Build A Better Business with a Blog
Blogging for business is not a new concept and for many small businesses it can be an extremely effective tool to build onto their current social media footprint, establish and/or broaden their brand, or position themselves in their area of expertise.
A strong social network can become an asset for any business. Social media offers every business the opportunity to strengthen relationships with their target audience, creating loyal customers and even brand advocates. Exploiting this potential is no easy feat, but can be done if the medium is used well.
Unfortunately, many companies are still not getting the best out of their social media accounts. Yet social media is big business: 74% of all internet users use social networking sites, and for younger adults it’s even more.
However, marketing on FREE social media platforms is not always FREE nor do you own them. Anytime the creators/designers of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others decide to make changes to the algorithms, privacy settings, advertisement guidelines or timeline promotion there is little to nothing you can do about it.
However, a blog, one that you have created on WordPress.org, for example, is owned by you and you have total control as to what you want to promote and when you want to promote it. The ultimate benefit of blogging is the opportunity to communicate expertise and establish the business as a reliable resource.
Thanks to my astute fellow blogger, Rena, she reminded me that businesses should ALWAYS use WordPress.org because WordPress.com is owned by WordPress but .org is the self-owned version.
“Content is King ~ Platform is Queen.”
Creating a platform is about building a social media presence, a stage that can be seen above the crowd. Content is the message, but a platform provides visibility, amplification and engagement with the targeted audience.
Social media is a great tool for driving traffic to a website, but a blog will do more to build a platform. While there is much debate about the return on investment (ROI) for time spent on social media, the results of blogging are easier to evaluate with Google Analytics.
Google Analytics charts your unique visitors, comments, interactions, time spent on the site and other social media metrics which help business owners learn more about their customer interests and problems that may need to be solved.
Any owner of a small business could benefit from creating a blog as part of their website or as a stand alone platform. When first starting it is important to make friends or engage with bloggers in the same niche and in high places as it helps in selling and promoting their products.
There is proof that not only can your blog help promote your business, it can even become an additional source of revenue.
Blogs are one of the top online services to influence a purchase. When making overall purchase decisions, consumers rank blogs third behind retail and brand sites.
According to the CORPORATE-EYE.COM “The power of blogs in influencing consumer purchase decisions is stronger than you might realize. According to data from a research study conducted by Research Now, nearly nine in 10 consumers (84%) make purchases after reading about a product or service on a blog. Among consumers between the ages of 18-34, blogs ranked as the most important source of information to make buying decisions.
Among consumers between the ages of 35-54, blogs ranked as the second most important source behind friends, family, and colleagues. Even older consumers (55 and older) value blogs when making purchase decisions ranking them third in terms of importance behind friends, family, and colleagues and editorial articles”
As an award-winning blogger/content creator of two blogs, DelBlogger and DeDivahDeals, as well as an instructor of social media and blogging, I have conducted workshops and trained over 500 participants. In working with these small business owners and entrepreneurs I have helped many of them not only create a blog but have taught them how to use their blog as a source of an additional stream of income.
ABlake Enterprises offers a Blogging to Build A Better Business Workshop which is designed for business owners and entrepreneurs who want to create a blog to complement their current website or as a way to increase and expand their brand on social media.
Please head over to the website to learn more or complete the form below for additional information.
A Blog is a better business card that will broaden the brand and expand their exposure online.
