Blogs have come a long way since their inception in 1994. And they’re still at the forefront of online marketing. It’s not just about “mommy blogs,” anymore, although those are a prevalent and lucrative sector. No, blogs have become one of the greatest assets for businesses looking to reach their target audience via web searches. Ready to get more site visitors who will turn into valuable customers? Read on to learn why your business needs a blog and how to use one effectively.

What is a blog?

Think of a blog as a thought forum. It’s a type of long-form content where people and companies can provide information and express opinions. This can range from product updates to company announcements, industry trends, and thought leadership. It’s an organic method of marketing your business and engaging with customers in meaningful ways.

What are the benefits of having a blog?

With the power and extended reach of the internet, blogs are a powerful tool for both small businesses and big guys alike who are looking to establish or expand a strong customer base and boost brand presence. Let’s look at eight specific ways a blog can help.

1. A blog helps drive traffic to your website

Whenever you create and publish a blog post with fresh, relevant content, it’s one more indexed page on your website. This means one more opportunity for you to show up on the search engine results pages and drive organic search traffic to your website.

However, it’s important to note that blogs provide an opportunity for this type of boost in traffic. To maximize your returns on this content, you’ll want to focus on search engine optimization as you write. This means using the right SEO tools for keyword research, following SEO best practices, tracking the right KPIs, and refining your process to see what works.

2. It builds and expands brand recognition

People tend to choose what is most familiar to them. Visibility is crucial if you want potential customers to recognize and choose your brand. This is where a blog with highly-optimized and well-written content comes in handy. You’ll start to show up higher in search engines when people search for topics, long-tail keywords, and related terms that your blog incorporates.

3. It establishes expertise, authority, and trust

To take it a step further, the people exposed to your brand must associate it with trust and expertise. Content marketing through blogging can help convey your business’s value and expertise in ways that traditional advertising can’t. That’s where a focus on technical SEO strategy combined with creativity, the right tone, and expert knowledge can get people who are saying “I know this brand” to start saying: “I trust this brand.”

Additionally, you can use your blog to respond to comments and feedback from readers. This helps build relationships with customers and demonstrates a commitment to customer satisfaction through communication. Increasing trust with your audience and convincing them to choose you over a competitor is invaluable.

4. You can repurpose blog content for marketing across channels

Blog content on your website has value beyond indexing on search engines. The content you publish can be re-purposed and distributed wherever your target audience likes to hang out. Known as cross-marketing channel distribution, this strategy involves using multiple channels to deliver messages, products, or services to customers. Marketing leaders who use this strategy know that choosing the right ways to distribute your content is just as important as the content itself.

You can re-purpose your company blogs in different, creative ways. To start, we recommend breaking down a blog post into smaller, more digestible blurbs. From there, you can post it on social media platforms as a series or a single post with just the main points.

You can also create visuals that explain the key points of the blog post or use quotes from the post to create a social media post or emails. Blog content can be converted into a white paper and promoted across marketing channels. White papers are great for supplementing a company newsletter or an email campaign.

5. A blog helps convert traffic into leads

A blog can be a great resource if you’re looking to move potential customers through a sales funnel. Your content can help convert traffic into leads by providing valuable information and encouraging visitors to take action. This may involve filling out a contact form, subscribing to an email list, or inviting visitors to buy your product.

You can build relationships with readers by tailoring your blog content to visitors’ interests. They may become loyal followers, re-visiting and sharing your content, and boosting and driving traffic to your website. Loyal blog followers are your best asset when it comes to finding a steady stream of potential leads.

6. It can help with link building

Internal linking is crucial for indexing in search engines, establishing “page authority.” Having a quantity of internal links proves that you’re more than a one-trick (or a one blog post) pony. It shows you have an abundance of interesting content and a broad understanding of related topics in your industry. “Experts” have lots to say.

Furthermore, blogging provides a platform for content that includes relevant links to other high-quality websites. This type of external linking can help increase the content’s visibility and improve the website’s search engine rankings.

Blogging can also be used to create mutual relationships with other well-established websites, resulting in links back to your site. Just be sure you’re not linking to other websites that may be your top competitors.

7. A blog helps you share company news

Your brand is likely doing exciting new things — growing as a business, promoting new products, providing new services. When you keep your visitors updated with news and new content on the company blog, you show that your brand is relevant. Visitors want to see that people are increasingly investing in and engaging with your brand for a good reason.

8. You experience continued education and expertise

A blog isn’t just about educating your audience and customers. Blogging can be a helpful tool in your own education and research as you continue to grow as a company. By researching and distilling the information into palatable formats, you’re becoming an expert on topics important to your audiences. That information also educates your entire workforce. The mass of knowledge becomes a powerful resource as your company grows.

Here’s why your business needs a blog

The bottom line: Most likely, your business needs a blog. Any company with an online presence can reap the benefits of this tried-and-true marketing strategy. If you’re ready to start blogging and want help from the experts, rellify can help. We work with companies of all sizes in various industries, providing auditing, creating content, and optimizing existing content. With rellify’s help, your blog and your business can be found more easily by search engines.

Contact a rellify representative to learn how our expert content services can provide your business with real, relevant results.