Whenever you search on Google for a ‘How-To’ or a ‘guide’, chances are, you’re most likely finding helpful and relevant content from a blog whether that be a company’s website blog, a lifestyle blog, or an educational blog; there’s one thing they all have in common: they all have a blog.

My point I’m trying to make here is, if you’re wondering whether your company should start a blog, the answer is always YES. Regardless of what type of business you run, whether that be large enterprise B2B software, or a site selling homemade earrings, there can be tremendous value behind a business blog if you do it correctly.

Here’s a cold, hard fact from Hubspot: companies that published 16+ blog posts per month received almost 3.5X more traffic than companies that published 0-4 monthly posts.

But if you’re still not convinced that 1) anyone will actually read it, 2) if it’s “right” for your business, or 3) it will provide any value for your customers, I can give you 7 very good reasons that can eliminate your doubts.

7 ways starting a blog provides value for your business

1. Blog traffic increases your overall website visits and SEO. Raise your hand if you want more website visitors – I know I do! A website without a blog typically only has a few essential pages that aren’t frequently updated (think: About, Contact, Products, Services, etc.). Every blog post is indexed on Google which only helps your business as it’s another page that someone could land on, thus improving your overall site traffic. A company blog not only creates more opportunities for your website to be found, but also increases your search ranking. Google is pretty smart, too; it’s always looking for content that’s relevant to your customers. Providing fresh, new blog content that is relevant and consistent is the perfect opportunity to better your organic SEO and drive traffic to your website.

2. Blogging provides more networking opportunities. A blog is a great way to initiate networking opportunities with strong players in your industry that you may have otherwise considered your competitors. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to raise the white flag and risk losing business if you start a blog. Simply mentioning something, someone, or their company is a great way to open up conversations about future collaborations that will only be mutually beneficial to both ends. Not only would a guest blog drive traffic back to your website, but it would also boost your company’s credibility by linking to other credible sources. Plus, you could get double the page views if they share the post on their end.
3. Personal outreach improves customer relations. Starting a blog is an additional avenue where your customers can get in touch with you. And more importantly, it’s an avenue where you can interact with your customers and build upon existing relationships or develop strong new relationships. Paying attention to the comments section is key to understanding your customers and what they need/want. This high level of interaction and attention to customers will only leave a positive experience in the customer’s mind and increase loyalty to your brand. Plus, strengthened customer relationships means there’s a higher chance they will recommend your business to their circle, thus more business!
4. An informative blog positions your company as an industry leader. Posting relevant, helpful, and thoughtful content that is catered to your customers is hard. But that is what will ultimately position your company as an industry leader if you are consistently pumping out content that aligns with current industry trends. That doesn’t mean you have to know absolutely everything, but even simply sharing your personal opinions and thoughts will only boost your company’s credibility. Having blogs to back up the services and products that you offer makes your company look more authentic to prospects. The dedication to staying on top of current industry trends and developments speak volumes to your company’s commitment to its customers. If you start a blog, it not only talks the talk, but walks the walk.
5. A blog gives your brand a voice and a personality. As much as we’re fully immersed in a totally digital era, consumers still appreciate a human touch. It’s much harder to differentiate companies that sell the same service if there’s no distinct “personality” or voice that separates the two. People like to do business with other people; and a blog is a great way to establish that voice and personality which helps tremendously for brand recognition. Plus, having a human side to a business earns your customer’s trust more easily.
6. Blogging keeps you relevant within your industry. Similarly to reason #4, blogging forces you (in a good way!) to stay up-to-date with all that’s happening in your industry. It not only grows your knowledge base, but helps to keep your company relevant. If you’re not constantly pushing new material that aligns with the times, you’re easily forgotten. Blogging will keep your minds sharp and expand your knowledge.
7. All of these things together build a better company in the long run. If you do everything above correctly and well, you’re building a better company that provides value for your customers – for the long haul. Nothing is more rewarding than seeing your company transform from a new, lesser known company to an established, reputable, and knowledgeable industry leader.

If I’ve convinced you to start a blog but you’re not sure where to start, check out this beginner’s guide on how to have a quick, easy, and seamless blog set up.

Okay, so I just started a blog. Now what?

I won’t get too into the weeds, but the hard part is done: setting up your company blog and (hopefully) having published the first post and promoting it. Writing isn’t easy and certainly doesn’t come natural to everyone – which is why it can get overwhelming having to write so often on a new topic that’s relevant to your target market. Have no fear – there are plenty of online tools and resources, as well as strategies to stay on top of your content creation and optimizing your posts for SEO purposes.

Keep your content fresh and organized

The most important factor in always having fresh, new content for your customers, is to pay attention. Not only to what they’re buzzing about, but the upcoming trends in your industry as well. Two of my favorite tools for discovering content that resonates with your audience or trends in your industry is BuzzSumo and the Twitter Search feature (if you and/or audience is on Twitter, that is).

You may want to consider creating a content calendar to help stay organized with the different content pieces you will be producing. That way, you maintain a regular cadence of a wide variety of content and you’re not accidentally re-writing the same blog. Additionally, if your business is on social media, it’s helpful to plan organic/paid social promotion on the same content calendar that aligns with your blog content schedule.

Create SEO-friendly posts

Half the battle of having a company blog is actually writing the content that is relevant, engaging, and thoughtful – the other half is getting enough eyeballs on it that makes all the work “worth it”. If you’re struggling to get some blog page views, don’t stress if it doesn’t become a hit overnight – successful blogs take a great deal of time and effort, much like great SEO.

But, if you’re looking for some quick ways to improve the incoming traffic to your blog (and your website overall), here are some great quick fixes to improve site traffic.