Having a digital presence is crucial for any business, no matter how small. Local restaurants, mechanics, and more can all see greater success by properly using websites, social media, and more.
The same is true for having a blog.
While it may seem like a pointless addition at face value, a blog can provide a noticeable boost in engagement and brand recognition to get more people in your door.
The more you give to customers, the more customers you’ll get in return.
If you’re still on the fence, here are seven reasons why small businesses should blog.
1. More Backlinks
Backlinks are important for any website’s online presence. When writers put articles together, it’s more likely that they link to other blogs as opposed to web pages. When you put out useful information, that can be seen as a useful addition to another article. With a blog, your business can be the “learn more here” link on someone else’s page. Backlinks also give your website the boost it needs to rank higher on the search engine results page.
2. Increases Credibility
Trust is difficult to measure in marketing, but there’s no denying its benefits. Say there are two painting companies in a local city. A customer is trying to choose between them, so they visit both websites. One website just has a home page with contact information, while the other has a blog talking about storing paint, best practices when applying it, and how to find the right color. The second painting company has increased its credibility just by having a few articles on its page, giving it an edge against the competition. Take the opportunity to present yourself as an expert in your field of business.
3. Expands Website Reach
The more opportunities to see your business name, the better. By putting blog articles together, you expand your reach. Over time, the number of searchable terms related to your brand will grow, leading to more people seeing your website and visiting.
4. Give More Shareable Content
Did you know that 94% of people who share posts do it because they think it has helpful content for others? That’s a big reason why small businesses should blog. By putting out useful, understandable information that people can use, they’re much more likely to share it with others. Take advantage of your years of experience and knowledge and provide that to your customers in a consistent, digestible format. The more you blog, the more chances there are that people will share your brand with others.
5. Increase Your Domain Authority
Domain authority is a fancy term to describe how highly Google ranks your website. The higher your domain authority, the higher you’ll be when people search terms relevant to your business. Blogs are a great way to increase that authority. Google will crawl through your content and recognize that you’re putting out information relevant to your industry. The more quality content you put out, the more likely Google is to place your website higher. Click here for more tips on having quality content.
6. Build a Customer Following
When putting together a blog with regular updates, that gives you a direct opportunity to build a customer following. Many websites have a block where visitors can subscribe with their emails to get blog updates. That not only puts your content right in their inbox, but it gives you the opportunity to directly market to them later with deals, exclusive offers, and more.
7. Give Your Customers a Way to Engage
Any blog should have a comment section. In it, that gives customers a direct way to engage with you. While your social media pages will be the big dogs when it comes to talking with customers, a blog can bring more people in as well. The more avenues people can engage with, the better off your brand will be.There are numerous reasons why small businesses should blog. Above all, you are giving useful information to your customers that they can share and consume. That builds confidence in your brand, leading to more people walking through your doors.
