Blogs, blogging, blog sites! Going back to 1994, they are now everywhere, approx. 600million worldwide! As a business owner, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by them, how to write them and to even understand what they can achieve.
Do you need a blog? The answer is yes! If you have a business website and you want to keep customers engaged then a blog is an essential marketing tool. After all you are reading one now!
So why do you need a business blog? Read on to find out the answer, and why a copywriter is your secret weapon for success.
1. What is a blog?
Let’s start with this as many people are still unclear about what a blog is. A blog is a series of articles in a section of your website, which address a particular theme.
For example, if you are a garden company then your blog might focus on the topic of gardening, let’s call it ‘The green fingered gardening blog’. In this, you will have your blog posts, individual articles on gardening subjects aimed at your audience such as ‘Top ten garden tools’ or ‘How to keep your lawn green this spring’.
They address those areas that someone visiting a gardening website might be interested in and want to find out more about.
A successful blog is a cost-effective and powerful way to connect with your target audience. They can include pictures, links to other sites, graphics and more.
2. Why do you need blog posts on your website?
(i) Blog posts are extremely effective at improving your search engine rankings as they include keywords that your customers are typing into Google. A professional copywriter is your expert at doing this as they know what your audience is searching for.
So for example, if we use the gardening company, in summer their target customers may be wondering how to keep their garden looking good in the heat. The blogs could be along those lines, picking up on keywords they are searching for: ‘How to keep your garden beautiful in a heatwave?’ or ‘Ten garden accessories for the summer’.
(ii) Blog posts are a powerful tool in building trust with your customers. Indeed consumers who engage with your content are 131% more likely to purchase.
Blogs achieve this by using well-written content (thank you copywriter) to get across your expertise in a particular subject and then share that with your readers and customers. They also help to answer common questions that they have.
If your customers feel that you are an expert in an area they are interested in, they are more likely to buy from you.
(iii) Readers will also tend to share blogs that they find useful. When this happens your brand will build greater awareness and attract potential new customers. Recent statistics suggest that businesses with blogs attract 55% more visitors to their website than those that do not.
3. How to start business blogging?
Many business owners are put off blogging as they feel it is too time-consuming. Yes, to have a successful blog you should be posting regularly but that is where a professional copywriter comes in.
A professional copywriter will make your blog easy to read (no jargon here!); eye-catching and engaging, with a killer headline!
Together you can agree on a series of blog posts that you wish to publish to your website. Your copywriter will do all the research to make sure it is an interesting and relevant blog with fantastic links to external articles that will add value.
They will also ensure that you have a powerful call to action, one that is meaningful and encourages your reader to take the next step in the buying journey. This is one of the most important reasons to use a copywriter, they write emotive content to persuade your reader/customer to take action.
4. How often should you blog?
The more you blog the better for business.
Blogging increases your chances of being found by your target audience and going up those all-important Google rankings. Set up your blog post schedule with your copywriter to keep your content, and your business, visible and credible.
If you blog regularly your readers will be satisfied and will keep returning to your website for more.
If these regular blogs continue to have well-written and interesting content, they will also improve dwell time. This is the length of time a reader spends on your website and is key to the user experience that Google rewards. The reward is of course, you have guessed it, improved search engine rankings.
So if you have a business, a business website and you want to grow (who doesn’t??) then you need to start a blog.
Consult with a professional copywriter like me, and you will have blog posts with superior content to engage your target customer, generate sales and build your brand!