapers. Well, blogging has taken over that role minus the publicist (unless you want to hire one anyway).
Why blog if I’m just writing about my own company? Yes, that’s the point. Not only do posts create two-way conversations between the business and the customer, they also make you think deeper about your business.
Think about it. You will be on top of the latest business trends and know more directly the needs of your customers because you are writing about them. Studies constantly show that consumers are more likely to buy products from companies they deem authoritative. You are letting them know that you’re that person, and you’re doing it on a regular basis.
Sharpen Your Business Focus
Blogging sharpens your business focus. To create a strategy, you must define who you are writing for and why; for a blog with no focus attracts no readers. So stay sharp, stay ahead of the curve. Blogging will compel you stay on top of the news, trends, and your competitors. It also helps establish you as a leader, not a follower.
Blogging Costs Very Little
Every post you publish becomes a long-term asset that will stay in the public domain, virtually forever, helping to build brand awareness and promote your expertise with products within and far beyond your city or town. Unless you hire a writer, authoring and posting articles can cost you nothing but a little time.
So, why blog? Because you need new customers, and they want a vested interest in your product.