Why is Blogging Important?

The benefits of having a blog

Just about every business that has a website these days also has a blog. And it doesn’t take much digging to notice that, while almost all companies have blogs, not many companies use their blogs wisely.  Maybe there’s a company update or two posted, or maybe there’s a summary of recent industry news, or maybe the blog is where the company’s newest employees are introduced to its customers. That said, very few business owners know how to leverage a company blog  to increase website traffic and fuel sales. But that’s a huge benefit of having a blog.

Improve Search Traffic for Your Business

“Search engine optimization,” or SEO — you’ve probably heard of it, but if you don’t really know what it means, you’re not alone. Essentially, search engine optimization is how companies or brands can use specialized keywords on their website to improve their rankings in web search platforms, like Google. When you think of how many websites there are, and how many companies and brands are all trying to get their businesses in front of an online audience, it’s pretty easy to imagine how important it is to have your company or brand appear as one of the first results on a Google search. But the competition is fierce. If you’re the owner of an online workout program, imagine how many other online workout programs are vying for the same customers. Optimizing your website with keywords that target your preferred customer base is critical to getting your brand in the early search results.

A big benefit to having a blog is to help with SEO traffic. Blogging gives you a chance to increase the number of keywords you use while also giving you a chance to optimize specific blogs for keywords that might help generate even more traffic. For instance, if your online workout program is designed to complement an in-person gym located in Savannah, Georgia, you could write a blog for “Best Post-Workout Smoothies to Try in Savannah, Georgia,” or “6 Gyms in Savannah, Georgia That Offer Online Workouts.” These types of location-specific keywords are more likely to target the Savannah, Georgia customer-base you’re hoping to reach with your online workouts. Also, very specific keywords or location-specific keywords tend to have less competition in search results which makes it easier to get ranked higher in search. Blogs give you the chance to optimize each new blog with a few specific keywords. Ultimately, this can help improve traffic to your website. Which, in turn, can generate solid leads for your business.

Land More Leads for Your Business

Landing more leads is the most important thing for your business and one of the benefits of having a blog is just that. It’s one thing to increase search traffic to your website, but it’s an entirely different thing to turn that traffic into solid leads and possible sales. One of the best ways to turn website traffic into a lead generator is to get those new website visitors to opt into an email list. And every single blog you write can include an opt-in message for an email subscription.

Of course, you don’t want to simply say, “Subscribe to our list!” without offering a good reason to do so. Most websites include a pop-up screen or a highly-visible internal ad that offers a one-time discount to new customers or a free guide of some sort to those who subscribe to the brand’s email newsletter. Your blog is a great place to generate search traffic, and once those searchers are on your pages, you have the chance to use your blog to encourage an email subscription.

And once people opt into your list, you now have a lead with an email, name, and possibly more demographic information that you can use to help generate sales. Plus, you’ve basically been “invited” to pitch your services or wares directly to them through their email inbox. Don’t take that benefit lightly — it’s an excellent way to increase your company’s bottom line.

Generate Content for Social Media

In addition to email lists and search engine optimization, you know that social media is a great way to help get customers or potential customers to visit your website. But coming up with fresh and interesting social media content day-after-day without sounding like a used car salesman (sell, sell sell!) isn’t always easy. But the thing about blogging is that in addition to the blog itself, you can use the blog’s theme as an idea generator for social media content.

For instance, if you’re an entrepreneur selling a new line of baby clothes, you might want to write a blog titled, “How to use layers to keep your baby warm this winter.” You can then put together a social media campaign (featuring your clothing) that drives new parents to your website to read the blog you wrote. Maybe on Instagram you have a photo of five clothing items a baby might need to have layered on a cold day with the caption, “Cold-weather layers! Keep your baby not too cold, not too hot, but just right,” with a link to your blog. Just like that, you have a fresh blog and exciting, new social media content to help generate site visits and leads.

Position Yourself as an Expert

Another benefit of having a blog is for the expressing your expertise. It’s one thing to own a business, it’s another thing to position yourself as an expert. By using your blog to communicate and teach your customers new things about your field, you’re making yourself an expert that your customers can rely on. And if people start recognizing that your blog content consistently gives them the information they’re looking for, they’re going to start trusting you and your business, and they’ll be more likely to turn to you when it’s time to make a purchase.

For instance, if you own a bakery, you might want to offer a series of baking tutorials on your blog. Titles like, “The easiest way to make frosting for your sugar cookies,” or “4 Tips to make sure your cake comes out moist,” offer the types of information that home bakers will want to know. But just because a person enjoys baking, that doesn’t mean they’ll want to bake 100 cookies for their kids’ school bake sale. So when they’re in the market to buy cookies, who are they going to go to? The expert bakery they’ve come to know and trust. Now that you know the benefits of having a blog, it’s time to implement.

Is Your Website Getting the Traffic it Deserves?

How to get more traffic to your website.

You have a great business that’s offering some of the best products or services around.. Your team is full of experts who are the best at what they do. You’re passionate about your organization and where it’s headed. And yet… when you check your website’s search traffic analytics, you feel like you’re singing a song and nobody’s listening. You need more traffic to your website in order to get the sales your company deserves, but how in the world do you bring the customers in?

It can be tricky when trying to get more traffic to your website, but it’s completely possible. You just have to be willing to put in the time and energy necessary (or hire a company who knows what they’re doing) to help make it happen.

Search engine optimization

If only the best companies were the ones who showed up at the top of Google’s first page of search results, right? While Google’s (and other search engines’) algorithms have gotten better at identifying high-quality content, there’s no denying that the competition for search-based traffic is fierce. There are millions of companies selling their services online, and there may even be millions of companies selling products or services similar to your own.

The key to getting ranked high on search? Find the best keywords to help you rank without getting overwhelmed by competition. So, for instance, you might be better off optimizing your website with the keywords, “best HVAC repair in Missoula,” rather than “HVAC repair.” Using a specific keyword (especially if it’s location-based) will make it easier to rank high for terms that search term, while it may not rank at all for a more general term.

It’s also important to remember that each of your website’s pages can be optimized for different keywords. So, if you have a blog for your company, each blog you write can be optimized for a keyword that’s related to your business operations. This allows for more opportunities for search traffic based on different terms. For instance, if you have that HVAC repair company, blogs titled, “How to troubleshoot your HVAC unit at home,” or “Why you need to have your air conditioning cleaned before summer,” can help you get traffic from different topics and keywords.

Great, original content

Search engines these days aren’t just prioritizing sites that are packed with specific keywords. Rather, they’re able to differentiate high-quality, researched, and original content that has great sources over content that seems to be ripped off from other sites or slapped up without proof-reading. By putting together blogs with industry experts, or how-to videos related to your field, you’re likely to get more “search juice” from the search engines.

But even more to the point, great, original content is shareable content. If you’re an artist who sells your artwork, and you use your website’s blog to offer painting tips and how-tos, when your blogs or videos help out your customers, they’re more likely to share the blogs with their friends online. And when your customers share your website content, you’re more likely to generate visits to your website. This is because your customers become your advocates, and they end up endorsing your business and your art, simply because you offered a tutorial that helped them out.

Social media content that sings

The beauty of social media is that when it’s done well, you have the potential to use it to bring repeat customers back to your website, but to also generate new leads. When you have good website content, that lends itself to creating good social media content. And when you have a highly-clickable and shareable social media campaign that connects to your website, you’re going to see an increase in traffic.

So, for instance, if you’re a personal trainer who’s website includes tutorials on how to do kettlebell exercises, you could put together a social media post that offers a single video for how to do a basic kettlebell swing, with a click-through link to your website where people can see five more kettlebell swing variations on your blog. Anyone who’s interested in learning the variations is likely to click through. Thus, you’ve increased your web traffic.

Build your email list with a freebie

One of the best ways to get repeat visitors to your website is to build your email list. By getting people to opt-in to your company’s emails, you’re being “invited” to sell them in their inbox when you send out your email marketing campaigns. Of course, it’s not easy to get someone to volunteer their email address for this purpose. In general, you have to give something to your customers (or potential customers) in order to get their email address in return.

You’ve seen examples. Websites that sell clothes might offer a one-time 10% discount you can have sent to your email address. Or companies that offer services might provide a free, 30-minute consultation when you opt into their emails. But another option that shouldn’t be overlooked is a “freebie” that’s useful for your potential customers. For instance, if you’re a health coach, maybe you put together an ebook with 15 smoothie recipes that customers can get for free. Or if you’re a parenting expert, maybe you offer an educational coloring-book that parents can download for their kids. Think about the types of freebies or discounts you could offer, and make it worthwhile to your customers. You shouldn’t underestimate the power of landing that email address.

Then, of course, you need to use it. Make sure you’re putting together and sending out regular marketing emails with high-quality content and offers that are tailored to your potential customers. These are all great ways to get more traffic to your website.