Running a small business or building a brand feels like a juggling act some days. From curating social media posts to honing the services or goods you offer, your to-do list manages to look more full at the end of the day than it did at the beginning. Starting a blog — or updating a dormant one — sounds daunting, but a blog adds credibility and value to your brand.
Photo courtesy of Lauren Mancke for Unsplash
1. Drive traffic to your site
Keeping new content on your site gives you something new to share on social media. Sure, readers may be coming to read your tips for picking the perfect fine-lined pens and not to buy your artwork — yet. However, getting more eyes on your site is never a bad thing. Compelling content helps you can lower your bounce rate (that pesky stat measuring how quickly people leave your site once they arrive. Giving people a reason to stick around means it's more likely that they’ll click around and end up curious about the goods or services you offer.
2. Increase brand engagement
Small business owners yearn for authentic engagement with their customers and followers — and potential customers and followers. Blog posts help you start conversations with readers and allow them to share their opinions and thoughts with you, as well. Be sure to keep up with comment responses to truly reap the benefits of those conversations.
3. Further brand your business
Finding your "blogging voice" helps differentiate your brand from competitors. Really think about the image you're projecting with your words and tone. Do you want readers to see you as a zany uncle giving advice or an omnipotent expert on your niche? Once you define that voice, you can hone it on your blog. That voice should carry over onto your social media accounts, too!
Related: Instagram offers another way to define your brand
4. Improve SEO
Search engine optimization helps people find you. SEO works like a beacon, shining your light to people searching for an unknown port. Better SEO makes that beacon brighter, and a blog helps your SEO. Content needs to be interesting — and helpful — to your readers, but by focusing in on topics and keywords relevant to your business, you can navigate yourself into a better position for searches.
5. Help your Google ranking
Posting regularly on your blog means your content is consistently updating. No matter how lovely your page might look, a static site that only updates when you add items to an online store or change your design doesn’t fare well on the internet. The online sphere rewards quick turnover and frequent updates. A blog nudges Google each time you post, letting them know you're still working and ready to grow.
6. Highlight your value
Show your best assets with your blog. What are you an expert in? What can you offer? Your blog isn’t a place to only push your services — potential customers can find those on their own. Your blog helps those same potential customers decide why they should do business with you and not your competitors.
7. Stay in tune with your industry
Writing about industry trends means staying on top of those trends. Between the daily tasks of running a small business and making sure your overall business plan is operating the way you want means entrepreneurs can find themselves working in a self-imposed bubble. Blogging gives you the chance to operate outside the bubble by checking in on what's happening around you.
8. Get insight into your customers and potential customers
Looking at blogging stats opens a window into both customers and potential customers. You can see which types of posts perform well — and which ones don't. Knowing what's clicking with the people clicking onto your site helps you determine future strategies for social media and sales.
Have you considered startING a blog for your small business? What's stopping you?
Remember, you don't need to go at it alone. Take Flight Social Media Consulting would be thrilled to help you with content creation for your site.