Annaliese Henwood
Is your business blogging?
Let me guess:
- You’re a savvy marketer seeking to branch out from the typical marketing practices you know so well.
- You’re an experienced marketer who simply wants to give a fresh look at blogging advice.
Does one or both of those scenarios fit your description? Regardless, I welcome you to read through this series on blogging practices. It will delve deeply into the very essence of the activity from the beginning to end of the process.
This article, part one of an extensive blogging series, gives you a strong introduction into the world of blogging. It explains both why your business needs a blog and what blogging can do for your bottom line.
———
Why do I need a blog?
If you’re considering adopting a blogging plan, you shouldn’t go any further without asking yourself the above question. While my advice below is both compelling and truthful, none of it matters if it doesn’t apply to your business’ own unique needs. Take everything I say in all of my posts seriously, but don’t let my advice or the suggestions of others lead you down a path that isn’t right for your business.
I’ve collected the input of several prominent bloggers to explain exactly how important it is for your business to have a blog. Sources range from HubSpot to QuickSprout to Kapost. As I include these resources, I also add several content samples along the way. Among these samples, there are stats that can help you determine the ROI of your efforts and/or whether blogging fits your marketing needs.
Corey Eridon of HubSpot has an article with the “Benefits of Blogging.” You may have heard of HubSpot’s services before, but there’s one fact in particular I must mention: they have a very resourceful blog. In this article in particular, Corey tells you some of the key benefits of blogging ranging from web traffic to thought leadership.
Article Highlights:
With each blog article, you increase your chance of being placed higher in Google search results because every article is essentially another webpage for Google to index and rank.
Dechay Watts of Sprout Content has an article called: “19 Reasons Why Your Business Should Be Writing a Blog.” In this article, she gives readers many great reasons why blogging should be an essential part of a business’ marketing plan. Out of the 19 reasons mentioned, I especially agree with number six…
Article Highlights:
When you build a blog, publish a few articles, and share them on your social networks, you should be sharing your company’s personality just as much as its mission and goals. While sales results are absolutely important, you’re not going to receive that big ROI if you don’t provide a human feel to your work. Let your authors add a little humor. Give your content a little color. Have fun.
Neil Patel of QuickSprout also published an article on why businesses should blog. This article deals more with the super-convincing statistics to help writers convince higher authorities of a blog’s value. Here’s an example of some content you can find there…
Article Highlights:
When you develop an established blog for your company, you’re going to find that more and more people are coming to read what you have to say, especially if you publicize correctly. In Neil’s article, he mentions that 70% of customers find out about your business through your blog. That’s a big number worth taking advantage of!
Kapost is the last source I mention in part one. You’ve read the other articles, right? I’ll just assume you have. Katrina Pfannkuch of Kapost gives her own take on blogging statistics in her article on the “Awesome Power of Corporate Blogging.” Although she only gives ten stats, they are big ROI provers. I especially agree with number six…
Article Highlights:
Sometimes, when marketers are all wrapped up in their own worlds with their own missions and goals, they forget to consider their audience and what those potential customers might prefer to see. People want to see interesting and compelling content coming from the brands they follow. If you provide that content, you’re far more likely to gain more fans and followers both on social media and your blog itself. That, in turn, can increase sales, which I’m sure you really want to see grow.
———
Well, there you have it! The first part of this blogging series. I hope you found the curated content helpful.
This article originally appeared on the Marketing Innovator blog.
(312)
