Small businesses around the world are starting to understand the value of having an online presence, but many still don’t quite grasp the importance of having a blog. If you’ve seen your competitors start blogs and are wondering how one could possibly help you, then this article has the answers you’re looking for. Fortunately, blogging is incredibly accessible, especially if you already have a website, so you’ll be able to get started right away if you decide it’s right for you.
SEO
One of the best ways of boosting your search engine rankings is by starting a blog. While optimising your web pages is a great place to start, a blog can deliver so much more traffic to your website. Make sure that you do some keyword research and develop a content strategy to give you the best chance at being seen by searchers. It’s also a good idea to end each blog with a call to action so readers can get in touch with you to find out more about your services. If you’re struggling with starting and planning your blog, a Belfast based SEO agency can give you all the help you need on your new journey.
Engagement and authority
A blog is a brilliant way to encourage your audience to actively engage with your business. Depending on the types of articles you write, readers might leave comments or share your articles with others on social media. This will improve your reach and get more people excited about your company. Over time, audiences will get used to seeing your business name popping up and will start to see you as an authoritative voice within your industry. Marketing a business is about more than just selling products and services, it’s about encouraging people to trust you and view you as someone worth investing time and money in.
Provide information
Sometimes a web page doesn’t give a customer enough information to convince them to make a purchase. Blogs can capture potential customers at every stage of the buying cycle rather than focusing on just those who already know what they want. Educational blog posts can alert customers to the fact that you have a solution to the problem they’re having, offering them lots of information about your industry and how you can help. If you often get a lot of questions from customers about how your products work, consider creating a blog post that answers these. This way, you’ll be able to direct future queries straight to that page for greater efficiency.
Encourage conversions
Once your blog is up and running, you can think about pairing some of your posts with the invitation to sign up for an e-mail newsletter or download an eBook. This way you’ll be able to build your customer database with the promise of more, high-quality free content. If customers are impressed by all the information they receive for free, they’re more likely to buy into your services as they’ll perceive these as being well worth their money.
