Running a small business may seem like you’re running around like a mad person. After all, there are meetings, deadlines, clients, and financial burdens to think about. Who has time for a blog, right? You may want to rethink your answer to that question. A blog is an incredibly important marketing tool. From growing your business to being seen as an expert in your industry, having a blog can help take your brand and business to the next level.
Drive New Traffic to Your Site
You’ve looked at the metrics; you’ve analyzed the data and you realize your website isn’t reaching the people you want it to. As you wonder why that could be, you may be overlooking a major component of driving traffic to your website – a blog.
As part of your inbound marketing initiative, blog articles will attract new visitors to your site and then work to convert those customers to leads. When a visitor opens one of your blog posts, you’ve introduced them to your brand and what you have to offer. This is the first step of creating a customer.
Be Seen as an Expert in Your Field
Each blog post you write creates a new unique URL to your website. As you create more content and have a bigger presence on the web, your visitors, leads and customers will take notice. However, creating quality, informative content will also show that you’re an industry expert and you can establish yourself as the go-to resource for your industry.
To be seen as an expert, you have to answer the questions your visitors are asking. Do some research to see what your competitors are discussing. Look at market trends and create content around those. There are many ways to write content that appeals to those who are looking for answers. And when you provide the answer in an educational and informational way, you’ll not only answer their question, but they’ll likely come to you when they have another question in your industry.
Strategy & Best Practices
While writing a blog article can be as simple as sitting down and typing it out, there are some strategies and best practices to keep in mind. Here are a few:
- Do keyword research. Create a list of long-tail keywords that your buyer personas are looking for and write content around those keywords.
- Pick one topic per post. Don’t try to cover too much in one post. If needed, create a blog series if a topic needs more than one post.
- Write content that’s easy to skim through. Reading online is different than reading in print. For your posts, write short paragraphs, utilize white space, and break up the content with pictures.
- Give the post value. Make it clear what the reader will get out of the post. Whether it’s 5 Ways to Screw in a Light Bulb, or 12 Tips for Passing the Bar Exam, be clear as to the purpose of the post, and make sure it brings value to the customer.
- Always give a call to action. You have the visitor on your web page, so use this opportunity to provide them with more educational material. This not only solidifies the fact that you’re an expert in your field, but also will provide a way for you to get their contact information and move them into the buyer cycle.
- Promote your blog through social media. Posting to your blog is only the first step of the article’s lifecycle. Share your posts on your social media channels and try to get people talking about it and, importantly, sharing it within their networks.
Blogging doesn’t have to be a chore. Now that you see its value in driving people to your website and generating more leads, you want to make sure it doesn’t get pushed to the bottom of your to-do list. However, if writing or promoting your blog posts seems too much, Seapoint Digital is here to help. We can take the whole process off your plate and handle it, from blog topic brainstorming, to writing, to promoting. Call us today to see how we can help you grow your brand.
