Gone are the days when a one page website with basic information and “call me” was enough to attract new customers to grow your business.
“97 percent of consumers go online to research products and services locally” (source: BIA/Kelsey; Forbes)
“Almost half of 18- to 49-year-old people get their news and information online – and those numbers are growing.” (source: Content Marketing Institute)
If they find your website in a Google search, what will they find? A simple home page with you’re your phone number? Store hours?
Or, will they find a blog chock full of stories and other information related to your niche designed to engage? Your blog can help future customers get to know about you and your business and also learn about the products or services you sell.
Which do you think is more likely to draw them in, engage them, and help them move closer to purchasing from you?
If you answered the blog, then you’re right!
Why should my small business have a blog?
I know what you’re thinking… ugh! That seems like a lot of work. What’s the purpose of blogging for my business?
“Small businesses with blogs get 126% more lead growth than small businesses without.” (source: impactbnd) This stat is hard to ignore! Establishing an authoritative and engaging online presence has become a necessity in today’s marketing environment.
Read on to find the top reasons and what they mean for you.
Establish yourself as an expert
What’s the first thing you do when you decide to purchase a product? Are you like most of us when you decide to start your shopping experience with Google?
“79% of online shoppers spend at least 50% of their shopping time researching products.” (Source: HubSpot)
It doesn’t matter what line of business you’re in, you are the authority on the products or services you sell. By sharing valuable tips, relevant data and compelling information that is useful to your future customer, you will position yourself as an expert.
If the content you create helps your customers perform their research and make a purchasing decision, then you have begun to gain their trust and they might become your next new customer.
“57% of companies with a blog have acquired a customer from their blog.” (source: HubSpot)
Your customers will think of you as a helpful resource and use your blog to learn more, get to know you better, and will come to you with questions. They will value your expertise and generosity from the information you provide, and you will be seen as a leader in your niche. “56% of bloggers who maintain blogs for a business say that their blog has helped their company establish a position as a thought leader in the industry.” (source: impactbnd)
Continually sharing relevant content will help the customers trust you and their loyalty will grow toward your business. They will become customers and they will refer you to their friends.
Increase engagement with customers
Once your customers begin to recognize you as an authority in your niche, they will come back to your blog and use it as a resource. Continuing to provide valuable content will help you to establish a relationship with your customers.
Whether you are a service provider or a shop owner, you have knowledge to provide to your customer base. By showing up where your customers are online, such as sharing your blog posts on social media, you will have more opportunities to interact and engage customers in a casual conversation.
An open dialogue will help you to be more in touch with your customer’s problems, which will give you the chance to step in with a solution. Two-way conversation with your customers through your blog or social media will continue to drive your business into the spot of trusted resource for them.
Organic traffic = free leads
Organic traffic means that your website is seen and found easily by using search engines. When your (future) customer searches in Google, your hope is that your business ranks in the search results high enough on the list to be seen. This technique is called Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
One of the best ways to increase your brand’s SEO is by consistently publishing high value content on your site. According to Hubspot,” websites that have 401-1000 web pages get six times more leads than those with 51-100 pages.” This means consistently publishing more and more content on a blog will consistently help you to rank in a way that will help grow your business.
What does a high Google ranking mean for you? It means more customers coming through your door because they found your content valuable and helpful. It also means more customers are engaged with your business as a result of your content, not as a result of your advertising dollars. That sounds like a win-win!
Your expertise showcased on your website = more leads = more customers {=more sales}
I understand that establishing a consistent blog full of high quality, valuable content might seem like a big project to launch. However, the benefits of establishing yourself as an expert, of attracting more leads that trust you and turn into customers speak for themselves. Over time, the promise of a higher ranked website might be just the bit of magic that might sway you to push through the overwhelm and start blogging.
Want some ideas on how to do that? Look for my next post in this series which will walk you through ideas of how to begin creating stellar content that will have a big impact on your bottom line.
Want help?
My goal is to support you and your business in whichever way is best for you. If you’d like to get started creating your own content, then the instructions above will be a great place to get started. I am available to coach you through the process.
If all of that doesn’t sound like where you’d like to be spending your time, then give me a call! I can become your content partner and would be happy to discuss my content packages with you. One less thing for you to worry about gives you the space you need to move your business forward in the ways that light you up.