If very large enterprises like Ford have incorporated blogging into their online marketing mix, why should a medium or small business owner think it is a waste of time or too much of a sacrifice!
Check out the most successful small business owners, most of them run effective blogs as part of their online marketing mix. Their blogs make them stand-out as a voice in their area of expertise.
Unique Advantages of a Business Blog
There are at least 5 unique advantages of a business blog that will give you a distinct edge over competitors.
1. A Business Blog Is A Proof Of Your Credibility
As powerful as a website is, remember a website is just like a modified business card – it is only larger and dynamic.
For many people, the first proof of the credibility of a website comes when the owner replies their email. With a business blog,
you are miles ahead of website owners who do not have blogs running. A business blog gives your website the human touch. Your clients or prospects (no matter how many they are) will constantly feel as if you are talking directly with them.
Your business blog is the ‘virtual you’ that is standing right before your clients, saying
there is a human being behind this virtual edifice who is working very hard to provide you with outstanding service
2. A Business Blog Brings You Out as an Expert
After a prospect has been able to verify your credibility, his or her next challenge is your expertise. Can you deliver what you promise to deliver?
Once again, your business blog will save your face before your prospect or client is able to get someone to review your quality of service. All you have to do is to constantly publish articles that will be useful for your clients.
Many business owners see this as giving away bits of their businesses. Fortunately, this is not the case at all; if you regularly publish useful articles for your audience, they will eventually pay you a fee to implement those strategies for them.
3. A Business Blog Gives Your Website the Human Voice
Aside credibility, your business blog brings character and style to your website. With the human voice in your regular tone of communication, you constantly communicate your set of values to your clients and prospects.
With a business blog, you can continuously communicate your personal opinion and ideas to your prospects and clients. A small business owner can subtly draw in the interest of prospects in the products he or she is offering with the set of articles on the blog.
4. A Business Blog Increases the Source of Traffic to Your Website
Instead of relying solely on the 20 or less pages on your website to get traffic to your business, regularly publishing fresh contents through a business blog is a great way to call the attention of visitors to your blog.
In a few months, you would have created over 100 pages of articles if you remain consistent.
Business blogs greatly improve your returns from search engines. These same contents will continue to provide fresh air to your customers and prospects on Tweeter, Facebook, Linkedin, Google plus etc
5. A Business Blog Can Help You Develop a Following Aside Facebook Fans
If you want more clients, think of starting a blog for your business. If you are consistent enough, you will soon build a huge list of followers who will eventually become regular clients.
Having a business blog is more or less a cheaper way of advertising. Most of the other advertising techniques require parting with some money, and they do not have long-lasting effects like blogs. However, a business blog speaks for itself; what drives the growth of your prospects and clients is the quality of your content.
As a final advice, bear in mind that we are talking about online marketing mix. No aspect of marketing stands alone. In essence, your business blog should be integrated into your social networks plus other online marketing tools and vice versa.
Further Reading for Business Marketing
- SCOTT MONTY’s Secrets: How He Used Power of Social Media to Drive Ford’s Success
- Social Networking Vs Blogging & Email Vs SMS – Struggle For Existence
- 5 Internet Business Tips: How to Plan Your Internet Marketing Process
- Self-Branding: How to Separate Yourself from the Crowd & Build Credibility on the Internet
- 7 Top Tips to Get More Readers to Your Blog
great post! I will bear in mind all this info., its very useful specially for a newbie like me..keep posting, wonderful
This is a great post! I used a company called Labov and Beyond for our marketing needs. Our business blog is one of my favorite parts!
I am happy to hear that. Companies like Ford Motors are reaping huge rewards from business blogging.
Great post, and absolutely true. Not only Ford but other large companies are seeing the value in blogs and social media like Facebook and Twitter. Small businesses can get an even greater benefit by being an expert voice in their markets.
You are very right Jim.
If business blogging gets properly implemented, it becomes a powerful marketing resource.
Personally, I believe many businesses haven’t still woken up to the reality of blogging, whereas some others are blogging halfheartedly due to their ignorance of the power of business blogging.
Reblogged this on Hoculus.