Do Small Businesses Need a Blog?
Chris Mulvaney is the CEO of CMDS. I make things... I’m the creative entrepreneur with passion for (re)making brands and inventing solutions to problems no one knows exist.
Why Every Business Should be Blogging
Whether you’re a real estate professional, HVAC company, local law firm or plumber, blogging is an important marketing tool that allows you to create relevant (and useful) content for your customers. It’s a chance to position your brand a leader in your field, gain trust and communicate directly with the consumer and/or other businesses on a deeper level. Join us in getting the conversation started today:
What is a Blog?
Let’s start off with a description of how blogging began back in the 1990s. When G-Shocks hit the market and the Discman became the new walkman, individuals used to log entries in a diary-type format on their computers (probably with a dark green screen with bright green text). They would publish their own opinions on an internet post (probably using a dial-up connection) called a “weblog” about any subject that interested them. This online diary, later shortened to the word, “blog,” grew and by the mid-2000s, reached mainstream to also be used for daily news digests, product reviews and sharing professional knowledge. Many different platforms have housed blogs including Easyspace, blogger.com and the most popular now, WordPress.
What is a Business Blog?
Business blogs use the same technology as a personal blog, but are crafted with targeted keywords that focus on a specific industry and are written with a certain target audience in mind (your customers). Blogging for your business lets the consumer know who you are and humanizes your brand. It also helps drive traffic and boost search engine rankings immensely. Think of your business blog as part of your online marketing services. Along with PPC management services, email marketing and remarketing, copywriting can be what differentiates your business from your competitors.
Benefits of a Business Blog
Attract prospective customers and develop new business opportunities with your current customers simply by positioning yourself as a leader in your industry. Blogging is an inexpensive way to get your message out on a regular basis; enhancing the visibility of your brand. The main investment? Time. Whether you are a large corporation, small business or a start-up company, taking time to create content is a valuable marketing tool. Check out our recent post, “7 Secrets to Building Your Company’s Blog Audience” to maximize your digital storyboard and gain new customers.
How Often Should I Post to My Blog?
How often do you update the pages on your website? Probably not that often, right? Every time you write and publish a blog post, it’s adding one more indexed page on your website that cues search engines like Google to pay attention. Every new page (blog post) is one more chance drive traffic to your website through organic searches by optimizing your SEO efforts. Post new content at least 1-2 times a week…or more.
Content Marketing Works Only if it’s Shared
So, you’ve taken the step to start a blog and you’ve invested in quality content to regularly post on your blog…now how do you let the world know it exists? Simply hitting the “publish” button won’t automatically get readers to your blog. Small businesses must be strategic in promoting their content to get the most bang for their blog. Each time you write a new post, you’re creating an opportunity to start a conversation on social networks like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Google+. This helps you to expand your reach and strengthen relationships with future (and current) customers.
Once you get all that traffic zooming to your website, you have an opportunity to convert that traffic into leads by simply adding a lead-generating call-to-action within every blog that you post.
57% of Businesses Acquire a Customer through Their Blog: Make Your Words Count
When you produce high-quality content and put time and effort into the articles you write, you’re more likely to stand out among the rest. Don’t have the time to create meaningful and powerful content? CMDS’s team of seasoned professional writers takes words and optimizes the content for users and the best possible search engine visibility, adds a call-to-action and then gets the conversation started across your social media channels. It’s what we do. Whether it’s producing relevant articles for your website or managing your corporate blog, contact our team today to make your words count! We work with hundreds of businesses- worldwide to New Jersey. Give us a buzz… we won’t bite!