Listen up: here’s the deal with blogging. If you have no interest in growing your business, getting new leads, or making more sales, then move along; there’s nothing to see here.
If you want all of those things (and who wouldn’t?) you absolutely need to start blogging today. Not only is blogging good for business, but its success rates are entirely measurable, so you can tweak and target accordingly.
First, let’s debunk the folklore:
#1. You don’t need to be a coffee shop dwelling hipster to write a good blog post.
[bctt tweet=”Blogging Myth #1: You don’t need to be a coffee shop dwelling hipster to write a good blog post.” username=”hostgator”]
#2: Not all blog posts need to be about cats.
[bctt tweet=”Blogging Myth #2: Not all blog posts need to be about cats.” username=”hostgator”]
A common misconception is that blog posts are a qualitative marketing extra written and soon forgotten about. But when done right, they can be a tremendous asset to your business. Seriously, these things drive legit results. Here’s how…
Why does blogging matter?
1. Improve SEO
Search engine optimization is essential for your website so that customers can find you and buy your stuff. Google prioritizes sites that are constantly producing new and fresh content, so it’s in your best interest to steadily publish posts that are relevant and useful to your business. You can also load up your blog posts with keywords that people are using to find your business.
2. Build brand loyalty
Blog posts as an opportunity to share your views, ideas, and creative musings on your industry. You can also create FAQs and Q&As. Think of the top questions you’re asked by customers and write up a post on each one. This creates a stickiness that invites viewers to keep coming back. And besides, didn’t you always want to add “thought-leader†to your resume?
3. Target a relevant audience
Blog posts work great for business owners aiming to reach customers who work in specific industry verticals or who live in certain geographical locations. This is how your customers are searching: “real estate in Brooklyn New York.†So, structure your posts around how they’re trying to find you.
4. Measure & adjust
With help from Google Analytics (it’s free!) you can calculate how many people are reading your posts, where they’re located, what time of day they’re reading, and in what topics they’re most interested.
5. Drive traffic & engage!
Use blog comment threads to respond to your readers and find out what they want to learn more about. Founder of inbound marketing powerhouse Moz.com Rand Fishkin says, “Great bloggers make publishing neither the beginning nor the end of their process. They put it smack dab in the middle.†Promote your site’s blog posts through your social channels to boost customer engagement and drive more traffic back to your point of sale.
What are some tools I can use to get started today?
WordPress is the most popular blogging platform out there, well known for its ease of use and reliability. Start your blog with HostGator WordPress Hosting – click here to learn more!
Here are some more great articles about blogging.
- SEO for Bloggers, Rand Fishkin – SEO Master
- 3 Tips for Writing Better Business Blog Posts, Business On Tapp – quick business tips & insights
- Content Marketing Institute, A great place to get inspired!
- Seth Godin’s Blog, Learn from a pro
Do you recommend any other useful blogging tricks and tools? Hit the comments and let us know from where you draw your biggest blogging inspirations.
Henry Green is a freelance writer based in Austin, Texas who helps small businesses and entrepreneurs improve their online presence through marketing, social media, and website optimization.