You have a lot on your hands running your business. You have to stay on top of everything from marketing to accounting to fulfillment. You probably don’t have time to write a blog on top of all of that.
You might question whether your website even needs a blog. Do prospective customers of your trucking company really want to read about the new 18-wheeler you bought? Do your dental patients want to know about the new hygienist in your office? No, I don’t think so either. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider content and integral component of your marketing strategy.
Here are three reasons you should add blogging to your marketing budget.
1. Your Blog Will Improve Your SEO Score
You may only need a bare-bones website with a few pages and minimal content to tell the world that your coffee shop is open for business. But if you’re struggling to get into the top rankings for your keywords (such as coffee shop + your neighborhood or city), a blog could be just the tool for the job.
Blog posts add keywords to your site that can get picked up by search engines, without doing the keyword stuffing that will get you axed by Google. The more content you have, the more legit your site seems to the algorithms that rule the search engines.
At the moment, Google is looking for long-form content. Blog posts of 1,000 words or more can improve your page ranking. Your customers may rate a post of that length TL;DR, but if they find your site, you’ve won the battle.
2. Your Blog is Your Free Gift to Your Customers
A free pen with your company logo is fine, but it’s probably not going to get you much traction (who writes with a pen anymore?). The best free customer gifts today are virtual.
Free shipping is an example of a free gift that ecommerce websites use to build customer goodwill. Your blog can operate as a free gift engine for your current and potential customers.
For example, the trucking company blog might include posts about ways to reduce freight costs, tips to reduce shipping times, and best practices for multi-modal shipping. The dentist might have posts about what we learn from teeth found at an archaeological dig or the truth about George Washington’s wooden teeth. The coffee shop might post about upcoming neighborhood events or the origin story of a particular blend of coffee.
Evergreen blog content that gets a growing number of page views and link-backs over time also gets your brand noticed. An informative or entertaining blog post is a great way to give your customers and potential customers something of value and keep your name top of mind.
3. Your Blog Tells Your Customers Who You Are
Every business has a story. Maybe you started your trucking company because you wanted to train more women to be long-haul truckers. Or you take time out from your dental practice to provide your services free through Dentists Without Borders. Maybe you inherited the coffee shop from your grandmother and you’re carrying on the traditions she brought with her from Italy. Tell those stories in your blog.
Your content is a way to get personal with your customers. It’s a great vehicle for sharing the passion that gets you out of bed every day, the vision behind your business.
Your content marketing is a great place to develop your brand voice and the personality of your business. Well-crafted blog posts will give your customers a warm fuzzy feeling about you while they establish your expertise in your field.