9 Reasons Why Every Business Should Have a Blog

why every business should have a blog

At some point, most business owners are faced with the option of starting a blog.

Many new blogs are launched every year by companies, but it also needs to be stated that many shut down or become dormant.

If you have a blog or are considering starting one, you should be clear on the reasons why a blog is a good option.

One thing is clear – unless your blog project becomes a core business activity, your blog will not deliver the benefits you want. Β As a result,Β it will likely wither on the vine and die.

The key is to expand your thinking about what is possible by implementing a blog strategy. Rather than an add-on – an afterthought – your blog needs to be front and center in your online marketing outreach program.

That’s why I wrote this post. Β To show you how effective a blog can be to grow your business. Β If you buy into the points I’m making here you can look forward to a positive future for your blogging program.

Read on……

9 Reasons Why Every Business Should Have a Blog

1. Will Establish Your Business As the Leader In Your Industry

Have you heard the term, Authority Positioning? Β What is it? Β Well, it’s about positioning you andΒ yourΒ company as an authority – even a thought leader – in your industry or niche. Β And that’s where you want to be – the top dog in your niche.Β  The top dog gets to lead from the front and always gets a change of view!

Are you there yet?

The point is that a well-executed blog strategy will establish you as the kingpin in your niche. Β The way to do it is to articulate a compelling message that hits the spot with your ever widening audience.

2. The Search Engines Will Send It Some β€˜Free’ Traffic

If you select topics that focus on low competition keywords, you will probably get some of your blog posts ranked in the search engines.Β  Imagine that – search engines, like Google, will send you visitors for free. Β And quite often you can do it without spending money on Search Engine OptimisationΒ (SEO) services.

3. A Platform For Social Media Shares

In recent years, social media has become a big deal.Β  Therefore, it makes sense to promote each blog post on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Linked In.Β  If the content is useful and relevant, some people will share it which in turn can createΒ a viral effect.

4. Generate More Leads

If you’re getting more traffic courtesy of the search engines, social media, and other strategies, you will get more leads.Β  This is on the proviso that you have a correctly sorted website with opt-in forms prominently displayed.

If you’re getting the traffic but no leads you’ll probably need to make some changes to give people good reasons to make an inquiry and jump onto your subscriber list.

Changes could include the addition of a free offer (such as a free report) banner with a Β call to action. Β Display the offer on each page of your web site, including your blog. Β You can also include the offer with a call to action at the bottom of each blog post. Β Scroll down this post and you will see an example of same.

Here is an example of an offer with opt-in box:

kw.net - optin form mockup up

Of course, if you include a free offer as a kind of lead bait, you must use it to build your email list. Β When someone joins your list, they should receive a regular series of emails about your products/services. Β If you don’t yet have an autoresponder system such as AWeber, you can sign up here.

But your blog can be a powerful lead generation catalyst for your business in its own right. The reason is that if your blog contains lots of desire building content this will encourage site visitors to take the next step and make an inquiry. Β Another lead for you.

5. Will Boost Your Sales Conversions

A blog can be a powerful way to increase conversions for these reasons:

Social Proof. Β People generally won’t do business unless they have confidence. Β One way to instill confidence is to give them some social proof. Β Social proof comes in many forms, the most obvious of which is a testimonial. Β Bolster the humble testimony with other techniques such as case histories, customer interviews, etc. and then feature them on your blog. Β Take a look at this blog and its comments – you’ll see plenty of social proof here.

Evidence of Competence. Β This one overlaps a bit with the previous point because a lot of the social proof ideas will automatically demonstrate competence (e.g., case histories). Β All the claims and promises in the world won’t amount to a hill o’ beans if you can’t demonstrate competence. Β If you have qualifications, show them. Β But there are many other techniques you can use too.

(I write about both of the above strategies here

6. Create a Sense of Community

If you do it right, you can create a vibrant community with your blog.Β  Create content that includes customer, employee and supplier profiles. Β Then, send the links to your customers who in turn will visit your blog.Β  Encourage them to leave a comment and share your post on their favorite social media sites.

The key to community building is to get people to come back to your blog multiple times. Β When they do, they will get to know some of the other regular visitors, and may even interact with them. Β Keep in mind that relationship building takes time, and it may take six months or more before your blog takes on the appearance of a fledgling community.

7. Produce More Referrals

As you’ve seen your blog can get some engagement happening and build a sense of community. Β But more than this. Β When customers see all of this activity their belief and enthusiasm for your company will grow markedly.Β  Result?Β  More sizzling hot referrals for you. Β People love businesses they perceive as winners.

8. Will Improve Your Communication Skills

The fact that you are creating content, some of which will be persuasive in nature, means your powers of persuasion will be enhanced. Β Use your blog as an opportunity to hone your persuasive skills. Β And of course, you can leverage improved skills in this area into other aspects of your business.Β  In short, your blog can be a potent force for marketing good.

9. Builds Your Brand

You can build your brand without a blog – a good website can do it. Β But here is where the blog can take yourΒ brandΒ to another level. Β It will humanize your brand because it will include regular, original stories about you, your team, and your customers. Β There’s a lot you can do here – use your imagination to develop more ideas.

The main thing is to tell personalized, people-centric stories that convey real benefits to readers. Β Try and avoidΒ dry dissertationsΒ about product features etc.

Your Turn – Time to Comment!

Do you already have a blog? Β (If not, you’ll need a hosting account so you can have your own self-hosted WordPress blog.)

If yes, how has it helped you increase your credibility and authority?

Has your blog produced more leads and sales?

OR has it helped you convert more leads from other sources into sales and new members?

Are you getting engagement and social media shares for your blog posts? Β (If not, check out my blog post on blog commenting on this blog.)

Before you read the above post were you totally clear about all of the benefits a blog can provide?

Do you need help creating content and generating leads and traffic for your blog? (If yes, book in for a free 30 minute So Helpful strategy session.)

Make a comment below!

****Special Free Offer****

If you are an expert and need more high paying customers the key is to position you as an authority in your niche. Β It is NOT about being a mere salesperson.

So, if you want to attract high paying β€˜A’ class clients to you like bees to a honeypot, you should talk to me.

I’ve been using these techniques for years in my own business.Β  Techniques that have enabled me to quit the rat race and travel the world as a digital nomad.

So here is my offer for you……

I will gift you an hour of my time (by phone or Skype) for brainstorming, including specific strategies for expert positioning and client acquisition.Β  AND I’ll always be focused on skyrocketing your income by showing you how to attract β€˜A’ class clients who pay you top dollar.

All at no cost to you.Β  All I ask for in return is a testimonial and the opportunity to build a valuable relationship.

Results matter, so that will be my focus for you – to give you valuable ideas you can use straight away.

Schedule a Time HERE

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post. Β If so, share the love on your fav social media platforms. Β I would also love it if you can add a nice comment below.

27 thoughts on “9 Reasons Why Every Business Should Have a Blog”

  1. Hi Kim,

    9 brilliant reasons to have a blog if you’re in business! Thanks.

    One thing I’d add that’s important for any business owner starting a blog is that your blog should not be about your business. If these 9 reasons are your only motivation for having a blog, your blog won’t succeed.

    It’s all about knowing what your potential customers want (even if it’s not what you can give them directly) and helping them get it, e.g. if they want to know how to tile their own
    bathrooms and you sell bathroom tiling, do a couple of How to tile your bathrooms like a pro video lessons. Maybe mention you sell tiles too if they want tiles to look as great as in
    your videos. A great example of this is this video by Build.com: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giYqBCKuBMY (note the invitation to subscribe/sign up to their email address for “more useful tips”.

    Your blog should be about how can I help my potential customers/clients get what they want (in such a way that they like my honesty, how much time I take to show them how, etc, etc.). It’s the old addage, people buy you before they buy what you sell.

    Getting traffic to your blog is the main problem for many bloggers. Finding out what brings this traffic into your blog is key. And helping them out with useful tips and ideas can really bring in the customers.

    -Tom

    1. Great point Tom and thanks for dropping by again

      You are spot on – the last thing the blogger should be doing is to be constantly pitching people on their wonderful products. However, educating people about product benefits is a good idea as long as the blogger isn’t doing it all the time. Far better to solve problems, educate, and expand the vision of prospective customers.

      Ultimately we want to make consumers smarter and more discerning. Your bathroom tiling example perfectly illustrates this point. Love it.

      Talking about bloggers getting it wrong……Yesterday a guy I had spoken to previously sent me a link to his first blog post. It was a glorified sales pitch. So I told him not to do that – instead, create a value-laden post. In short, educate don’t sell!

      Thanks again, Tom

      Kim

    2. Hey Tom,

      Could not agree more with you re the fact that “people buy people first”

      Actually I think the main problem for bloggers is not “getting traffic” but rather attracting “interested targeted traffic” who will read our posts and be willing to engage with us.

      Of course if we have a good grip on just who our target audience and where these guys hangout, then by focussing our traffic strategies on those locations, we’ll stand a far better chance of attracting the kind of traffic we seek.

      Just my 2 cents worth mate

      Best wishes from a remote Thai village

      Peter

      1. Yes, you’re right again Peter.

        Targetted traffic is the name of the game. And as you say the way to do is to hang where our kind of prospects are hanging out

        It’s not rocket science

        Thanks Peter

        Kim

  2. I agree with all these tips! I would also add that having a blog often triggers conversations and helps you can even further insight into your target audience. Sometimes you can find ideas for new blog-posts from comments that people left on your old posts! Thanks for sharing! I try to promote my writing services through my blog and social media.

    1. Good one Timothy!

      Yes are correct; insights, wisdom and a certain ‘knowing’ about your target audience represent the other benefits of having a blog.

      Good luck with your writing business.

      Thanks for dropping by again

      Kim

  3. Hi Kim,
    This is one of those posts that every online business should read.

    The 9 points you make are very easy to understand and the advantages you point out are powerfully obvious. This is one of the reasons I want to share your post widely as just yesterday whilst searching online I came across 3 different businesses, all with a blog “attached” to their site, but the lastest posts were something like a year old!

    Many folks still have not realized the huge benefits of making their blog the focus of their marketing strategy. It not only builds your authority but from a sheer bottom lie perspective, the very nature of a blog will boost conversions simply because people will respond far more positively to a blog post compared to a sales page – even though they both may have the very same objective!

    Blogging has given me a whole new perspective to my online business as it reinforces the fact that we are in the people business.

    If you want to be in business for the long haul you’d better get your mindset around the fact that building relationships will be your future – and what better way to do that than use a platform like a blog.

    Thanks again for sharing your expertise Kim – I always learn something new from you mate.

    Best wishes from a remote Thai village

    Peter

    1. Hey Peter

      Great to see you back here again!

      Your point about a blog post boosting conversions is spot on. People do trust a blog post more than they trust straight sales copy. And trust is the BIG issue in this cynical online age. People need to be educated, informed and enlightened. Good quality information in the form of various blog posts is the best way to do that. A further boost to credibility (which leads to more conversions) will happen when bloggers get engagement happening. A blog without engagement is like a car without an engine. You need both.

      Thanks again Peter

      Kim

  4. Right on Kim. I know we’ve talked about this before, but this is the way it needs to be. A blog FOR the business, not a business out of a blog.

    The fact of the matter is that the business is first for me and the blog comes as a part of that. As you rightly noted it’s not only great for getting some free traffic, but also for increasing the know, like, and trust factor which directly increases conversions. So many people who arrived on my list from a Facebook ad have commented on how much value the blog provides and I know without it I’d really be hurting.

    Sure, blogs do take quite a bit of work but in my opinion the benefits are greater than the time commitment they require.

    And hey – blogging is pretty fun too. Personally I enjoy blogging a bit more than I do copywriting or tweaking ad campaigns, but they are both part of a very important system that makes up my business. Without either one of them, I’d be a lot worse off.

    I sincerely hope anybody on the fence finds this article Kim, you’re doing them a favor!

    1. You got it, James,

      And a nice way of putting it too – a blog for the business, not a business from a blog.

      This is where a lot of people get it wrong. The blog is there to serve the business, nothing more.

      Yes, blogging is a fun activity

      Something else I am finding fun at the moment is social media, particularly Facebook. Never thought I would say that because I had a serious hangup about it for many years. But I finally put it behind me and started pumping up my activity 2 months ago. Since then engagement has shot up dramatically, I’m getting more views to my blog, and I’m getting leads. Who would have thunk it?

      Thanks again James

      Kim

  5. Hi Kim,
    This is one of those posts that every Internet business should read so true!
    I am Blogging now for 7 months and really enjoy in this journey.I can express myself this is the first benefit i feel that blogging gives me,the second benefit is I meet a lot of people and building relations with them,other things like sales and affiliate came by itself with trust.

    Warm Regards,
    Darja

    1. That’s great Darja!

      It’s good to see you’re focusing on relationship building, which really is the key to effective blogging. It’s not just about creating good content.

      Good luck

      Kim

  6. Hi Kim,

    Each of your nine reasons are on point! A business must have a blog because people buy people…simple as that. No matter what business you are in, a blog is a place where you can showcase your knowledge and expertise. It is part of your business. It is a place where people can comment and you can engage with them. Indeed, it is a lot of work and it does take time, but it is the heartbeat of our business model.

    How can we ever build that know like and trust factor without a blog? Especially if we put a video in it of ourselves which I like to call the “virtual handshake” because people get to see so much in a video rather than an image.

    I’ve been blogging for about 5 years I think and whenever I am in the marketplace, people always come to my blog to check me out…even if they don’t leave a comment. They later tell me that they were impressed by one thing or another and that clinched the sale.

    -Donna

    1. Hey Donna

      Great to see you here again.

      ‘Virtual Handshake’ – thats a great way to describe a video

      In terms of know, like and trust’ a blog is the best online way to establish it. Capture email addresses from people who visit our blogs and we can deepen the relationship further. Social media is the other way to do it but of course we dont own or control those platforms. So everything needs to point towards the blog.

      Yes I’ve had that happen too, many times. People visit the blog and make a decision to buy even if they never leave a comment.

      Thanks again Donna!

      Kim

  7. Hello Kim,

    My comments are welcomed?This is what I need to say; many business have doubts when it comes to having blogs. They are more interested in having a static page displaying their products and that is.

    Every business ought to see this. I love the point you raised with respect to enjoying free traffic through having a blog.

  8. Hi Kim

    I took quite a lot of persuading to start a blog, and I burned through several duff ones before i learned how to do it what (I hope!) is the correct way.

    I was finally convinced and have never regretted it since – for all the reasons you mention. And – hey – I just enjoy writing and rattling on, and people come to say “hi”. That’s nice πŸ™‚

    These days, when I see a small business with a website that has a tab “Blog”, I always click on it – and what a disappointment I feel if I find it’s empty. It sort of has an unfinished feel about the site.

    Great points that I’ll remember to share when I come across someone thinking about having a website vs a blog.

    Joy

    1. Good one, Joy

      I am glad you made the decision to start your blog, because it’s looking pretty good now.

      Me too – I always check the blog on someone’s website. Sadly, most of them are so lame – but hey we can show ’em what to do, eh?
      ;
      Thanks again, Joy

      Kim;

  9. Extremely thought provoking as always Kim!

    And as usual, you have definitely more than made the case,
    nine separate times I might add, as to why any serious business owner
    and service provider, definitely needs to have a self hosted blog.

    As you mentioned, it’s great and low cost, proven way to not only, consistently
    attract your ideal, customers and or clients.

    But personally, through some ongoing engagement, with some of my
    fellow bloggers, (to date) I have found some of best and most reliable
    joint venture partners!

    To really help fuel further long term growth, for literally pennies on the dollar!

    Like you, I actually prefer to think of my blogging activities, as employing a 24 hour, non commissioned, non union sales force!That never calls out sick, or threatens to go on strike, nor do they ever demand benefits, weekends or major holidays off!

    Or threaten to go work for any of your major competitors!LOL! Great job as usual!I’ll
    definitely be sharing this one!

    1. Hi Mark,

      Yes, you are right. Using low-cost traffic and lead strategies is the way to go for small businesses, especially.

      Congratulations for your success in attracting jv partners. It’s a beautiful way to piggyback on someone else’s audience.

      Gotta be the way to go.

      Thanks Mark

      Kim

  10. Hi Kim, this is my first ever comment on your platform, thanks to brent jones, I got here via him…

    Coming to the article, definitely every business needs a blog Why ? though you have given sound objective reasons I think still I can add couple with your readers, first is the almost merger of offline advertising empires like Omincom & Publicis!

    Now you might ask what has these two got anything to do with blogging, my answer a lot! it was facebook, twitter and other likes it that provided better ROI on marketing/advertising budgets then the Omnicom & Publicis!

    That kind of pushed these two rivals, yes they are/were die hard competitors, to almost a merger which didn’t happen (sad for them, kind of remind of Marketing Mayopia article by T.levitt), now google, tiwitter, facebook these guys make money via connecting the disconnected, bloggers do play a key role by providing valuable actionable content which gets shared, indexed and all that and so people buy things based on these reviews and google, facebook, twitter all make money and companies make money via google, facebook!

    Due to these giants, marketing campaigns can be launched worldwide in secs just with a click unlike the old school where it took days, weeks and months, precision targeting is another thing that marketing empires like publicis, wpp, omnicom couldn’t deliver and most important of all objective, measurable ROI in real time which wasn’t possible with publicis/omincom…

    Second reason is over 2 billion people are online at present and over 80% of world have mobile phones and out that around 2 billion people uses smart phones, guess what they do, along with all other things they do with their smart phones they also do internet/googling/facebooking/tweeting!

    I guess these couple of reasons are more than sufficient, along with things mentioned in the article, to emphasize importance of having a blog!

    1. Hi Arsh,

      First up, thanks for dropping by. Nice to know you found me through Brent – a really good guy.

      You make some interesting points about blogging! Irrespective of the Omincom & Publicis non-merger the trend is very clear. As you say, people get their info from the search engines, and increasingly from social media platforms. As you know, this is becoming huge and of course, many of these people will want to go deeper on a particular topic. Perfect for bloggers.

      Bloggers are uniquely positioned to provide relevant in-depth quality information on almost any topic or niche we can think of. The future is looking good for the blogosphere!

      Thanks again Arsh

      Kim

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