Have you ever wondered what the benefits of blogging for business are? Writing a blog opens doors for you to create timely and relevant content, which reaches diverse audiences.
A few years ago, many believed that blogging was about to die a quiet death. Fashions had changed with the rise of social media. Not so fast! Blogging is alive and well, and is more important than ever in my opinion. In the world of communications there is a big gap between the micro content being published on social media and traditional press releases that are published online as original content. Blogging can fill that gap very effectively. And the benefits of blogging for business can be huge.
This is not blogging …
Firstly, let’s put aside a few misconceptions.
A few years ago, blogging was about people keeping diaries and recording details of their day. The content was certainly much more personal back in the early days of blogging. Later, when Twitter was launched, the common complaint was that Twitter was only a place to take photos of your meals and say “Yum, Yum”, no more. And then the same was said of Instagram. What changes, eh?
The truth is that while social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook are still in a kind of adolescence, starting to reach a greater maturity, blogging is now very much an adult in the world of the web. It is a place to discuss topics seriously. Done properly, you can use a blog to showcase your expertise, and keep your online brand relevant.
What are the benefits of blogging for business
So let’s look at some of the key benefits of blogging for businesses and organisations seeking to develop their digital content.
1. Timely and relevant content
Many websites have ballooned in size over the years by finishing on static content. ‘Static content’ is usually pages that do not change from one month or year to the next and where content becomes irrelevant very quickly, and makes a website look uninteresting. If users have to search through old content to find the new, relevant information, it is likely that they will not be inclined to find the content that they are looking for.
This is why repurposing content to a blog is a good idea, especially if you have a lot of content that is outdated and you want to publish news on a regular basis. It keeps your website fresh, and makes it easy to find the latest content on your website.
If you are worried about the old valuable content getting lost, remember that content that is interesting, relevant and well-written gains authority over time as it is viewed and shared. It will still be found by searching the web, or searching your website. You can also offer content filters on your blog to access content related to a particular subject or date, so they can find old content easily.
2. Making you and your staff experts in your field
Every good business wants to be seen as an authority and expert in their own field. And the staff of the business, more than anyone else are the custodians of those specialties. They know what your customers ask.
You could take the view that attitude that your specialities and knowledge are thing to be protected – a copyright of the business, if you like. But I don’t think this is a healthy attitude today. If you can answer many top-level questions that your customers and audience ask, with good content that is available for free, then you will be in the forefront of customers’ minds when thinking of finding information and making that informed purchase.
Obviously, you are not going to reveal everything online. But I would argue that your knowledge of your field is something to share, and not protect from competitors and customers. The goal here is to gain authority and customers’ trust.
If you are selling cars, explain which 10 cars are going to be selling like hot cakes in the coming year. If you sell jewellery, discuss the process of creating your work. If you run a cafe or restaurant, talk about the content of the menus in more detail to make customers lick their lips, or mention the “5 top coffees to start the morning”!
Sharing information and ideas is a long-term strategy. It can provide much more benefit than being protective and closed.
3. Increased attention to your brand and your online visibility
It stands to reason that the more quality content that you can create, you will benefit from:
- appearing higher in search results
- having more unique and original content to share with your customers and potential customers (remember to share the content on social media!)
- putting your information in front of more audiences, increasing the visibility your brand
Remember, at the end of the blog, to always give you reader an action that they can take, such as signing up to a newsletter, or link to visit your online or physical shop.
This is not expensive either, you do not have to create a new website. You can get started in a flash on platforms like Medium or LinkedIn, or it is also easy to start a WordPress blog and add it to your website later.
Have you ever thought of going this? Have you experienced any difficulties or problems? Let me know in the comments below.