Over the past decade, blogs have become a phenomenon. Hundreds of thousands of new blogs go live every day, and with the rise of social media, updates are more frequent than ever. Individuals use blogs for various purposes to reach others or start a movement. Businesses have also taken advantage of the blogging world. After all, blogs are user friendly and can open up a new form of interaction with customers, versus the traditional web site. There are a number of benefits that blogging has for businesses, especially when it comes to marketing.
Beyond Essential Marketing
A blog can really make a company appear more lively and approachable for customers. A simple website promoting products or services is an essential tool for marketing. But a blog, when done properly, can give a company a personal voice, which can increase customer loyalty. A blog presents the opportunity to gain customer insight as far as their needs and interests. This information can then be used for the development of new products or services as well as the enhancement of already existing ones. Blogs can be considered a way to easily initiate conversation with customers.
Target Market
Thanks to automatic archiving features, a blog serves as a great content management system. Posts are stored by date and category, making for simple accessibility. It’s easy for a business–especially a small one–to post new information on a consistent basis, and also easy for site visitors to find the information they want. A well-written, regularly updated blog can help a company become a reliable resource in their industry and have a loyal following of readers who depend on their content. These followers can be the best potential customers. Blogs can be a great way for organizations and causes to reach people in their niche or industry, such as a blog from a pet center appealing to animal lovers and pet owners.
Driving Traffic To Sales
According to Entrepreneur magazine, if your business already has a website, a blog can certainly boost traffic levels. For starters, you will have new visitors attracted to the blog who can then be redirected to the main sales website through special offers and links. An even more strategic technique entails using keywords and links to specific sales pages to significantly increase the search engine rankings of both the business’s blog and main website.
More businesses are using blogs and social networking sites to interact with customers and improve the customer experience. Blogs are an effective tool for marketing and advertising, as visitors can subscribe and keep up by gaining a steady stream of content. Open the lines of communication can enable businesses to receive immediate feedback on their services and products. In addition to the core marketing benefits of blogging, businesses can establish themselves as reliable resources in their industry and among their following or niche. When used properly and updated regularly, a blog can be a powerful tool for a business and bring many rewards for it in return.
Originally posted on September 5, 2014 @ 5:48 pm