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Digital marketing has become a messiah for small businesses. Social media platforms and websites have made it easier for small businesses to advertise themselves and to connect with their target audiences. An important component of the digital world, blogging has gained traction as an effective tool for marketing. In a survey, 53% of marketers marked blogging as their top content marketing priority.
The reason behind the rising popularity of blogs is that they are a cost-effective way that marketers can use to generate traffic to their website and increase awareness about their products or services, especially for B2B marketers. Instead of paying thousands of dollars for a TV spot or one-time ad in a trade magazine, they can devise a six-month content strategy within the same budget.
Here is why small businesses should start their blog:
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Establish yourself as an expert
A blog is perhaps the quickest way to establish yourself as an expert in the industry. It gives you a platform where you can share your knowledge and tips with customers. Be generous with free advice and with time as you establish your authority, you will become a go-to person for your industry niche.
The example of Moz is quite relevant here. Moz doesn’t just create content for the sake of it; it uses the platform to inform and educate its users. Readers interact with the blog, asking for advice and tips. Moz is now perceived to be as an industry leader.
There are certain things you can do to establish yourself as an expert such as answer the questions that your readers may have.
Second, communicate with other people in the industry, mention them in your blog, and as a return favour, they might remember you in theirs. To expand your reach, you can use guest blogging to share high-quality content to other niche sites. This way, you will get exposure as well as a potential link back to your site.
The process of writing and promoting blogs as a niche is relatively straightforward since there are fewer competitors and customers have fewer options to select from.
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Increase traffic to your site
Do you know that companies with blogs have 434% more indexed pages? That number is perhaps pretty much all you need to be convinced. Blogging boosts your site’s quality by making it as a website that is relevant to your customers’ queries. Optimizing a blog or a website for search engines means higher visibility and hence increase in traffic.
Blogging helps your SEO in three ways:
- First, it gives search engines fresh content, and Google loves unique content. It shows the search engine that your site is active and relevant.
- Second, it is an efficient way to utilise keywords. Keywords are the backbone of any SEO strategy. Including relevant keywords increases your chances of showing up in search results when users search for your product or service.
- Third, blogging gives you backlinks from other sites. Links can be thought of as online testimonials. They tell Google that you offer good and reliable information and hence Google is more likely to give you a higher ranking.
How often should you post to get a decent amount of traffic? Well, the more, the better. Research shows that companies that publish 16 or more posts per month get 4.5 times more leads than companies that released only 4 or less.
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Improves conversion rates
Unique and fresh content would bring traffic to your website. However, traffic means nothing if it is not helping you generate sales. Blogs are not only meant for increasing traffic; they also improve your conversion rates and hence increase your sales.
Conversion may mean different things to different companies. For example, conversion can be filling out a subscription form, or it could be making an actual purchase. Whatever, the goal may be, ultimately you want your website to generate revenue, and your content has the power to convert your visitors into customers.
To improve your conversion rates, you can include calls to action without intruding on the reader. If you have a promotion that you want your readers to check out, you can mention it in the top or sidebar. Other tactics include using a slide bar once readers have reached a point on the post. A light box up is another effective strategy; in fact, research shows that it can help you get 1375% more subscribers.
No conversion strategy is perfect or absolute. Hence, you need to keep testing different alternatives. Use A/B testing to see which call to action works the most.
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Build a community
Your blog can help you build a robust community of loyalists that not only purchase from you but also advocate for you. When done correctly, a community creates a participatory experience for your customers. Instead of overloading them with information, you invite customers to build a relationship with your company as well as each other.
Online communities come with multiple benefits. First, they reduce the costs of customer support since customers answer each other questions. In a survey, 49% of the businesses said that they save up to 10 to 20% through branded communities. Industries such as insurance that deal with a lot of queries especially benefit from online communities.
Online communities are also an educational resource for customer insight and assist with the development of new product ideas.
Starbucks has got the hang of it. Its blog is not all about coffee; instead, it uses its blog as a brainstorming platform. Customers from all around the world submit their suggestions regarding new products, store designs and packaging and Starbucks shares these inisghts on its blog.
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Build a relationship with your brand
A blog is a great opportunity for your brand to build a strong relationship with your customers that goes beyond just transactions. It allows you to humanise your brand. Why do you need to do that you may ask? It is because people respond to people. It is that simple. You need to show your consumers that you are a company that genuinely cares about them beyond just scoring a sale. Hence, whatever content you create, it should be relevant to your audience, and it should inspire them.
Taking your audience behind the scenes is another great idea. We all love to get a sneak peek of what happens in the company and how it is run. Share pictures and videos of your team and you will be impressed by how people love to connect with your brand.
Final thoughts:
A blog doesn’t start paying off immediately; it takes time and effort. In a small business, an entrepreneur is usually managing most of the things. However, you cannot possibly run a business and manage a blog simultaneously since it needs dedication. Hence, it would be better if you hire someone that can handle your online marketing. Relevant interview questions for online marketing will help you choose the right candidate.
Small businesses often hire consultants to advise them. If you are a consultant, you can use these reasons to convince your client to start a blog. Make sure to include the goals and objectives of the company in your list of business consulting questions to ask the client.
“The opinions expressed by BizWitty Contributors are their own, not those of BizCover and should not be relied upon in place of appropriate professional advice. Please read our full disclaimer."