the benefits of having a blog for your business, company or self
Why blog? BECAUSE:
Static websites (that do not continually upload content, but act as an online brochure) do not rate in site rankings. To compete in your industry and to be found by the world, you must add valuable, pertinent information to your website on a regular basis – a blog is the perfect platform.
1. Blog posts are dramatically less expensive than newspaper, magazine, radio, TV or web banner ads. For instance, ONE well-placed newspaper ad that guarantees a view by all readers can cost upwards of $50,000.
2. Blog posts are eternal advertisements. They live forever online, whereas a newspaper, magazine, radio or TV ads are gone with the trash/recycling or are missed when someone grabs a snack during the commercials. With a blog, you can be found by a potential client because they searched for a topic you blogged about 5 years ago.
3. Your main blog topic is the trunk of the tree, and each post is a branch that broadens your reach via topics, keywords and skill showcasing. While ads may have a headline, a company overview and contact information, each blog post offers vital information on each facet of your business or industry. This profoundly widens the net that you throw and establishes you as an expert in your field.
4. Because blogs are ongoing, the information you post is timely, relevant and cutting-edge, as well as proof that you are a steadfast, reliable presence.
5. Your blog is a showcase of your expertise and a portfolio of your work.
6. A standard ad is built for the general public, or even the general public of a specific readership (re. Boston Magazine, Science News). Each blog post focuses on a specific element of your profession and contains highly researched keywords that pull qualified visitors to the blog and your site.
7. In essence, blogging is a pure form of permission (or relationship) marketing. Your readers and potential clients found you, you did not coerce them into visiting with bells and whistles and flashing lights. You offered value and information, and they came looking for you.
8. Everyone is online and Web 2.0 supports people in participating, communicating and connecting online. The blogging platform encourages these interactions and a powerful sharing of information and referrals forming strategic web relationships.
9. Traveling purposefully through the blogosphere is essentially a dream networking situation. This is not a Chamber of Commerce Meet ‘n Greet. Here, you can pick and choose who you want to talk to, you have time to think before you speak and you have more than a business card – you have your blog standing behind you, backing you up and showcasing your incredible expertise.
10. When you build your readership, the possibilities of additional income streams (not attached to how many houses you sell, clients you have, hours you work) is endless. Some examples would be product sales, advertising and webinars (people are hungry to learn online in their own time, in their own home).
11. Even though there are currently about 90 million blogs…not everyone has one. Establishing yourself with a blog puts you ahead of many competitors in your industry.
12. You can do it all by yourself. You won’t need to pay a web master to update, edit or add to your site.
13. When new sites are created, the search engines ‘sandbox’ them and don’t immediately rank them or allow them to be searchable. A consistent blog and strategic blog marketing can circumvent this quarantine completely, making you available and findable to the world.
14. Blogs are made to grow. In size, readership, widgets, plugins, options, content, opportunities. The same blog platform can reach 5 or 5 million. The same blog can house a small outfit or a Fortune 500 company.
Related posts:
- Our web connection, my blog setup and your blog writing
- Your Internet-Reality Dictionary
- using your blog as your portfolio or case study display, part 1
8 Responses to “the benefits of having a blog for your business, company or self”
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[...] also topics rife with debate and conflict. Not everyone is going to agree with my thoughts on why blogging is essential to business or the top marketing collateral items you must have. I may have lost some business [...]
You provide 12 more good reasons why microblogging will not replace blogging. Awesome!
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Great points and something I’ll refer back to!
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These tips are so true. I especially like #11…I don’t think businesses understand how beneficial blogging can be.
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Every business should have a blog.
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[...] I love blogging and think it is an incredible and beneficial practice that everyone should have the option to [...]
[...] This is a familiar client/Writing Roads scenario: Me: If you want to be part of the world online, you must have a blog (for all of these reasons and more) [...]
[...] This is a familiar client/Writing Roads scenario: Me: If you want to be part of the world online, you must have a blog (for all of these reasons and more) [...]