10 Reasons Why You Need A Blog

As you probably know, I’m a huge fan of blogging.

I spend my entire work life either learning about it, writing blogs, developing blogs for businesses or checking out some of the best blogs out there…about blogging!

Sometimes though, something happens that reminds me just how many people out there misunderstand the point behind blogging, and still don’t recognise how much value a blog can bring in terms of increased revenue, enhanced customer interaction and strengthened brand.

I am still asked from time to time what blogging is all about, and what the point of it is.

So, for those of you out there who are still uninitiated in to the world of blogging, here’s my top ten reasons why you should have one of your very own…

They are great fun

OK, so this may not be top of your priority list for your business, but the fact is that blogs are actually a really interesting part of your overall marketing strategy.

Having a platform online where you can express your own ideas and opinions about your industry is a great opportunity for you to develop your online personality, say what you like, and explore interesting aspects of your chosen niche with the world.

The days when our fifteen minutes of fame was never likely to happen are long gone – now, you can write about what you love, and people will read it and respond.

Blogging really has transformed our world and made it possible for each one of us to express views, shout out for advice, or simply keep others updated with what we are doing.

They work

There’s a lot of proof out there now to show that having a blog really does work to increase your rankings with the key search engines, encourage customers to sign up with you for ongoing updates, and attract people looking to learn about the specific products or services which your business offers.

Few platforms enable you to draw such a huge amount of footfall for so little effort, and your blog will demonstrate its worth very quickly once you have nailed the basics of keyword and SEO principles.

They link to social networking platforms

Blogs never stand alone in isolation.

Instead, you can quickly and easily hook them up to other sites through simple automation.

This means that when you update your site with a new post, you can instantly get the news out there to your network on sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

With one update to one site, you suddenly have a huge number of leads, links and status updates to draw people in to your latest post.

They are cheap and easy to run

One of the great things about a blog, is that once you have mastered the basics such as navigating the dashboard and posting up an article, they are a joy to run. If you sign up with a maintenance service, you don’t even have to worry about updating software or managing spam. The costs are minimal for a huge return, and they are arguably the most efficient, cost-effective and simple marketing tool your business will ever use.

They attract like-minded people

When you have a hobby, interest, or specific business niche, you tend to gravitate towards people who share the same interest.

Online, fellow bloggers will pop on to your site and read up on your news and services, and comment, leading you towards their own site.

In a very short space of time you have developed a fantastic network of people who you have a lot in common with, and gain mutual support and interaction much more quickly than you ever could, offline.

They work for you 24/7/365

Your blog acts like a little whirlwind of productivity, working to promote your business at all times of the day or night.

This means that while you sleep, for example, a huge number of potential customers on the other side of the world can read up on your firm, and contact you ready for when you wake up.

The Trojan of the marketing world, these hardcore little sites speak to your clients on demand, at any time.

This means you can generate new contacts and customers even while you’re asleep, on holiday or taking a weekend away from work!

They have global reach

What other marketing platform actually reaches every single country across the globe, without effort or expenditure?

Can you imagine trying to contact everyone globally through a letter drop or poster campaign? Blogs are important because they transcend cultural barriers, providing truly worldwide marketing for your business.

They are reliable

E-mails often don’t get to their destination.

Posted items can get mislaid.

Your blog, on the other hand, is always there, always visible and always accessible to your customers.

They are expected

These days, your customers actually expect to see a blog on your site as a fundamental aspect of your marketing mix.

When people visit your site, they’ll automatically keep an eye out for your blog to find out more about who you are, what you do, and what your business ‘personality’ is.

This means that businesses that don’t have blogs may be at risk of being sidelined as other firms who do provide the service for their customers gain popularity above your own.

They are the foundation for future marketing

Once you have a blog, you can develop your strategy for marketing far beyond the avenues available without one.

For example, you can go from writing to video blogging, add in polls and questionnaires, encourage feedback, engage customers through interactive quizzes or games, and guest post with other sites to lead people back to your own.

Your blog is the first step in an online marketing transformation for your business, which will serve to communicate, advertise, market and sell to your clients.

As you can see, having a blog is a small ongoing commitment for a very long-term and proven enhancement to your business.

If you’d like to know more about setting up a blog, enhancing your site or getting started with online marketing, give me a shout and I’ll support you to join the blogosphere and start to reap the benefits of this cheap, effective and interesting way of marketing for your business.