Blogging is not a good-to-have option for your business – rather, it is a must-have. Wondering why so when you already may be having a thriving presence on social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest? Digest this –B2B marketers who blog regularly garner 67% more leads, are 13 times more likely to enjoy a positive ROI, and receive 97% more links to their website. If the statistics aren’t reason enough, here’s a detailed account of what having a blog can do to your business.
- Blogs propel your SEO strategy forward: Everyone wants to be doing SEO and there’s good reason behind it – if done the right way, SEO can drive tons of traffic to your website. But we all know that Google shams keyword stuffing and other archaic SEO practices and uses advanced algorithms to promote relevancy above everything else. So how do you prove to the search engine that your products/services are relevant to your audience? By leveraging your business blog to publish informative content around your brand. Engaging blog posts can help you address audiences’ pain points, shatter myths, dole out tips and tricks, strike conversations, and bring you closer to your target.
- Blogs are a proven acquisition tool: A blog can bump up your rate of acquiring email subscribers and any successful business owner will tell you that emails still remain a highly viable channel to convert prospects into leads and leads into customers. The average return on email marketing is over 44 US dollars for every one dollar spent. Have a short and crisp subscription form at a prime position in your blog where readers can input their email addresses can help you leverage the database to send updates on new product launches, features, tie-ups, and interesting offers. Staying on top of your customers’ minds is imperative in today’s uber crowded marketplace and blogs help you do just that without being overtly sales oriented.
- Blogs demonstrate thought leadership: Want to position yourself as an authority or industry leader? Take to blogging. Consistently publishing high-quality, original and relevant blog posts can position you as an authority in your readers’ minds where they look out for your point of view before making a decision related to your line of product/service. This is the reason 37% of marketers across the globe regard blogs as one of the most powerful content assets they can ever have. More and more corporates are now encouraging their c-suite executives to take to blogging in order to influence popular opinion, strengthen their leadership position, and capture audiences’ attention – after all consumers are known to respond better to leadership than to fellow commoners.
- Blogs deepen your customer engagement: Blogging is the route to your customers’ hearts and minds. 60% of global consumers report feeling positive about a brand after reading content on their blogs. A well-written, informative blog post can spread like wildfire on other social platforms, building traction for your website and increasing your trust-quotient among target audience. Content that educates while being engaging is much in demand today and embellishing your blog posts with share buttons, interactive videos, images, and info graphics can go a long way in building a loyal brand following.
One of the best business investments you’ll ever make
While it takes some time and effort in building and updating a blog regularly with share-worthy content, it is an investment well worth the time. Being at the center of all your other content marketing efforts, your blog provides regular fodder for umpteen social media platforms, emails and newsletters. Still sitting on the fence about whether or not your business needs a blog? It’s time to jump into the blogging game and strike a two-way conversation with those that matter most – your customers.