Blogs aren’t a new medium, but still hold great power when it comes to influence and reach. With many pros for having a blog, it’s always considering having one, no matter what type of business you are. To help out, here are six great reasons on why you should have a blog as a business.
Provides an overview of your services
Blogs can be very effective tools to help promote your service. In addition to writing about topics related to your niche, you can always mention how you can solve the problems that you address in the blog post with the services you provide. It is an effective way of promoting your services without spending any money.
Keeps audience entertained
If you want to diversify your content, blogs must be considered. A blog can take many forms, including long forms of text, images, or lists. All of these types of content will not only increase engagement rates for your website, but will also have your audience hooked for more.
Can bring in new leads
Alongside, keeping your audience engaged and giving them an overview of what you can do, blogs will also help with lead generation. For example, if you are writing about window repairs, a service that you offer, then you can provide potential customers with a discount code in order to attract new orders.
Remember: Answering questions within your blog posts is one of the most effective ways of attracting new customers.
Increase in readership
Blogs have been proven to increase your search engine rank. By consistently providing readers with high-quality, relatable blog posts, you are very likely to see an increase in website visitors over time.
Great way to gain backlinks
There have been several blackhat methods presented over the years for backlinks, but none of them have had any real impact on websites that have used them. By providing quotable information such as facts, statistics and opinions, you are more than likely to gain some organic backlinks to your website and thus get organic backlinks.
Learn about your audience
Finally, by creating varied amounts of content that engages your audience in a different way, you can gain valuable insight into your target audience. You can determine what topics and services they prefer and thus create a valid strategy when it comes to content creation and advertising.
To further help, we’ve put together some common questions we get asked about blogs from companies and individuals looking to grow their brands. We hope we can answer as many of your questions as we can.
Will my website slow down because of my blog?
Blogs are relatively easy to host. Generally, they are primarily text which means they take up very little space on your server. If you’re not using extra plugins or widgets throughout your website, having a blog shouldn’t hurt the speed of your website. Moreover, if you’re continually improving your site, you can move some of the more comprehensive information to your blog and create guides that will take away some of the loading time of your main product or service pages.
Will a blog earn my business money?
While most blogs aren’t made for profit, blogs can undoubtedly generate an income. If you’re a company, blogs can earn you money by gaining your customers’ trust and thus gaining sales for your service or product. So, if you’re looking to profit from your blog, then make sure to develop a strategy that will fit into your overall marketing plan that includes your goals to sell your product or service. Make sure to answer the questions people may have about your product, and don’t be scared to go in-depth. Transparency tends to win when it comes to blogging.
How do I find images for my blog?
Finding the perfect featured image for a blog can be difficult. Luckily, there are plenty of great places to find them, such as Unsplash, which offers royalty-free images for commercial use. This means you don’t have to worry about buying a license as a business. However, whilst platforms like Unsplash are significant, we’d avoid using them without research. If you like an image from the platform, make sure to search through Google image search and see other people who use it as you may find it’s actually owned by a different photographer or, even worse, used by a competitor of yours.
How long should my blogs be?
Blogs don’t have to be lengthy, but it helps if they are in-depth and helpful. In our experience, asking questions your readers want answers to is an excellent step to creating a meaningful and generally beneficial blog. If you are looking for word count guidance, we’d suggest 500 words or more, but make sure the quality is there to back up the quantity. As a rule, don’t repeat yourself for the sake of the word count. Instead, create original thoughts and ways to tell them, and you’ll be halfway to creating a successful blog.
How do I make a blog?
Blogs can be made in many ways on platforms such as Wix, Blogspot, or WordPress. At Talks, we believe blogs can be hosted anywhere, as long as the platform has the right tools to give you good markup options and can help you optimise it for presentation and speed. We’d recommend getting in touch with an expert like us or researching your potential options to start. A fantastic way to begin is by looking at your competitors, figuring out which platform they use, and deciding if what they have is enough for you to take your business to the next level.
How long does a blog take to write?
This is a tricky question, mainly because each blog post is different. The process can differ from research to writing, from blog to blog, especially for more complex topics. However, we’d suggest taking at least a few hours on a solid blog. If you can make it your mission to post once a day, you’ll have a great chance at cracking the blogging jackpot to success. Remember: blogging doesn’t come naturally, don’t be worried about making mistakes. Simply go out there and do your best, and we can pledge to you that results will come with the proper patience and hard work.
