We have been writing our blog, at SwiftCase, on and off, for over a year or two. It is something that we know we have to do, but why? Should everyone be blogging? What if I have nothing to write about? How often should I blog?
These are all questions that we asked ourselves, as this month we have committed to at least one blog post every day. We thought we would share what we found with you.
Why should you be blogging?
If you have a growing business, then you have a website. If you haven’t got a website then well done on growing your business in today’s market – that is some achievement – now go and get a website!
You want your website to generate you more business, and to do that you need more visitors to your site. You also need the right type of visitors, ones that want to buy the product or service that you are offering.
There are four key ways to get more traffic to your website. Firstly, you can pay to appear in search results or on website directories, with pay-per-click, like Google AdWords. Next, you can point people to your website, directly, from offline marketing, e.g. your site address in a magazine or on your business cards. Thirdly, you can use social media to bring people to your website. Finally, you can increase your organic search engine position, and improve links from other people’s sites and social media accounts. Organic growth is excellent as is doesn’t have a direct cost for each visitor directed to your website; it also compounds over time. It is this final strand that blogging is part of.
Blogging is part of inbound marketing. Think of inbound marketing as the opposite to the cold calling that you probably hate as much as I do. I want to speak to people who want to buy the products and services that I offer. I want to talk to people who have problems to which I have the solutions.
Blogging creates content. Good content helps you to rise through the search listings. The more articles you write, then the more chance that an item will be picked up and shared giving you those valuable backlinks to your website. The more subjects that you write about, the more keywords you will hit, and the more ways people can find your site and engage with your offer.
Why should everyone be blogging?
So, getting more visitors to your website is one of the main reasons to get blogging. However, this is not the only reason. Writing consistently about the subject you are the expert on, i.e. your business, products, services, or the way you grew your business, helps to position you as an expert in your field.
If your website visitors can read what you have to say, then they can get to know you, and more about what you know and how you can help to solve their problems.
If you have a business that solves a problem with a product or service that you offer, then writing a blog is for you.
What if you have nothing to write about?
Everyone has something to offer; you know your business best. You started your business because you have a passion for what you do. You are the expert of your domain.
So, if you are an accountant write a blog post on how to start a payroll, do a tax return, maximise profit, etc.
If you are in insurance, write a blog on how to protect your home or vehicle, how to keep data secure, how to make a claim, etc.
Whatever you do, write about it, someone will be interested.
How often should you blog?
Business owners worry that they are already busy and writing a blog is a nice to have, not a necessity. Do you have time to get more customers and grow your business? If you don’t have time to do this, then you may need to rethink your priorities. If you are really limited for time, and can’t make some time from somewhere, or you want to test the water, then blogging doesn’t need to be onerous.
The best results, concerning search engines, and also building an audience come from consistency. If Google, can see that you consistently produce content regularly, then you are going to get better rankings. Better search engine rankings equal more customers. Also, if your followers get used to an article a month, an article a week, an article a day, then keep it up, or you will lose them.
Keep it short and to the point. Get your ideas down, get them edited, and get them online. Don’t spend months crafting a perfect article, when you could have had many great pieces at the same time, hitting keywords and growing your presence. Quality will improve with practice, and the magic point seems to be around 60-70 blog posts when traffic really starts to grow.
So, you know why it is crucial, and how it will help to grow your business, now, get writing!