Gone are the days that blogging was left to teenagers writing about gossip at school or their favorite celebrity crush. Today blogging can be an invaluable marketing tool for small businesses. Read on to get the answer to the question: why should businesses blog?

What is Blogging for Businesses?

Content marketing, which includes blogging, is a relatively new concept in marketing strategies. According to IMPACT, it wasn’t until 2011 that blogging became an accepted marketing approach for businesses.

Business blogging is essentially writing short informative articles related to your business. For example, an automotive mechanic who wants to venture into having his own business may choose to have a blog on car maintenance tips or others information relating to cars.

Why Should Businesses Blog

There is no doubt that blogging can be very beneficial for small businesses. Market Fuel Media Jax, a Jacksonville SEO company, published blogging statistics stating that 61% of people in the United States have bought something from a company after reading a blog post.

Here some reasons why you should seriously consider blogging for your business:

• Increase traffic to your website: You can have the best product in the world, but if nobody is visiting your website how will people know this? Having a blog is a great way to get people to visit your website. If you throw in some Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques, your blog will rank better on Google which means more traffic on your website.
• Allows you to connect with customers: blogging can add a personal touch and create a community around your company. Most blogs give customers the option to comment on posts, this allows you to have a conversation with customers and connect with them. You can also use a little humor and personality to your blogs making the connection stronger.
• Gives your company a personality: While allowing you to connect with customers on a more personal level, it also gives life to your company. It shows that you are active in your industry and gives your business a voice.
• Is cost effective: Blogging is a lot cheaper than traditional marketing tactics. Depending on your writing ability, blogging is something you can do on your own time. I understand that time is money, but this investment of your time could prove to be very profitable in the end.
• Demonstrates expertise in your niche: Having a blog shows your customers that you are knowledgeable in the industry you work in or the products you sell. For example, if you are a financial advisor and regularly write blog posts with genuinely good information on investments, this increases your credibility as a business.

Myths Related to Business Blogs

Business blogs are relatively new, but the standards have also changed and evolved very quickly. Things that may have been true about blogging a few years ago, is no longer the case today. Here are some common misconceptions associated with business blogging:

• Quantity is better than quality: many businesses make the mistake of just spewing out a bunch of blogs that are poor in quality. In fact, according to Search Engine People, 60% of blogs are said to have poor content. Although it is important to post blogs regularly, you want to make sure your current or potential customers are receiving helpful information.
• Blogging is too time-consuming: Blogs don’t need to be these super long literary masterpieces, they can be short and to the point. The thing with blogging is that you will need to invest some time, but it provides many benefits and is more cost-effective than other marketing methods.
• Only great writers can blog: You may think you need an English degree to write a blog, but that’s not true. Although writing skills are going to be essential, you don’t have to be an expert writer. Just focus on providing information that your customers could be searching for and make sure your spelling and grammar are good. With practice, you will eventually develop your own writing voice.
• Customers don’t read blogs: Not everyone reads blogs regularly, but most people use Google when they want to know something. If you are providing information that they want to know, they will read it.
• Businesses can’t use humor in blogs: Because it is for your business, you might have the impression that you need to be very serious. Yes, it’s true, you need to be professional, but you also need to be engaging. Don’t be afraid to show your personality and use humor, this will keep customers coming back for me.
• Blogging is a fad: It’s true, we have no way of predicting the future, but I think that blogging has proved itself in the marketing world to be a very valuable tool and it’s what works for businesses right now. Marketing will always be evolving, but as a business, we need to keep up with those changes.

In the end, if you are wondering if you should have a blog for your business, the answer is yes. When you provide useful and unique content for your customers, it is sure to pay off in the end.