Benefits of Blogging for Business
Benefits of Blogging for Business
There are generally, three kinds of people.
- Those who blog
- Those who read blogs
- Those that wonder why people blog
If you wonder why people blog, this may give you some insight.
If you read blogs for enjoyment, to get information or for camaraderie, you are among the majority.
If you are a blogger, you likely have a mission. It may be to just share thoughts and experiences. Many blog to create an income source and others blog as part of a content market strategy and for SEO purposes.
While blogging started as a homespun way to share thoughts and opinions, it is big business today. Some estimate that there are more than 300 million blogs on the internet ranging in subject matter from the care of your new kitten to how to build a home. Bloggers range from stay at home mom’s to highly educated, professionals.
Why Do People Spend Time Blogging?
Many believe the reason people blog is to share their experiences for the common good of people in a specific portion of their life. While some bloggers are altruistic in nature and seek to inform the masses of the benefits of their experiences and knowledge, most have a more bottom-line focused motive.
Advertising revenues, page-views, click-thrus, name recognition, inbound marketing, content marketing, and reputation building are but a few. Google loves websites that contain blogs, especially when they are kept fresh and pertinent. This makes blogs valuable for search engine rankings. Blogging is also a powerful way to increase visitors, as sites with blogs get 97% more inbound links than those without. There are plenty of statistics that demonstrate the power of blogging. Blogs have been shown to shorten the sales cycle, positively impact the amount of inbound lead generation, and they build trust. They are a significant source of information as consumers move through the sales process. They hold much of their power because people read them.
Why Do People Read Blogs?
Generally speaking, people read blogs to gain information. That information may help confirm their own opinions or it may help them complete a task. People read blogs to gain insights and recommendations. They may be facing an unfamiliar problem in life and in search of solutions. Every segment of society reads blogs. Readers may be searching for help on everything from selecting a baby’s name to finding the most exotic places to plan a vacation. Topics, content, and attitudes are unlimited when it comes to blogging.
The Overlooked Benefits of Blogging
While search engine rankings, clicks, and inbound links should be motivation enough to create and maintain a blog, there is a long-lasting impact blogs can have on a business that many pay little heed to. Blogs can position you and your company as an expert in your business segment and therefore brand your business.
Blogs will affect how people perceive you. Carefully crafted blogs can mold your business persona as you choose. Do you want to be perceived as an elite in your field? Would you prefer an image that is friendly, approachable, and one that is viewed as a trusted resource? Blogs can be humorous, down-to-earth, and sarcastic or they can be laser-focused on professionalism. They should always be honest, helpful, and fresh.
The point is, this “persona” should be a conscious decision. How do you want to be branded and positioned in the marketplace and does your blog help create that brand?
Sure, blogs will help with search engine visibility but they will have a long-lasting impact on the “personality” and voice of your business. It is up to you to determine what that voice will be.
The Bottom Line of Blogging
You’ve probably heard the phrase “content is king” in digital marketing today. In the past half-dozen years or so, content has climbed the ladder in terms of importance in search engine rankings. That, after all, is the purpose of a search engine, to help users find relevant content.
While many are focusing on H1 and H2 headlines and subheads, keywords, and keyword phrases and where and how often they appear in content, they may overlook the important role the content will play in branding and positioning their company.
There is an expression that says “It’s not so much what you say to a person that will make an impression but how you make them feel.” This is not to say that the content is not important, of course, it is. How your blog content is written, however, will impact how your readers feel about you. That will have a big effect on if they will want to do business with you. It is not enough to provide data or useful information. If they don’t feel good about you, they will just take the data you provided and use it when finding a resource they are more comfortable with.
How do you want your customers to feel about you? Make sure your blogs help mold that emotional bond and you can create an even bigger impression through your content marketing. You will better create a brand and position yourself in a way that converts more readers and visitors into customers.
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