Blog, shmog. Have you noticed how many companies today have a blog on their website? What’s with this trend, you ask? Unlike bell bottoms and the man mullet, I’m afraid this one is here to stay. The truth is, blog posts are good for business! In this article, I’ll explain the very real benefits of creating a blog on your website, plus give you a few insider tips on blogging for newbies. Here’s 5 reasons why you should have a blog on your website.
1. Blog posts generate leads.
When shared on social media or via email, blog posts bring people to your website. This is an opportunity for connection and conversion! With the right CTA (call to action) at the end of your post, they can bring people into your sales process. Whether you want to build your email list, get visitors to schedule a free consultation, or purchase a product or service, blog posts can be designed to achieve this goal. As easily shareable content, blog posts can garner you new leads outside your sphere.
CTA tip: Make it relevant to your post! For instance, (spoiler alert) since this blog post is about the benefits of having a blog on your website, my CTA at the end of this post is going to link to...you guessed it…the blog writing service page on my website.
Take a sneak peek at my content writing services now if delayed gratification isn’t your thing. :) :)
2. Blog posts nurture client relationships.
Clients and customers become loyal fans when they feel like they get real value from your business. This isn’t limited to your product or service. It’s about your company as a whole and all the little things you do to go above and beyond. Value doesn’t necessarily mean savings or “a steal” price wise. You can add value in all kinds of ways, one of them being through a blog.
For example, take my client. My Hawaii Hostel offers fantastic budget accommodations for travelers visiting the Big Island of Hawaii. They offer additional value to their guests through their blog by creating free content that gives insider tips on all kinds of things to do, see, and eat on the island. Each blog post is written specifically for their unique audience - budget travelers in their 20s and 30s who tend to value experiences over things.
Blogging tip: A great starting point for a blog post is to ask yourself what information and stories your audience might appreciate. What would they find interesting or funny? What questions do they frequently ask you? Which brings me to the next benefit.
3. Blog posts save you time and money.
Blog posts are a great way to answer frequently asked questions from customers. For example, let’s talk about my hostel client again. Guests frequently ask them things like “where should we eat? Where can we take a surf lesson? Where’s the best beaches...snorkeling spots...hiking trails...etc…?
These questions can all be turned into fun, informative blog posts. The next time a guest asks, they can be directed to the article. BOOM! Time saved and guests impressed by the wealth of beautifully organized information (complete with photos) at their fingertips. The less time you spend explaining the same things over and over again to your customers, the more time you have to work on your business where it really counts. Saved time = saved $$$$.
Content creation hack: Do you struggle to come up with original content to post to your social media accounts? Blog posts can be mined for material! A single 1,000 word blog post can provide content for dozens of social media posts. If your blog post content is evergreen (not dated) - you can continue to reuse them for social posts in the future for years to come!
4. Blog posts boost SEO.
Search engines like Google comb through the written content on your website and match it with keywords and phrases that people search for. On a very simple level, this is how your website can get discovered in search results. SEO (search engine optimization) is a complicated beast. There is a lot more to it...but the simple version is that the more quality, well written content you have on your website that talks about your products or services and topics relevant to your business, the better. Stellar evergreen content (as mentioned in #3) can even win you backlinks (other websites sites linking to your blog post) which are SEO gold.
SEO Tip: Including your geographic location with your keyphrases (ie. the city or town in which your business is located) offers an additional SEO boost. For example, it’s easier for me to rank (show up on the first few pages) in search engine results for the keyphrase “Hawaii content writer” rather than just “content writer” because there is less competition.
5. Blog posts are an opportunity to support your network.
Blog posts are a great way to shoutout other companies and professionals in your network. A rising tide lifts all ships. When you highlight other businesses in your community, you give a boost to your local economy and send out good vibes that come right back at ya like a boomerang. Share the blog post with the people you’ve highlighted and chances are they’ll be stoked and want to share the article with their network too. Then, presto! Free exposure and more eyes on your website.
Network support tip: If you are a service-based business, you can use a blog post to highlight clients as examples of your handiwork, as I’ve done in this post by shouting out my blogging client My Hawaii Hostel.
Need help starting your blog or writing blog posts?
I’m here! As a content writer, I offer monthly blogging services for a flat fee. I’ll help you brainstorm relevant blog post topics, then I’ll write and post the articles to your website, optimize them for SEO, find pretty images to include, and meet with you monthly to stay up to date on your business.
Learn more about my blogging services.
Want to take a stab at writing blog posts or other website content yourself but feel like you need more guidance and support? I offer one-on-one writing coaching via Zoom!
Whatever you want to write, I’ll help you break it down into easy bite-sized tasks and help you edit and revise along the way. Interested to work with me one-on-one? Drop me a line at m@mthewriter.com and tell me about yourself and what you want to write. I’m all ears!