Blogging brings many benefits, but it is also time consuming, with lots of resource needed to keep a blog up and running.
So the big question is, should small businesses blog?
There are many reasons why blogging can be a vital form of marketing for small businesses, here are a couple:
- Demonstrate your expertise – If you see your company as a leading light in its industry, then a blog is the perfect place to demonstrate this by writing articles that show you really do know what you are talking about!
- Regular fresh content for your website - So many small business websites can become boring and static, with very few updates. A blog gives you the opportunity to bring in new content on a regular basis, without it feeling contrived
- Portray your personality – A blog allows you to speak directly to your visitors or customer base in a way that is hard to do through your website otherwise
- Help with SEO – Fresh content, lots of internal links and also links from elsewhere in the blogosphere will help with your website’s search engine optimisation (SEO)
- Provide content for your social media channels – You might already have a number of profiles across the social web – Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin. Coming up with new content for these channels is difficult, but a blog can be a great source of new fresh content and also provides a destination for your followers to be directed to
- Encourage guest bloggers – Why not encourage partners, suppliers or even customers and other bloggers to come and blog on your website? It is a great opportunity for you to build relationships whilst also getting great fresh content
- Keep visitors coming back - Using RSS for example, you can ensure that visitors that come to your blog can sign-up to be notified about new content when it is published. This will keep them coming back to your site again and again
- Engage with the blogosphere – Being part of the blogosphere is the best way to engage with it. Target the key bloggers in your niche and start to build relationships with them
- Provide added value - A blog is a great way to give your customers additional information that will help them with their dealings with you. Give them something that supports and enhances your products or services
- Being social – Many people often forget that blogs are social. Encourage comments and respond to them quickly so that you can really start engaging with your audience
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