In a time where Content is king has become almost a natural law in digital marketing, having a blog is something everyone will encourage you to do. In fact, most marketers already understand it as a must, a basic you simply can’t overlook and upon which you’ll base almost your entire content strategy. There’s a lot of truth to that. But there’s something else those marketers aren’t telling you – perhaps it’s best if you don’t have a blog.
How can that be? Well, it really depends. A blog can be great for your business for a lot of reasons but doing it wrong can do more harm than good. How can you know if your business is ready for a blog, then? Easy. Just read the reasons why you should start a blog and why you shouldn’t and think about where you’re standing.
1 – A blog is great to attract new customers
A useful blog where you give out solutions to common problems in your field can catch more traffic than a blog about your services and products. People don’t want to read about the great benefits of what you have to offer – not at first, at least. They want someone to help them solve their problems and teach them tricks and tips. So, if you give out these answers, people will come. And if what they find is useful, they’ll be back. Once you got that, your chances of business will definitely increase.
2 – Don’t start a blog if you aren’t going to update it regularly
Having a useful blog can be great, but if you don’t create content for it almost daily, then it won’t do your business any good. An abandoned blog is way worse than not having a blog at all, simply because it shows that you don’t care enough about your site, business and image. Imagine what potential customers might feel about what you have to offer! So, before starting a blog, be honest with yourself – do you have time to update it regularly? If you don’t, you have two alternatives – hire professional help or don’t start the blog at all.
3 – Blogs can provide amazing feedback
If you are about to talk about your services, your products and your general knowledge in a certain field, then be ready to start a conversation. Many of the tips you give, the solutions you offer or any other thing you post will reach an audience – and that audience might have something to say about all of that. That’s the beauty of blogs, really – they can connect you directly with your potential customers and let you hear about their problems, their objections and their thoughts. All of that information is priceless, as it can lead you to new business opportunities, so start a blog with that in mind – people will respond at what they’ll find.
4 – Don’t blog if you can’t stand criticism
Of course, of all the feedback you’ll get, some won’t be nice to you and your business. If you aren’t willing to stand that, then don’t open a blog. People might have some complaints about what you’re saying, about your products and services – it’s great if they do! If you won’t let them talk, listen to them carefully and answer to everything they say, then a blog is not for you. And don’t even think about a blog without a comment section because that simply defeats the purpose.
5 – A blog is key for enriching your social media strategy
Another must in the digital marketing era, social media is largely enriched by a good blog. The entries you write on your blog will get the exposure they need on social media. Social media, in return, will allow you to establish more relationships and build a community around your brand, where your contents (especially your blog posts) are right in the center. This doesn’t mean you can’t have social media without a blog. But combining those two will take your small business to a whole new level.
6 – A blog won’t do much if you don’t have social media
Though you can have a Facebook or Twitter account for your business without a blog, the same doesn’t quite work in the other direction. Sure, you can write tons of amazing blog posts which surely will be read by the people visiting your site but –what about everyone else? How will they find you? True, they can come via Google or other search engines but that number of visitors will be very limited. Social media is where you showcase what you’ve written so, if you don’t do social media (for whatever reason), then having a blog is quite pointless.
7 – It can help you define your business image
There are tons of components that define how people perceive your business but how you show it it’s one of the most important ones. Your logo, your site, your colors and images – all of it speaks about your business and what people can expect about it. Blogs also contribute to this and they do so in a major way. A blog allows to talk about what you are and what you want and has more space to define the tone of your business. Your contents can underline what you imply with the other components and set you aside in your own field.
8 – Don’t create a blog just because
Perhaps you’re thinking about the previous point and saying “yeah, I should start a blog to define my image”. That’s great! But don’t rush. Before you actually build a blog you have to define your strategy not only around it but around your business as a whole. You have to set your goals in general and specific terms and keep them realistic. If you are creating a blog simply because the competition has it, you’re wrong. If you’re thinking a blog will make your products sell a hell lot more, you’re wrong again. If you create a blog to potentiate your site, products and brand, then you are on the right track.
9 – Blog are cost-effective marketing investments
All of the blog posts you write helps to build brand awareness, promote your expertise, establish new relationships and even contribute to your site’s SEO. When you think how much a blog can cost you and if consider all of those benefits, it’s pretty clear that blogs are very cost-effective. You don’t have to spend much for a nice looking blog, let alone for its content. But that small price you pay can give you amazing results not just today but for months to come.
10 – Don’t blog if you’re not willing to invest at all
As affordable as they can be, blogs need some minor investments. Perhaps you have to purchase the theme you liked, hire more server space or even get professional help for writing the contents. All of that will cost you a few bucks but, if you aren’t convinced about the advantages a blog can give you, then you’ll feel you’re throwing your money away. That’s especially true with the major investment a blog will require from you – time. For a blog to work properly, you’ll have to spend some time with it. If you’re not patient, the blog won’t work and all your efforts – as tiny as they might be – will be useless.
If you’re capable of overcoming those don’ts, then you should definitely get a blog. Not just because having one will be great for your business but because once you get the hang of it you’ll find what practically all bloggers already know – blogging is actually a lot of fun.
