Blogging is the original online content marketing strategy and is now being embraced by companies large and small.
In most cases, by the time the ‘masses’ have caught on to a latest trend, the benefits are lost and the strategy no longer works. This has not been case with blogging. In fact, the popularity and importance has continued to increase.
So, why are we all still raving about blogging?
Blogging provides 6 crucial benefits to small businesses, and business that are seeking to extend their audiences.
While your number-one goal is to convert people into purchasing customers, search engines don’t care about this. This means getting the home page of your website, or latest sale page, to the top of Google (or even on the first page!) is incredibly difficult in some markets. The primary reason for this is that search engines design their algorithms to provide information and answers to questions for their clients. For you, this means that unless you provide information that is valuable, up to date and relevant to the terms being searched, your website won’t be ranked. Conversely, providing relevant and useful information will result in your site being rewarded by search engines. Blogging is a great way to provide an answer to your prospects’ questions. If your blog ranks well, they will land on your website for the answer, and could click through to another page- learning more about your services.
The stark reality is that no matter what your industry, there are hundreds of places for your prospects to choose from. In most cases, the only way these customers can make their buying decisions is by comparing price. As we all know, price-sensitive customers are often the most challenging, and don’t necessarily appreciate the extra value that higher-cost professionals provide. By providing content-rich, relevant information freely accessible you achieve two goals:
The old adage is true whether we like to admit it or not: people buy from people. Content marketing strategies such as blogs provide the opportunity for you to demonstrate your knowledge, values and personality to all readers. Statistically, this shortens the buying lead time and converts browsers to buyers. Rather than hiding behind a corporate mirage, use this opportunity to share a snippet of your personal life and your passions- and add a touch of personality to your website.
While the basic format of your website and the offerings of your services may not change continually, adding new content will keep the feel of your website fresh and appealing. This in turn will attract new visitors and retain previous visitors as you become a hub for interesting and relevant content. This will also help to retain your position in the search engine rankings and continue to ensure your website is displayed favorably.
Creating and curating high-value content gives other people, including clients, customers, industry leaders and influencers, the opportunity to share your thoughts, knowledge and experience with their friends, family and followers. Because your blogs will be value-driven rather than sales-driven, readers will find these helpful to distribute, which can drastically increase your reach. Your expertise can extend far beyond your current audience and create a whirlwind of activity. Reciprocal sharing of blogs from other influencers and thought leaders will exponentially grow your audience reach, but also increase your network of online friends and supporters. What’s more, new blogs can be added to your social media accounts, further increasing your reach and relevance.
The reality is that no one likes to be pitched to; rather, we like to be educated and supported to make buying decisions as appropriate. Blogging high-value content and information for the marketplace gives people unfamiliar with you and your brand the opportunity to discover your expertise and experience, and begin to know, like and trust you. This high-value and relevant content cements your reputation as market leader, builds your authority and allows prospects to follow you and your work, building confidence in your organization and ensuring you retain top-of-mind awareness.
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