Earlier this year, Hubspot published some jaw-dropping results that businesses experience through simply blogging. Let me share a few with you.
Blogging is a serious matter. In fact, 37% of businesses who blog believe it is the most valuable type of content marketing. Five years from now, it is estimated that your customers will manage 85% of their business relationships without ever talking to a human. As you and I both know, quality customer relationships yield a better bottom line. Blogging is one of the top ways you can communicate with your audience and continue growing your business, making it a big money maker.
By incorporating blogging into your inbound marketing strategy you will...
1. Increase Your Website Traffic
Through blogging, you will create content that your audience will find both informative and interesting. Your blog posts will encourage people to visit your website to check out what services you offer or to simply meet the author. The more you blog, the more followers you’ll have. Followers will often turn into clients and even referrals.
2. Improve Your Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
When done correctly, each blog post will add a new page to your website, giving you new ranking possibilities. Your blog posts can be optimized for longtail keywords that are unique to your industry. The more you publish, the better chance you have of searchers finding you. Once you become an established blogger, your efforts may be rewarded by other professionals linking back to your site, which will increase your credibility and improve your SEO.
3. Learn More About Your Customers
By tracking the popularity of your blog posts, you’ll discover the topics that interest your audience and those that do not. After determining which posts your audience likes best, you can verify which readers have contacted you or are current clients. Doing so will allow you to understand their buyer’s journey better, allowing you to create similar content in the future that will draw the same type of quality lead.
4. Target a Specific Audience
As I mentioned in the point above, blogging will allow you to learn more about your customers. You can use this knowledge to your advantage to target a specific audience. For example, if you’re a homebuilder and you noticed that three of your most recent clients read a blog post about outdoor living renovations, perhaps you could write a post detailing the patio designs that are trending in 2015. On the flip side, if you are being contacted by people who are not a fit for your business, perhaps those who are looking for a cheap bathroom remodel, you could write a blog post featuring high end bathroom amenities in hopes of reaching a more qualified buyer.
5. Establish Your Expertise
Blogging will give you a way to share your knowledge with consumers and fellow professionals who will validate your writing. You will begin to establish yourself as an expert in your field as you write about what you know and what you’re learning as your industry progresses. When your blog gives solid answers to major questions, people will start to view you as a trusted advisor and will consult you before your competitors.
6. Gain Online Influence
As you continue to establish your expertise through blogging, you will no doubt attract loyal followers in the online community. When your posts are read and shared, you will be introduced to more people. New followers (particularly those who have some type of authority) will add to your influence as you gain more exposure.
7. Build a Bigger Network
Not enough can be said about the benefits of having a strong network for your business. Through your blog posts, many will come to you looking for help. At the same time, your blog posts will attract people who can help you reach your goals better. Both contact types will help your business grow and develop.
8. Develop Your Brand
Increased brand exposure is a side effect of a good blogging strategy. The more you blog and the more your posts are promoted (through your own use of social media or the through efforts of others), the more your company brand will be exposed. This exposure will lead to an increase in brand recognition, which will help you convert more prospects into leads. For example, if someone views your brand seven times a day on a consistent basis, he is likely to contact you when in need of a service. However, if he only saw your brand once in a random online ad, he might not remember your name when he needs you.
9. Strengthen Your Rapport
Blogging is an excellent way to strengthen your rapport with your online audience, your clients, and other business professionals. With a blog post, you can share your knowledge, showcase your abilities, and communicate with an indefinite number of people. One of the things I like most about blogging is that it’s a cost-efficient marketing strategy that’s effective. It’s only takes your time and its impact never expires. Essentially, blogging can give you a forever voice. You can continue to market to people even years after the rush of that particular topic has passed.
Are you interested in learning how to blog for your business?
This spring, I am offering an instructional course with University of Tennessee Professional Development that will teach you the fundamentals of blogging to increase your company’s revenue. For more information, including how to register, click here.
If you’re interested in finding out what other social media and digital marketing classes are available, click here to view our class calendar.
Fill out the form below to get notified when we announce new class offerings!
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