Most website Content Management Systems (CMS) come with in-built blog functionality, but articles can be time consuming to create. If your business is not already sharing news regularly, consider these motivators to help understand why you should be blogging more:
1. Boost SEO visibility
Google and other search engines like it when content is added to your website. Fresh content means that your website is up-to-date, relevant and that your business is worthy of high ranking and visibility in online searches. If your blogs contain industry-specific, searchable keywords they will help with your overall Google search rankings. As little as one quality piece of content a month could go a long way towards improving your SEO score.
2. Strengthen reputation
Reputable and informative blog articles can help to position your business as an industry leader, and boost your reputation both on and offline. By demonstrating your knowledge in relation to your sector, or industry happenings, then customers and potential customers can see that you are reputable and reliable, experts in your field.
3. Reusable content
Blog post or news articles are substantial pieces of content and don’t have to sit alone on your website. They can also be included in marketing emails and drive traffic as part of pay-per-click campaigns. Blogs can be recycled and used in offline channels such as corporate literature, press releases and editorial spots, or even at sales presentations or business events.
4. Shareable content
Blogs are perfect for sharing across your social media channels and can be read and shared again by influencers in your business sector. This can help with online visibility and act as advertising, drawing more traffic to your site, generating enquiries or helping with brand recognition.
5. Stand-out from competition
Your blog items can communicate what is great about your businesses, products or services and be used to differentiate yourself from your competitors. Highlight your areas of specialism, what you offer to your customers (that your competitors don’t) and the key benefits of buying from you. Think about what sets your business apart and create narratives that help potential customers see why they should choose you.
6. Build trust
Trust-build to show that you are reliable and create confidence in your business or products. Use your blogs to share with customers how you went above-and-beyond expectations with a recent request or project, craft case study’s that demonstrate customer satisfaction and share positive reviews and testimonials. You can also highlight landmarks such as company achievements, accreditations or how many years you have been in business.
7. Improve internal communications
Blogs are commonly used to communicate key company information to your external audience but, likewise, they are a simple and time-effective way of communicating to your internal staff. Make your company blog the default landing page on your internal browsers, or email blog links to all of your employees to help keep them informed and up-to-date with business developments.
8. Show humanity
Use your blogs to show the softer, more human, sides of your business. Write about any CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activities you are involved with, particularly the hot topics of sustainability and the environment. Demonstrating your involvement with charities, sponsorship programmes or employee initiatives can help customers and potential talent see that your business thinks beyond its industry and is part of the wider community.