How Blogging Can Boost Your Small Business
Back in the day, blogging was no more than a platform for self-expression. It was like having an online diary where you could write about anything. Nowadays, you can use a blog as part of a solid business strategy, especially when you’re still starting out.
Small businesses often struggle with visibility or making people aware they exist. This can make it difficult to attract enough customers… or any at all! Think about it. How can people buy products or services from a business they haven’t even heard about?
One way to bridge the gap between you and your customers is to get into blogging. It can build your online presence and make it easier for them to find you and discover what you have to offer. Below, we’ll explore how blogging can boost your business.
5 Ways Blogging is Great for Your Small Business
#1: Rank higher on search results
People use search engines like Google to look for information online. They type in a string of words which best represent their query. We call these keywords. Search engines will then present a list of pages related to the keywords. These are search results. Search results are arranged based on their relevance. The more relevant a page is to the query, the higher it is ranked.
Adding keywords to your blog posts ensures they appear on search results. Of course, you’d have to use keywords which meet the following criteria:
- Relevant to your audience
- High search volume
- Low to moderate competition
Keyword research is a must for meeting the above criteria. It improves your chances of ranking higher on search results.
#2: Increases online visibility
Appearing on search results increases your blog’s online visibility. But this is just putting it simply. What really happens is that every blog post is an opportunity to rank for different sets of keywords. The more you write, the more you appear on search results, and the greater your reach.
Blogging also provides online audiences with material to share on social media. Each time someone shares your blog post, there’s a chance of you gaining new followers. Allowing social media sharing from your blog will make it easier for them to share your posts.
#3: Builds trust
More than increasing your online visibility, a blog is also a great platform for earning the trust of potential customers. Blogging gives your business a face; a character which your audiences can relate to on a personal level. You can further build trust by engaging your readers in the comments section.
#4: Establishes authority
You can use blogging to showcase your full range of skills, knowledge, and expertise in a given niche. In so doing, you can establish yourself as an authority in your chosen field. In turn, you’d be able to gain the confidence of your audience since they will be better reassured of your authenticity.
Reason #5: Grows your newsletter
One of the least known benefits of blogging is that it can help you with email marketing by growing your email list. It’s another business strategy that facilitates the conversion of blog readers into actual customers.
You can show opt-in forms under each post and encourage readers to sign up for your newsletter. From there, you can use emails to update followers with promos, discounts, and other strategies that will help you make buyers out of readers.