Interestingly, blogging started out as a way for individuals to share their experiences or opinions on a topic with their friends online and the greater public. Today, however, businesses have realized the usefulness of blogs to bring in customers and enhance their online presence. Blogs can serve multiple purposes from a marketing perspective, all of which point to its advantages for any business.
The real reason so many businesses, big and small, blog is because they want to enhance their online presence in order to distinguish themselves from competitors that are also vying for customers. When a consumer searches for a business in your industry, naturally you want to be one of the top few results, and more importantly, you want your business to appear above your competitors. Very few consumers are browsing through page after page on a search engine’s results. Appearing on the first page, and preferably at the top of that first page, is crucial. The field of SEO, or search engine optimization, is dedicated to making a certain result appear at the top of a page of search results.
Today’s technology allows search engines to use advanced formulas to calculate how often your site is updated with new content as well as evaluate the quality and the source of the content you post. Constantly updating a site is difficult outside the context of blogging, making blogging a valuable SEO tool. Unique high-quality content via the form of blog posts added to your site on a regular basis will help your site’s SEO.
A blog allows you to demonstrate your company’s expertise of your particular industry or line of work. It provides a measure of legitimacy for your site in that a consumer will see your blog and not only gather more information than what could possibly fit onto your site but also gain an understanding of your professionalism and commitment to your field via your writing style and article topics.
Blogs also provide a unique opportunity for you to offer tips and advice to your consumers, depending on your business, that will humanize your company and create a more and helpful personable front. Providing free tidbits of information will generate goodwill towards your company as well as demonstrate your knowledge, which in turn presents a convincing reason for an individual to become a customer.
A blog demonstrates to your audience that you are committed to staying up to date on the latest developments in your industry and implies that your business is using the most current technology or methods. It portrays your business as thriving as it has the resources to update a blog on the regular. It shows that your business is active and implies responsiveness if a consumer were to reach out and contact you.
