If you are a small business owner, the chances are that you spend a lot of time tackling all sorts of jobs that aren’t a natural fit for you. As well as doing what you are actually good at, you have to sort accounts, sales, marketing and many other things that don’t really float your boat. Writing a regular blog for your business is a task that often falls under this heading, and it can feel like a real slog to keep it going. But here’s why it’s important to keep up the blogging and make sure you populate that page consistently.
- Keep Google happy
If you want search engines like Google to pay attention to your website, you need to deliver fresh content as often as you can. Search engines crawl through pages looking for information to index, so an important function of your blog page is show them that there’s activity on your website. You should have a list of keywords that your potential customers are searching for, so make sure you use them in your blog posts. SEO can be a complicated art, but these basic steps will help you get in the game.
- Deliver value
Think that a blog needs to be all about you? Think again. Every piece of content you write should give your audience advice, information or opinion that will help them. Long gone are the days when a business wrote a dull, listless newsletter about what was happening behind their walls. These days it’s all about making your customer or reader the focus. Think about what you can write that will be genuinely helpful. It could be as simple as a ‘how to’ guide for an element of your work or cutting through the jargon of industry news to inform them about what’s actually going on. Make sure every piece you create ticks the ‘value’ box.
- Build trust
You are an expert in what you do, and you need to show your potential clients that you are the person for their job. A blog gives you the opportunity to demonstrate expertise and knowledge on your own terms. Once you start writing regularly, the audience will remember you for having your finger on the pulse, being authoritative about your job and showcasing your ability. They may not pick up the phone the moment they read your piece, but you’ll be memorable and the next time they need your services, or someone they know does, they will think of you.
- Consistent communication
How often do you talk to your customers? You may need to be briefed by them every week, or perhaps you go months without exchanging a word. A blog – which you should share across your social media pages too – will allow you to keep up lines of communication with your existing customers, as well as enticing new ones. Your customers will get used to seeing you pop up on their feeds with interesting things to say, and some of them may enter into a dialogue with you about what you share. Either way, you’ll remain at the forefront of their minds – and that can help to create a stronger connection between you.
If you’d like a regular blog but don’t have the time to write it yourself, let us help you. Get in touch here.