If you knew that great new clients were trying to reach you, would you ignore their calls? The same situation happens on a daily basis when people search online for your product or service and you don’t have a business blog.

 

These days, it’s not enough to just have a website. Much like your phone, a website really only works when you use it! Your business website should be a 24/7/365 marketing tool and your company’s best lead generator. That starts with having a business blog on your company website.

Many of my clients thought that they didn’t need a blog on their websites, they had reasons like this;

 

• They think nobody knows them so why would anyone care about what they have to say
• They don’t think they have the time to blog
• They’re afraid that they are bad writers
• Their bosses don’t understand the value of blogging in their field
• They think they have nothing to write about

 

Let’s take a closer look at the facts about business blogs and why they are so important.

 

Search Engine Rankings

 

Google has put more and more emphasis on original content when it comes to organic search engine rankings. That is why you hear so much talk about content marketing these days. The easiest way to help your ranking is to start posting new content. Content can be anything from sharing commentary and a link to an article, your latest business news, your upcoming schedule, a picture or chart, etc. It helps when you develop new content that you think of the word or phrase that is the main point of the post and literally hi-light that word by including it in a headline or making those words bold on the page. That tells the search engines what your page is about and helps the ranking.

 

Stay connected with your customers and staff

 

You may think that nobody knows you or cares what you have to write about, but you are wrong! Whether you have existing clients or are just starting out, the people that can benefit from your product or service are the people that will care about what you post. Nearly 90% of consumers search online for business before making a decision. When you are sharing content that addresses their pains (why they are searching online in the first place) then you are more likely to convert those visitors into real actionable leads. The same can be said for your off-site sales staff. You can keep them updated on the latest news and pricing using your website, if not with a blog then a new page on your site that can be private if so desired.

 

Brand Development

 

A business blog that is updated with some regularity begins to establish a “personality” for your brand. If you don’t have the time or desire to write your own content then it is important to work with the kinds of writers and graphic designers that can professionally and  effectively reflect the vision of your brand. When you are working with a writer, you can give them advice on topics of interest to you and your industry, a few bullet points with your opinions about those topics, and maybe even some words that you use frequently that will make it seem more like your writing. A good content writer will add tags and SEO to each post, to help in the search rankings.

You can also share your blog posts on your social media pages and generate engagement from those platforms that leads back to your website.