4 Reasons Why a Business Blog Is Critical for Your Success

We know it’s not easy juggling the various aspects of your growing business. And with so many demands on your work day, the apparently less crucial task of starting a business blog has taken a backseat.

You are not alone. Many small business owners say they just don’t have the time to manage a blog. But here’s the thing – when you say you don’t have time for something, the more likely reason is that you don’t think that the task or activity is significant enough to your business’ bottom line.

So, is your lack of inclination to start a blog driven by the fact that you don’t think blogging has real value and is crucial to your business success? If that is the case, we hope our post today will compel you to think otherwise.

4 Reasons You Really Should Have a Small Business Blog

At VirTasktic, we do a lot of writing and manage a lot of blogs for clients in all kinds of industries. One thing we can say for sure is that when a business puts out valuable content that is targeted to their audience, it has great effects on their business. Not only does it validate a businesses expertise in their particular area, it is a great way of creating interest with prospects and trust with customers and clients.

Here are 4 ways a business blog can add value to your small business.

1. Generate Leads

Perhaps the number one question on your mind is – “How will sales improve if I start a blog?”

Well here’s the caveat. A business blog is a marketing tool that will help to sell your business online and pull in customers; it is not an all-out sales channel. That being said, here’s how your blog can become a business generator:

Build an Email Base of Potential Customers

When a website visitor sees interesting content published on your blog, they are more likely to share their email address to get new post updates. As soon as you have a substantial email base, you can start sending informative emails and monthly newsletters to engage these potential customers.

Drive Customer Contacts Through ‘Call to Action’ (CTA)

The topics that work the best for business blogs are those that are based on common customer problems, interests, and queries. While the main content of the blogs will focus on educating the reader, at the end of each post you can include a call-to-action, or CTA, pitching your business to potential customers who’ve shown an interest in your content.

Our blog aims to help small business owners be better informed and empowered to help themselves. But we also use it as a launchpad to connect with potential customers. This post, for instance, is targeting small business owners who are unsure about the benefits of a blog. Having read the blog, we hope that they may be interested in our content marketing service. That becomes our CTA. (See how we did that??!!)

Improve Your Website’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

You have a business website because you want customers to find you when they do an online search for your product or service. The probability of that happening depends on your website’s search engine ranking.

One of the most important factors that Google considers when ranking websites is content. That’s right…CONTENT. This means that if you want to attract the attention of search engines you need to publish quality blog posts with recurring frequency. A higher number of likes shares and comments on your business blog will indicate to search engines that your website has quality content, which shoots up your website’s relevance. And that means more people will find your website; blog, products, services – everything.

For the blogging non-believers, here’s data backing the benefits of blogging for small business.

• B2B companies that blog receive 67% more leads than those that do not.
• Companies who blog get 97% more links to their website.

2. Establish Business Credibility and Market Your Expertise

You started a business because you believe that the product or service you offer is something unique or fills a demand gap in the market. It also means that you know the industry well enough to be somewhat of a subject-matter expert. Use your business blog to share your knowledge of the industry, and other topics of interest to your customers. Adding layer after layer of information will build trust and loyalty with your target audience, which will translate to purchases and referrals in the future.

When you are focused on creating quality content for your blog visitors, you will naturally start planning blog topics months in advance and do the research to write on those topics. As you do so, you build your knowledge of the industry.

Also, developing a blogging strategy will expose you to the nuances of digital marketing, which is something that every small business owner must learn to use to their advantage.

3. Blogs are a Great Source of Content for Social Media

Social media is a great medium to engage with your audience. But it’s often a challenge to create interesting content for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Google+. Your business blog can become a source of content for all your social media accounts. Read our article “6 Creative Ways to Repurpose Your Blog Posts” to know how to repurpose blog content.

4. Your Blog is an Extension of Customer Service

We bet you haven’t thought about a business blog as a channel of customer service. But that’s precisely what you do when you start a blog and offer solutions to common concerns facing your customers.

Here are some potential blog titles for a business that provides appliance maintenance services:

• Save Time and Money with Quick Wash Washing Machines
• Things to Consider When Buying a Television for Your Home
• Tips on Improving the Performance of Your Washing Machine

Here are some helpful blog titles for a business that offers financial planning services:

• 5 Money-Saving Tips That Even Warren Buffett Would Agree With
• Hidden Catches of Using Business Credit Cards
• International ATM Withdrawals can be Expensive – Here’s How

Once you start a blog, it’s crucial that you have a blogging strategy in place. Both the frequency and quality of blogging will impact the benefits your business derives from blogging. To ensure that your blogging efforts don’t go to waste, avoid these common blogging mistakes.

Do you need professional help creating blogs and social media posts for your business? VirTasktic provides a full range of content marketing services designed to help boost business to the next level of success and beyond. Our content marketing packages increase website traffic and leads by enhancing your blog content and properly promoting it through your many marketing channels. Click HERE to learn more.