Writing appealing blog posts is a crucial part of your digital marketing strategy.
In fact, 70 million blog posts are published on WordPress every month.
According to Hubspot marketers who prioritise blogging are 13 x more likely to enjoy a positive ROI.
So, what exactly is a blog and how can it benefit your business?
A business blog is a section of your website, where you write about topics related to your products, services, and the industry as a whole.
Blogging has become a fundamental component of a successful marketing strategy with the goal to increase your company’s online presence and authority to boost SEO.
Each blog post covers different customer pain points but is always relevant to your subject field offering advice to consumers as well as answering any questions they have.
Blogging is a great way to build trust and awareness for your company.
When you share your expertise, publish helpful and original content, you’ll be the first business your target customer thinks of when they are looking to buy your product or service.
Below, we highlight the 4 most effective ways blogging can benefit your business in today’s extremely competitive environment.
1. Blogging Increases SEO Traffic to Your Site
Everyone wants to rank on the first page of search engine results to generate traffic for their websites.
Blogging is a great tool for generating search traffic. It gives Google Bing, Yahoo, and other search engines new and fresh content to discover and index and creates an opportunity for your business to be found on SERPs (search engine results pages).
Other website users may begin to link to your articles allowing you to benefit from their backlinks.
According to HubSpot more than 75% of internet users say they read blogs regularly. And unlike many social media posts, a blog is generally searchable on your site for a long time.
As we know, more qualified website traffic is good for any kind of business. More people on your site can only mean more enquiries, more entries on contact forms, and more product sales.
Think of it as an employment reference – search engines consider backlinks as endorsements of your company.
By including SEO keywords, topics, and subtopics in your content, you’ll improve your chances of being visible for the terms you want to be found for.
2. Blogging Helps You Become an Industry Leader
One of the most powerful benefits of blogging is the ability to portray yourself as an industry leader.
You may not be a household name just yet but with every blog post that you publish, you are building a recognisable brand that your audience will trust. Your blog acts as an ongoing portfolio of your work and expertise.
Create content that speaks to your target audience and show them what kind of results they can expect, it gives you the chance to present yourself as a company who know exactly what is going on in your industry and in time, helping you to become the ‘go-to’ brand.
3. Blogging Creates Opportunities for Sharing and Word-of-Mouth
Social media platforms are incredibly influential. Each blog you publish is creating an opportunity for your audience to share it with their family, friends, and followers. This offers a chance for viral traffic and a boost in your company’s growth.
Encourage visitors to interact with your content by asking questions, responding to comments, and even display a social sharing button at the bottom of your blog as your call-to-action.
A staggering 92% of consumers believe a recommendation from a friend and family over any other type of advertising (Yotpo Studio). So, whether they link to your blog post, tweet about it, or even speak about it (word-of-mouth), it’s free marketing and further validates you as a credible business.
All of this helps get people more invested in your business and spread the word to others.
4. Blogging Builds Your Brand Identity
Blogging is the perfect opportunity to share your company’s personality!
Whether it’s chatty and humorous, educational, and straight-talking, the character of your business can be portrayed in a way its outbound marketing effort cannot.
Just remember to keep your tone of voice, styling, and colouring consistent and on-brand.
Take global fashion e-retailer Pretty Little Thing (PLT), for example. PLT is targeted at young women aged between 16 to 24 and has a blog dedicated to all things fashion, beauty, dating, etc.
When browsing through both their website and blog, it’s clear they are using the very same chatty, conversational language their target audience would: “As per, you’ve got endless plans to attend and each requires a bomb outfit.”
Throughout October 2020, PLT published 16 fashion blogs all focusing on ‘How to Wear.’ Each item featured was linked to the main website listing encouraging users to see-tap-shop in a matter of steps.
This technique of providing useful tips is making it easier for PLT to reach prospective new customers, increase sales, and give customers the instant access they desire.
Summary
People read blogs every day. From when they wake up in the morning, on their commute to work and before bedtime, they click on interesting headlines, and see useful guides shared by colleagues and friends on social media.
They ask questions from Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant and click on the recommended content without questioning it.
Blogging is a powerful tool that all businesses with an online presence will benefit from. It requires minimal effort at a low expense and allows you to boost search engine rankings, increase website traffic, and foster deeper relationships with potential and current customers.
NICOLA MONGON is the MD of Spotlight Recruitment, the leading marketing recruitment agency in the UK since 2008. Read our 5* Google reviews from candidates and clients to find our more. If you would like to discuss recruitment, you can reach Spotlight on 020 3008 4254 or info@spotlightrecruitment.com.
