What is blogging for business?
A blog is a regularly updated web page or website, typically run by a small business, individual, or marketing department. It is a place to share information on any topic, including opinions, that offer value to the reader.
Blogging for business is essential today. Customers want to work with the best companies with the most expertise. The information shared in this content format makes it easier for potential leads to compare different brands and their value propositions, as well as inform their buying decisions. This makes blogging a no-brainer in terms of marketing for leads.
5 ways blogging for business extends your potential leads
Blogging drives website traffic because it is shareable across multiple platforms. It allows you to promote your products and services, build trust with a potential customer, and demonstrate expertise.
Although numerous potential benefits are possible, these are the primary ways you can extend your online audience with this resource.
1. You can convert more leads from one blog article
Happy readers create warmer leads. Blogging helps a business create visitor progress through a sales funnel because the information provided helps answer questions a consumer has about the products and services offered. It acts as a motivational decision-making tool.
The more people you can draw in to read each blog post and the article becomes an automated way to increase your lead potential.
Value is something that Google is also looking for when they rank your website, so creating good informational content can only lead to increased domain authority through page ranking individual posts.
2. You can develop more backlinks
Search engines use incoming and outgoing linking networks to determine how much value a particular page offers. Blogging for business creates content that other websites might use as reference material. If they decide to link to it, a backlink appears that contributes to an SEO investment.
Backlinks are ranked as high as third on the list of most crucial factors for search engine optimization some years. Businesses ignore them at their own risk.
3. Calls to action further increase conversion opportunities
The best business blog posts use a call-to-action button that turns traffic into leads for a sales team. Not everyone will click on that button, and that’s fine. No business turns 100% of its leads into paying customers. If used correctly, however, the automated nature of traffic gathering by individual articles increases your sale’s team efforts. If the information is primed to take the lead further down a sales funnel, it may help your team pick up with an already hot lead, just ready to buy.
The most valuable business blog post from a customers’ perspective is one that provides information and potential next steps. As such this isn’t always directly sales-related, but it does help with brand awareness and can gain you other business leads. There is a way to capture some of those potential leads before they click away from your website and you can do this by offering opt-ins for your mailing list or asking them to read another related article.
4. Create connections for long-term leads
Blogs are a fantastic place on a website to share news about a company. The articles can highlight what a business is doing and even how they are doing it to an extent. It is a great way to connect with your audience and encourage engagement. Each time someone reads that content, another step toward a meaningful relationship gets built.
Consumer and business relationships are long term assets for your business because they keep you top-of-mind. This means that if someone isn’t ready to buy today, they may buy tomorrow.
5. You can repurpose articles for Social Media
Blogging for business makes it easier for a company to be discovered on social media. Each time a new article publishes, you create content that people can share on several networks directly from your page. Add sharing buttons to your post page and you make that job even easier for your reader to do!
Blogs often serve as a repository for future social media content. Imagine writing a blog article in a way that you could take snippets for three or four social media posts that stand on their own? Repurposing is a great way to extend the life of your message using separate channels to attract new audience members. The beauty of working in this way is that the bulk of the work was done in the writing of your initial post.
3 Simple ideas to get your business blog content written quickly
Creating content for your blog shouldn’t feel difficult and you will often find that sitting with pen and paper you will quickly discover a wealth of topics to talk to your potential client about. Here are some simple ideas to get you started.
Answer FAQs
I have found that for every question that gets asked by email, there will be many people who walked away before asking. Sometimes it is what feels like the most obvious information that illudes our potential clients about our products or services. Creating blog posts that answer these questions effectively not only contributes to more conversions but also expands your reach through potential shares and backlinks. Giving Google more reason to rank your page above the competition.
Highlight a product or service
I wrote a blog article for a client highlighting one of her yarn bases to her clients, specifically to showcase the yarn and how it could be used in projects. Thinking about all of the questions her clients might have about that particular product; from its origin to tips for working with it and even pattern suggestions, allowed me to create content that made her client’s life much easier when shopping. Increasing the information a lead had during their shop allowed my client to increase her sales of this higher-ticket item.
News before it is news to your customer
Sometimes your audience is looking to be kept abreast of industry stories as they break. As a business blogger and an expert in your niche, you are the one to break that news! I recently wrote an article for a financial client on Making Tax Digital, with regard to the 2024 law. Seems too far away to even think about here in early 2022, but by talking about it now it means his clients can benefit from staying one step ahead of legislation. Allowing them to update their practices in a considered way, over later reactionary and clumsy solutions.
If you need a copywriter to create compelling copy, someone who understands the customer journey, fill in the project brief form below!
