5 Reasons why you should be blogging
Blogging is hardly a new concept. It's been around a number of years. At one time it was seen as the realm of the 'geeky techy types' (not wishing to offend anyone) but today it is something that everyone should be doing, especially if you are in business.What blogging gives you is a platform from which you can discuss your opinions and impart information to the masses. And that's a lot of people. Consider for a moment the number of people using the internet today. There are millions of receptive ears and eyes out there ready and waiting to read your inner most thoughts.
Why should I blog?
That's an easy one - because it is the most cost effective and powerful way to market your business.
Today's market is different to the 'good old days'. People are far more savvy now and it takes more than a flashy looking advert or catchy strapline to make them part with their cash. Today it's all about relationship building and nurturing trust. After all, if someone doesn't trust you why would they want to buy from you?
You are probably sat there (especially if social media marketing hasn't 'got' to you yet) thinking you are perfectly happy with your Yellow Pages ads. Well, if that's the case, good luck to you. Just watch out for the stampeed of competitors who are dashing past you.
How much do you spend on your Yellow Pages advert every year (or its equivalent)? Is that really value for money? You might argue that it reaches a wide audience. Sure, it probably does, but how many of those people are likely to be potential customers? Advertising like that to the masses doesn't mean you will get an equivalent ROI.
By using social media and especially blogging, you will be writing and giving information about your particular field. The people who read your blog posts are interested in what you have to say (if they weren't they wouldn't have been searching for the content in the first place). Therefore the traffic that your blog will drive to your website will be targeted traffic - they are people looking for what you are offering.
Therefore your blog will be constantly delivering targeted traffic to your website. A constant stream of willing buyers - how powerful is that? Plus you don't have to stump up a heafty annual fee for the priviledge.
When you consider how many people are turning to the internet today to find service providers, the internet is where your company needs to be before it's too late.
Now, earlier I mentioned 5 reasons why you should blog, well, here they are:
1. Simple
Before you throw your hands in the air and claim to be a complete non-techy let me tell you something - you don't need any advanced technical knowledge to blog. Simply write about your industry, 'how to' articles, experiences, industry news etc.
2. Authentic
Your blog will be sharing information with your readers. You won't be overtly selling them something. Therefore this subtle marketing approach will help you build relationships with potential customers and elevate you to expert status in your field. If they can see you know what you are talking about they are more likely to come to you when the time is right for them to buy.
3. Free
That's a fabulous word, isn't it? Apart from the initial set up of your blog the only cost in running it will be time. Why pay for expensive off line ads (or online for that matter) when you can reach far more people (targeted people) through your blog?
4. Credibility
I touched on this one earlier. The idea of your blog is to impart your knowledge. People love to find out information on line. It might go against the grain to give away free information like this but just think how powerful it is. By giving help and advice you are building trust between you and your reader. You are building an association between your company name and a particular field - when they want to buy who are they going to go to?
5. Increase your marketing
Give your readers ways of subscribing to your blog (e.g. by RSS or email) so they can always be kept up to date. Build a marketing list by offering a newsletter (either through the blog or your main website). You can even use your blog to run an informal survey to guage your readers' interest in new ideas. Link your blog posts back to your main website to drive traffic to it.
I hope this post has whetted your appetite to dip your toes into the world of blogging if you're not already doing so.
Blogging will reach so many more people than traditional marketing methods. It will drive targeted traffic to your website and help your search engine rankings. GIve it a try - what have you got to lose?
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