You’ve put so much time and care into getting your business off the ground. But it can’t fly unless you reach your target audience and convert them to paying customers. A company blog can go a long way toward putting wind beneath your wings.
If you haven’t considered having a company blog, we’re here to share a little about why it can be a powerful marketing tool, and to give you a few tips for getting started.
First, a few big numbers
Blogging statistics for 2019 presented by inbound marketing agency Impact reveal that:
- B2B marketers that use blogs get 67% more leads than those who do not,
- Companies who blog receive 97% more links to their website, and
- SEO leads (i.e. people who have found your website through a web search) have a 14.6% close rate, compared to a close rate of just 1.7% for outbound marketing leads such as direct mail or print ads.
What makes a company blog so great?
The numbers above are pretty strong in favor of blogging regularly. It makes sense why 55% of marketers in HubSpot’s State of Inbound 2018 market survey reported blogging was their top content marketing priority. But let’s break it down and see what a company blog is actually doing for you.
1. Blogs increase web visitors. An informative, well-written blog, optimized for SEO (search engine optimization), provides an avenue for bringing many eyes to your website. When you share content that is relevant to your intended audience, you give prospective customers a reason to visit your site, where they learn about your brand, products and services.
SEO is the process of signaling to search engines (like Google) that your website is updated, timely and relevant — and therefore should be included higher up in search results. The higher it appears, the more likely it is to be clicked on. For “good SEO,” search engines want to see that your blog is updated regularly, and that it includes content related to popular keywords in your field. Blogging serves as both a channel for including keywords that you want to rank for, and also as a way to naturally work relevant keywords into your web content.
By including links to your posts in email campaigns and social media updates, you can also directly reach your target audience.
2. Blogs make your brand shine, and position you as a thought leader in your field. Using your blog to share your industry knowledge, to educate current and prospective customers, and to show you have the pulse of current trends lets your audience know that you are an expert they can trust. And your company blog lets you reinforce your brand voice — be it formal, whimsical, or straightforward.
Topics to blog about that will show off your expertise and polish your brand include:
- Teaching readers about your products or services and new uses for them
- Sharing industry news and updates
- “Behind the scenes” information
- Explaining terms and concepts
- Answering common questions customers have
3. Blogs generate leads, and convert and retain customers. By offering readers a chance to sign up for your mailing list, or to receive a tangible product (such as an ebook, coupon or digital download) by submitting their email address, blogs enable you to capture hot leads. And as the statistic above shows, SEO leads (from visitors who found your site through a web search) are more than eight times likelier to convert into a paying customer than leads captured through outbound marketing.
Blogs also build trust and connection with both current and prospective customers. These positive associates are what help them return again and again, and recommend your product or service to others. They’ll think of you when they have a question, and return to your site, often staying longer, thus continuing to build and reinforce your search positioning.
What does it take to start a blog?
So, blogs bring more people to your website, net more leads, and convert more of those leads into paying customers. Is there a downside? Rather than thinking of it as a downside, consider that — like every other aspect of a successful small business — starting a business blog requires an investment of time, energy (and perhaps money, if you choose to outsource). You’ll need to:
- Set up a blogging platform (there may already be one built into your website)
- Define your audience
- Brainstorm relevant topics and schedule content
- Write and publish regularly
- Promote the content via social media, email, and other channels
You can choose to hire a professional for any (or all) steps, from getting your blog set up correctly, to hiring a copywriter to produce and edit polished content, to marketing the posts once published. Or you can do it all yourself.
If your small business could benefit from a company blog, the investment is well worth it!
