Why you should blog to promote your business online?

Why use a blog to promote your business online? Save for Time investment- in learning and doing – Blogging is an inexpensive way to market your business online.

It’s hardly a surprise that I spend significant amounts of time reviewing the online footprint of many a small business. 

The first port of call is to look at their website. 

 More often than not, I come across the following scenario. 

A business owner decided recently or a few years ago to put up a website because that was the norm at the time or what they felt was expected – rather than having any detailed vision or indeed any plan for the project.

The business owner ultimately approved a 4-page website and occasionally a blog thrown in with a few posts done. After Then – Nothing!

Time and again I encounter 4-page websites- some great -some bad -speaking from the viewpoint of visually only,  but regardless of the visuals- the “The Love Affair” ends rather rapidly because very simply there’s no content there to digest! 

So If I were a visitor why stick around?.

In general, what I find sad is that it is so easy for any small business or startup to incorporate a blog when they are setting up their website on day one – but they just don’t bother.

Furthermore, it is not actually that difficult to start a blog. It costs nothing if you use WordPress and a blog is a platform to publish all sorts of information, news and offers.

With just some practise, patience and learning any business can create useful content for their audience.

Put simply there is an awful lot that any of us could write about if we just sat back and give it some thought.  

Why Do Many Businesses not Use a Blog?

In my experience, the first and foremost reason is the simple fact that many business owners do not know how to access the back end of their website let alone how to access the back-end to create-format and edit a blog post.

• Some know how to blog,  but just do not have the time 
•  Some people have ideas but suffer writer’s block
• Others find it hard to produce content consistently.
• Some rightly or wrongly just have a fear of writing
• Many would like content created for their website but worry about the cost 
• Some believe it or not actually believe that just because they have a website the world will care and will result in a flood of traffic to their offerings- and blame their website.

• Others will tell you that they heard that Blogging does not work! 

 Of course, there are situations where blogging may not be an ideal fit in fact for a business online but in general terms, most businesses will benefit from consistent but realistic blogging once it is done consistently with a plan and purpose.

Why businesses should blog? Why use a blog to promote your business online?

In the blog section of your website, you can mix all sorts of content that is interesting to your target audience
with a mix of

• Images,
  Text,
  Video,
• Podcasts
  audio
  
• PDF’s

If you deliver useful information to an audience who have an interest in your business sector then two great things happen: 

An often-quoted formula online: Value = Trust = Sales and

Blog content enables you to  Attract- Educate- and Convert

Yes, it is true that just posting content will not result in an avalanche of sales but if the approach is consistent and your content continues to reach an interested audience you will establish Trust and ultimately success for your efforts

Simply because it will become apparent with time to that audience that you are somebody “who knows what they are talking about “.

Yes it is also true that whilst blogging is not per se difficult,  there are a number of moving parts involved all of which take time to learn but in this day and age, it is no longer prohibitively expensive to engage a freelancer or virtual assistant. 

I specialise in helping Businesses who provide services , professionals , freelancers, health , wellness, local and  Startups.  Designing , Creating and  Managing  WordPress Sites. Presenting online workshops 1 to 1 training on zoom. Creating digital content blog posts , social video , social graphics and much more. The focus of my business is to help business to compete in the online space by creating customer focused content. I really enjoy teaching and helping business understand what to do and how to promote their businesses in the online space

Rosemary O Shaughnessy