How many times have you heard ‘You need to have a blog on your website’?
Yawn. Tumbleweeds. Crickets chirping.
Confession time: I’m big enough and ugly enough to admit that I’m one of those people. Y’know, the ones telling you at every opportunity they get to blog but not actually practising what they preach for themselves.
It’s alright, throw all the hatred at me, get it all out of your system because it’s well deserved. I realise that it’s hypocrisy of the highest order, but I’m here with an olive branch to make amends.
By writing a blog about why you need to have a blog on your website.
cowers behind a bin lid as he gets pelted with abuse, rotten veg, and actual shit
Woah, woah, woah! Stay with me, because I promise you’ll want to know how the humble blog can actually be a massive sales magnet for your business that rakes in tons of cash each month for very little effort.
Deal?
lowers bin lid cautiously
Okay. Let’s get the obvious out of the way first.
What is a blog?
First, a brief history lesson about where the term ‘blog’ comes from. Pay attention, zere vil be a test at ze end (not really).
The term “weblog” was coined by Jorn Barger on December 17, 1997. The short form “blog” was coined by Peter Merholz, who jokingly broke the word “weblog” into the phrase “we blog” in the sidebar of his blog Peterme.com in May 1999 (Source: Wikipedia).
A blog is a web page (or a website) that is updated regularly by an individual or company and typically uses a more conversational or informal tone of voice.
What can I write in a blog?
Anything you like! You can blog to write your own personal thoughts down, movie reviews, celebrity shenanigans, horse racing hints, make-up tips, or whatever tickles your fancy. However, if you’re writing a blog for your business and want to make it work for you then it’s good to have some kind of strategy for the type of content you’ll be posting and how regularly you’re going to post. Blogs are also great for being able to tap into the current social zeitgeist quickly – if something’s being talked about a lot online then constructing a well-written blog about it can gain you a huge amount of positive attention.
How long should a blog post be?
The jury’s out on this one. Most blogs tend to be between 500 and 1,500 words but it all depends on your subject matter. If your blog is about quantum physics then you’ve plenty of material to tap into. If your blog is about the benefits of a chocolate fireguard, then…
How often should I blog?
If you want to start getting proper traction from your blog page then you should aim to blog somewhere between 3 and 4 times a week. If you’re looking to make money as a blogger then a bare minimum of 3 times a week.
Ten benefits to having a blog on your website
Which brings me to the numerous benefits that blogging can have for your business. Let me start with a fact: Businesses that blog get 55% more website visitors than ones that don’t (Source: Wordstream.com). And if that’s got you standing to attention like a meerkat that accidentally swallowed a box full of Viagra then read on ‘cos you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet.
1. Blogging drives traffic to your website
What do you think will happen if people read something on your website that they either enjoy, gives them the right information for something they were searching for, or a combination of both? They’ll spend more time looking around your site and start coming back for more. That’s the true power of blogging – turning a one-time sniff around into a repeat customer. Research who your core audience is, find out what they want to know, and then write your blog aimed squarely at them.
2. More traffic = better search engine ranking
And what does more traffic make? A much better search engine ranking. But why does that matter? Let me use a quick football analogy to explain. Each space in the Premier League table is worth about £2.2m, so the difference between winning the league and being rock bottom is a sizeable £44m. It’s exactly the same principle with search engine rankings; the higher up the table you are, the more exposure your business gets, and the more money you’ll make. Blogs are a superb way of helping you climb those rankings.
3. Personality!
The saying goes that people buy from people they like, and showing a bit of personality on your blogs is a great way to do this. Blogs let you use a more informal tone of voice and be more personable. This is especially useful if you’ve got to use highly professional language on the rest of your website. Be funny, entertain, be controversial if you must, but showing a bit of personality will help you stand out from the billions of other blogs out there.
4. You can show off your expertise
Social proof of your skills, knowledge, and expertise is essential if you don’t want your brand to disappear faster than a politician’s promise in a bed of quicksand. People use Google when they don’t know the answer to something, so who better than you to answer it for them? Using your blog to highlight your expertise positions you as an authority in your specific niche or field, and when people start coming to you for answers guess what that does to your rankings and website traffic? 👆
5. You can repurpose your posts
That’s right, two for the price of one! You can reuse your blogs in many different ways to service the rest of your marketing strategy. Chop it up into two or three smaller pieces and you’ve got three new pieces of content with no extra effort. Include it in your monthly newsletter with a link to the website. Do a little ankle tease on your social media platforms and just give people the opening paragraph so they have to go to your website to read the rest. Honestly, plan your strategy right and blogs are the gift that keeps on giving.
6. It’s AWESOME for SEO purposes
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is essential if you want Google to take notice of your site and the blog section is the perfect place to cram your SEO in. Don’t get me wrong, keyword stuffing is a big no-no, but sprinkle enough of them throughout your blog content and watch your website interaction numbers start to rise and rise.
7. Promote your products, services, and special offers
Once your blog is written and published on your website it’s accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year in every corner of the globe. It can quite literally sell for you while you sleep, so why wouldn’t you use it to promote your business? Don’t use every blog to spam the shit out of people with your latest BOGOF offer or to get rid of that box of toothbrushes for walruses that you’ve had gathering dust in the warehouse since 1983 – use it wisely and your blog can end up being your company’s No.1 salesperson.
8. Keep people on your site for longer
Going back to the Google thing once again, the longer people stay on your site the more Google rates it as an authority and a trusted domain, so you’ll start to climb the rankings and the pages. Not only that, but the longer people are on your page the more likely they are to keep sniffing around to see what else you have to offer and before you know it you’ve made a sale – just by having a lil’ ‘ol blog on there that you almost didn’t write.
9. Build a core audience
Other than your blog working 24/7/365 for you, do you know who works just as hard?
Your core customers.
Word-of-mouth recommendations never went out of style, they just moved with the times. Building a core audience through your blogs, people who will come back again and again and recommend you, your products and your services because they love what you do are your guardian angels, your knights in shining armour, your town criers. Treat them like the diamonds that they are via your blog posts and watch your brand exposure explode.
10. It sells for you while you sleep!
As mentioned above, your blog could potentially be the one on the receiving end of the ‘Salesperson of the Year’ award at your company’s annual award ceremony. With a truly global reach, your blog can get you in front of more people than your best salesperson ever could – and in a fraction of the time. Invest the time in writing a blog and then wake up in the morning to check how much money you’ve made overnight.
Need help writing your blogs? Don’t worry, I’ve got your back!
So, there you have it, conclusive evidence for why you should be writing a blog for your business.
That being said, if you’re too busy to write them, aren’t confident in your writing abilities, don’t have a Scooby-Doo what to write, or hate writing and just can’t be bothered to do them, then fire me a message or book a 30-minute chat with me to let me know how I can help turn your blogging game from shit to hit.