Although blogging may seem like a hobby only suitable for teens who dream of becoming social media influencers, it is an invaluable tool if you want to expand your business. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, blogging is essentially writing an online journal or informational post which is then uploaded to your site – a bit like an article that you might read in a magazine.
Although blogging might push you outside of your comfort zone, it’s pretty easy to get the hang of it. Remember, your blogs will be there to boost your online business, so it’s likely you’ll be talking about something that you’re familiar with. A blog also doesn’t need to be pages long: anything between 300-2000 words can be helpful. As long as you post blogs regularly, you’ll soon see the benefits that blogging can bring to your business.
It improves SEO ranking
Adopting a search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy is paramount to ensure your online business is visible. Blogging is a great way to improve your visibility: by using keywords in your blogpost which people are searching for, Google is more likely to see that your content is useful, meaning it will rank it higher in search engine results.
Being on the first page of Google is absolutely vital: considering that 75% of users don’t scroll past the first page of search results, ranking highly ensures that visitors will click on to your blog post for answers. And, once people are on your site, they are more likely to want to explore what you have to offer – Hubspot has revealed that businesses which use blogs as part of their marketing strategy get 67% more leads than those who don’t. By having a high SEO ranking, you can market your services completely free of charge, as blogging means you are more likely to have a large traffic flow through your website.
It is important to remember to continue blogging: although you might have one blog post which becomes really popular, don’t let the success of your online business rest on this one blog. Every time you write a blog post, Google indexes your page, ensuring that your online business is constantly being shown on Google’s search engine results.
It builds trust
There are a lot of dodgy websites out there, meaning that it can be difficult to know what and who to trust. Writing blog posts shows visitors to your site that you really know what you’re talking about. If, for example, you’re a lawyer offering legal advice, then a potential client is going to want to be reassured that you’re well practised in the area. Writing a blog post about your achievements and accomplishments is a great way to advertise yourself to this client.
You can also opt to write informational blog posts: not only is this good for SEO, but it shows site users that you really want to help them, and that you have the knowledge necessary to do so. Considering that blogs are in the top 5 of most trusted online sources, blogging is a great way to build a relationship between your business and the site user.
If your business has an ecommerce section, then providing a step-by-step guide on how to use the product that you’re selling is a fantastic way to market your item: people are much more likely to want to buy something if they feel reassured that they won’t be left wondering what to do with it once purchased.
It provides better exposure
Social media can be a goldmine when it comes to increasing visibility on the web. By linking social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest etc. to your blog posts, you are giving people the opportunity to share your content, and potentially spark discussion around what you’ve written. The more people who want to join in on the conversation about your content, the better – if people start commenting and tagging their friends into the post, then more people are going to be able to see what services you offer.
Just as social media can give your blog posts more exposure, blogging can improve the number of people who visit your social media sites. By adding a link to a recent Instagram post to your blog, you are increasing your visibility and encouraging people to engage with you on social media. This is a great way to ensure that people don’t forget about your online business once they’ve clicked off: by encouraging them to follow you on social media, you can keep them updated with the latest information or offers within your online business.
Building a website
Of course, you will want to have a sleek, attractive website to publish your blog posts on. Go Sitebuilder is a one of the best site builders in the UK for those who might be a bit daunted by the prospect: their services are incredibly easy to use, and they offer one of the cheapest ecommerce add ons in the UK. Unlike other website builders, they have a free blogging platform within their software, meaning you won’t have to learn how to use a whole new software just to upload a blog. Their 14-day free trial means you can explore all they have to offer completely free of charge, allowing you to build the perfect online business for you.
