In our Summer 2019 issue, we started the conversation about content marketing, and what it can do for your business. In the fall, we talked about email marketing with Regina-based copywriter Patti Haus. This issue, it’s all about blogs.
One of the most effective ways to build brand awareness, provide useful and relevant content to your target audience, and create reliable search terms is through consistent blogging.
In this digital age, you have to have a solid web presence and strategic content. But if you aren’t sure a blog will help your business, here are my five favorite reasons to add a blog to your website:
1. Google loves content
Think of the last time you were looking for a product. Chances are you headed to Google and searched for that product.
Google is undeniably one of the most important things a business has to think about, but it’s not enough to have a home page and a list of your products or services. A regularly updated blog will help you show up in searches. Good search engine optimization (SEO) results are mainly driven by new content and relevant keywords and blogs provide you with a platform for both.
2. Sell your products and services
Your products or services help solve problems for your prospects. Writing a blog post that shows off your products and services will go a long way to showing your customers where those products or services fit into their lives.
Blogs provide the perfect place to show off your products through inbound links (and it lives forever, unlike social media posts).
3. You have things to share on social media and via email that’ll bring them back to your website
If you’ve ever had the dreaded blank page syndrome when you sat down to write a Facebook post or email, blogs might be the answer to your prayers. A great blog post can be used over and over for multiple social media platforms and for your email marketing.
And when your audience knows they want to read your blog, they are one step closer to your products and services (also on your website…).
4. Show your authority and answer questions
Your audience is looking for an authority to buy from. A well-written blog post can make customers see you as an authority who is worth following and listening to. It’s easier to show what you know in a blog post than any other form of communication, especially if it’s well done.
Have you ever found yourself answering the same questions over and over again? A blog post is the perfect place to answer. In fact, that’s a great content strategy – answer the questions your audience is asking to save yourself from answering it repeatedly AND enjoy search traffic.
5. Share your lead magnets
You’ve probably heard “the money is in the list.” Well, your blog post is the perfect way to invite people to join your email list with a well-placed lead magnet. The lead magnet is a free incentive you offer readers in exchange for joining your subscribers. Combined with a strategic email marketing plan, this can be an easy way to increase sales and product visits.
Final Thoughts
Although writing great blog content takes time, it might just make sense for your business. With minimal expense, creating consistent and well written blog posts might be the answer to the problem of spending too much time and money on paid advertising.
