10 Reasons Why I Blog (And Why You Should, Too!)
Posted by Ken Mueller on Tue, Nov 30, 2010 @ 09:19 AM
When I built my website to promote my business, I made the decision early on to walk the talk. How could I tell people that I was going to help them in the areas of blogging, Social Media, and SEO unless I was doing those same things for myself?
After going through the Inbound Marketing University training and reading a lot of blogs about the subject, I became convinced of the importance of blogging. I knew that I had something to say, and I wanted local businesses to understand that I knew what I was talking about. I wasn’t just someone knocking on their door, offering to help them with their online marketing. (In fact, I don’t knock on any doors. I also decided early on that I wouldn’t do cold calls, but would instead grow my business using the methods I was preaching; and it has worked!)
Here are a few reasons why I believe that businesses should be blogging on their websites:
1. It helps me learn – As I write, I’m also learning. By researching and putting my thoughts down in a blog post it allows me to think through my ideas. As I do this, I find that it helps me when I’m working with clients and I need to articulate a specific point.
2. It forces me to stay current – If I’m going to blog about issues related to my industry, I need to know what I’m talking about. Therefore, I need to stay sharp by reading other blogs, news, and research. If I’m blogging about things that are “old news,” no one will pay attention.
3. It facilitates conversation – Most websites are rather static – online brochures. A blog is the one place where readers can comment and start a discussion. It’s this kind of give and take that helps me get a feel for who is reading my blog, and it helps generate ideas for future blog posts!
4. It’s a resource for my clients – I get a lot of questions from friends and clients. Now that I’ve been blogging every day for over a year (and you certainly don’t need to blog at that pace!) I find that I can often answer them best by pointing to a specific post on my blog.
5. It drives traffic to my site – I would estimate that about 90% of the traffic to my website is as a result of my blog, both with first time and returning visitors. I have a lot of people who now subscribe to my blog after reading one or two blog posts they found via Social Media or Google.
6. It increases my business – As more people visit my blog, some of them stick around to check out the rest of my site, and some even inquire about working with me. Also, word of mouth takes over and I get more people talking about me. HubSpot’s own research shows that businesses that blog see 126% more leads than non-blogging businesses. You do the math.
7. It’s social – With just one click I can publish my blog to a variety of social platforms, making it easier to find. Additionally, once my blog hits social media channels, it’s easier for others to share it. If I’m going to spend a lot of time on my blog, I’m also going to do everything I can to get it out there for others to see.
8. It sets me up as an authority – I like to give out free information. Blogging allows me to share my knowledge with others, and you can do the same. By sharing knowledge related to your specific business or industry, others will view you as an authority in your field.
9. It builds trust – If you share your knowledge, and you share it freely, your readers (read: potential customers) will trust you. And when the time comes that they need the types of products or services that you offer, they will come to you, not your competition.
10. It’s an SEO goldmine – If you’re looking for better search engine placement, look no further. A blog provides your website with all the things Google likes: regularly changing content, traffic, keywords, content that attracts inbound links, and more. By blogging regularly, you can improve your search engine rankings in a very natural, organic way.
Why do you blog? What have you achieved through your blog?
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Want to learn more about publishing a blog on your small business website?
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Photo Credit: klytemestra