Pretty much every business needs a web presence in 2020. This much we know. But what many don’t know is that having a blog can hugely improve traffic and sales.
Blogging plays a role in the customer’s buying journey. According to recent research, 60% of consumers say blog posts are valuable in the early stages of the buying process. It reduces in value the further down the sales funnel you go, but as a first touchpoint, it’s very valuable.
Blogs hit on the discovery phase of the buying journey as users can land on them form various avenues like organic search, social, newsletters, and much more.
However, many brands are still reluctant to create their own blog. Many feel that it takes too much time or that their activity does not allow them to find anything to blog about.
Well, if you have a business that sells products then you have lots to talk about. If you need convincing of the value of blogs for your online business, then this blog is for you.
1. Diversified communication
Creating a blog allows you to find new customers while retaining existing ones. Unlike websites with fixed interfaces, the blog format is lively and ever-changing. It allows you express your business’ values as a human being.
By writing on themes related to your products, offers, jobs, or location, you are setting up an engaging and personal touch behind your business.
Creating and maintaining a blog is a perfect way to diversify your communication strategy. Blogging hits on specific KPIs that other ways of marketing comms simply don’t. Social media posts and newsletters are great, but blogs are evergreen pieces of content that are more prominent in web searches. More on this in the next point.
Blogging also arms you with content to actually share in your newsletter and social media posts. Instead of always posting images of your products, the written word can be far more engaging at the early stage of the sales funnel.
By ensuring regular newsletters and posts with your blogs, you will keep an active audience ready to share your content or comment on it.
Blogs allow your company to highlight its informative, useful, and innovative side. Through your blog, prospects perceive the employees, culture, and vision that are the foundation of your company.
2. Higher search engine rankings
Search engines favour websites that are organized by subject and not by keywords. The use of long tail keywords refers to low-traffic, but highly specialized searches representing a large number of queries. If you can’t optimize your site for each long tail topic, you can write blog posts that target specific topics that are likely to attract highly qualified prospects.
Very few websites link to the specific products or services of a company’s website. They prefer to link to a relevant blog article that talks about a specific topic. Blogs are link bait, and if you create something engaging or informative enough, it vastly increases your business’ ability to get discovered.
The more links that lead back to your site, the higher your rankings on search engine results pages.
3. Become an industry expert
By writing articles from within your industry, you demonstrate your know-how, your expertise, and your creativity. It’s how you become an expert in your industry. And who are people most likely to buy from? The experts.
Every relevant article that you can publish on your blog reveals your editorial and opinion leadership qualities to everyone. For example, a summary of the latest trends in your sector of activity or a well-argued editorial response to recent news can result in blog posts that are extremely effective and pick up some quick traffic.
4. Humanize your business
Consumers feel closer to your brand thanks to the dialogue you establish with them. So use your blog to tell your story and the story of your business. Customers like to know who they’re buying from with increasingly ethical shopping habits emerging.
By telling your story, you humanize your brand and strengthen the bond between you and your consumers.
Through your blog, customers perceive the culture and vision of your company, but also the employees who are the foundations of your company.
Most blogs allow readers to comment on each article. They may be potential customers, or simply people who wish to contradict or confirm your point of view. Either way, the comments have a very important effect and you can quickly find yourself in the middle of an industry-specific conversation with customers.
Creating, maintaining and developing an external or internal blog requires time and energy. That’s why some of your competitors don’t invest in creating a blog. That’s where you can gain a competitive advantage.
The blog has established itself as an almost indispensable tool to give visibility to a business online. It is the ideal complement to your e-commerce store.
What to do next?
- Identify your target audience and create relevant and quality content.
- Respond to the needs of your customers with your first blogs posts.
- Make sure your blog catches the eye when visited.
- Keep a graphic and tonal coherence between your e-commerce site and your blog. It’s all one brand.
Are you ready to start blogging? Contact us if you need advice or services to manage the creation of your blog! 🔥
