Blogs are a lot of work (the average blog post takes 3.5 hours to write), and you may be wondering if all that work is really worth it and whether it’s worth doing it for your business. Well, here are some statistics that might clue you in:
- Seventy-seven percent of Internet users read blogs.
- Bloggers who write articles of 2,000 words or more are much more likely to achieve strong results.
- Companies who blog get 97 percent more links to their websites.
Still not convinced? Let’s talk about exactly how blogs can benefit your business or organization.
1. Blogging helps optimize your position in search engine results.
Fresh, high-quality content that contains the right keywords is like a big juicy worm dangling from a hook in the middle of the data stream. Search engines love to share content that’s well-researched, well-written, and recently published, so if you’re consistently putting good content out there, you can bet they’ll take a bite and bring in the leads. Pro tip: Using SEO organically rather than “keyword stuffing” is the best way to bait the hook. Google can see right through keyword stuffing. You won’t catch a shark with a cheap plastic lure.
2. Blogging helps you build and strengthen relationships with members of your target audience.
Ever had a favorite author? That’s the kind of relationship you can establish with your customers and followers, simply by producing high-quality, creative content on a regular basis. If your blog makes them think, makes them act, or just makes them smile, you’ll earn the loyalty and respect of not only your existing customers and clients, but also of complete strangers who may have stumbled onto your blog for the first time. First impressions are the most important, but if you can repeat that first pleasant experience time and time again, you’ll never want for work.
3. Blogging helps establish your business as a leader in your industry.
Even small businesses can become industry leaders if they continually share helpful, insightful, and knowledgeable information that benefits their customers and impresses their competitors. In fact, linking to relevant information on your competitor’s sites can increase your SEO and help you build relationships with others in your industry. Over time, your reputation as a trustworthy and authoritative brand will grow and grow until your company becomes the “go-to guy” (or gal) in your field of business.
4. Blogging helps spread awareness of your products and services.
Good blog posts are likely to get shared with others through social media, which increases brand awareness and helps drive traffic to your website. Plus, polls show that 83% of shoppers are influenced by the opinions of their friends and family. All it takes is for one blog post to go viral, and a whole new audience will be aware of your brand’s reputation and integrity. All the more reason to keep producing content regularly!
Blogging doesn’t pay off immediately; you have to really work at it and stay dedicated to a regular posting schedule. Five or six blog posts a year—unless they provide really valuable, fully comprehensive information—are not going to cut it. The more frequently you post and the longer you keep at it, the more value you provide to your customers, and the more likely you are to eventually see an increase in sales thanks to your strong online presence.
If blogging regularly seems like too much of a time commitment to you, but you’re eager to raise awareness of your brand and provide more value to your target audience, consider letting the blogging experts at Absolute Holdings Group manage your company blog for you. Your time is valuable to us as well, and we’ll gladly help you save some of it by lightening your workload! Just reach out to us on social media, contact us through our website, or pick up the phone and give us a call to tell us what we can do to best serve you.