While some businesses took a while to catch up with the digital revolution, the majority of companies now have a website of some kind. However, merely having a website is not enough if it does not appear in search engine results, is lacking in information, expertise, personality, or originality. It does not matter how big or small a business is; including a blog can inject some new life and additional value into a business website. Despite this, a lot of companies do not see maintaining a blog as a priority.

If you are a business owner who is hesitant or skeptical about the value a blog could add to your website, here are ten reasons to change your mind.

1. A blog can show your brand personality

The evergreen content on your website is there to tell customers about your products and services, but this does not leave much opportunity for creativity or personality. A blog can be used to give customers a deeper insight into your company and your team. You can share the latest updates and comment on industry developments and trends, as well as more detail about your products or services. The more knowledgeable you are about your products and the wider industry, the more your customers will trust you and feel comfortable making a purchase.

2. A blog can maximize your visibility in search engines

The greater the number of new pages and posts that your website publishes, the more opportunities you will have to appear in search results. Blogs are the perfect place to include images, videos, and long-tail keywords, which do well in search results. By maximizing your visibility, you will boost traffic by increasing the likelihood that customers will visit your website and convert to sales. To ensure you have the most effective blog posts possible, you may want to outsource to an external company like SEO content writing from Operation Technology Digital.

3. A blog provides shareable content for social media

It is crucial for businesses to be active on social media, and that involves sharing engaging, informative, unique, and new content regularly. It can be difficult to do, but every time you write a blog, you are creating content that is ideal for sharing on social media. When you post a link to the blog on social media, you are inviting people to click through, increasing traffic to your site. The bigger your audience on social media, the more chances you have to attract them to your website. Blog posts can also be shared more than once. When a news story hits the headlines, or a new trend emerges in the industry, you may already have a relevant blog post and can pull it out of the hat as needed.

4. A blog encourages customers to interact with your brand

Business websites are often created to inform customers, but they rarely invite much in the way of two-way communication. When you write a blog post and invite readers to share on their social media, comment, or ask questions, you can start a dialogue that establishes a deeper relationship with your customers, suppliers, and other businesses in your industry. Simply by allowing comments on your blog, you are showing your audience that you are open and willing to listen. You can also invite feedback, which you can use to improve your service, increase transparency, and build trust.

5. A blog can grow your email marketing list

Email marketing is still an effective strategy, but it is increasingly difficult to get customers to give their consent. However, if a customer believes they will receive useful or entertaining content, they will be more likely to sign up to receive email updates, promotions, newsletters, and blog alerts. It will help keep your brand fresh in your customers’ minds and encourage them to stay in touch. In your regular newsletters, you should include links to your website to boost traffic to your key pages and promotions.

6. A blog keeps your website content fresh

Much of the content on your website is likely to be evergreen, meaning it does not need updating very often. When a website is not updated, customers and search engines can interpret this as a sign that it is out of date and therefore less relevant than websites that receive regular attention. By incorporating a blog and adding new posts every week or two, you are giving the search engines new content to crawl and signalling to visitors that your website is current.

7. A blog can encourage inbound links

Another ranking factor that search engines favour is inbound linking – the links within your website that help users to find their way around the website. By including relevant internal links from the blog to key pages on your website, you may be able to boost your position in search engine results.

8. A blog can boost your internal linking strategy

In addition to giving other websites more opportunities to link to you, a blog can also help your internal linking strategy. By linking between different pages on your website, you can not only help visitors to navigate your content and find what they are looking for but also guide them towards your key conversion pages. A good internal linking strategy can also give your SEO performance a boost if the links you use are relevant and logical.

9. A blog can provide more information about your products

Depending on the products or services you sell, a blog can be a great place to share detailed information and guidance, which helps your customers to get the most out of them. You may be able to share case studies about how your products or services have benefited previous customers, focus on particular features, or provide solutions for common problems. The more helpful you are, the less likely you are to receive complaints and returns, and you can also take some of the strain off your customer service team. By addressing frequently asked questions in your blog, you may be able to reduce the number of queries that your team has to field.

10. A blog can lead to greater creativity

Researching and writing blog posts can be a great way to keep the creative juices flowing. You will build a collection of useful blogs and articles, but in the process, you may also spark an idea that leads to innovation in the business. The more topics you can cover in detail, the more likely it is that your audience will perceive you as knowledgeable and authoritative.

Is it time your business started a blog?

A business blog is an essential marketing tool, but it should also bring an element of fun and creativity to your operation. If these ten reasons to start a blog have convinced you, but you are not a confident writer, it is worth considering delegating the task to someone in your business who can write. Alternatively, you might want to outsource the writing to a freelance writer or content agency to produce the meat of the blog posts. You can then go through as an editor afterward and ensure they are technically accurate.

Businesses that do not have a blog on their website are likely to be holding themselves back, especially if your competitors are already leading the way. If you would like to increase traffic to your website, boost your position in search engines, build a community of engaged customers, strengthen your brand, increase your relevance on social media, and establish yourself as a leader in your industry, it is time to start writing and publishing a blog.