There are a number of good reasons why you should start a blog. And not the least of these reasons is the fact that it is a very important part of any content management strategy and if you get it right it will play a role of central importance in building brand loyalty amongst your customers. As Johngary says:
Google has made a number of changes [in judging]… content and poor quality content will no longer rank well… a high quality blog that has a niche bias will pay dividends. You can look at such things as discussing local events and having quizzes and competitions that have local themes.
Let’s look at some other reasons for starting a blog for your business.
Blogs Help With Search Engine Optimization
As I mentioned above, a good blog is a central part of any content management system. A good blog will be something that customers and potential customers want to read. A good reason for a blog, says Anita Pravitasari,
Is to drive new traffic to your website and to improve your rankings within Google. Google loves content and it loves new content. Here is some good news: You can make changes and consistently add fresh content to your site simply by adding a blog.
Of course, the content of your blog has to be quality material. The days are gone where you can get away with low quality spun content. Put yourself into the shoes of your customers. Be ruthlessly honest with yourself. Are your blog entries something that your customers are going to find valuable, relevant and useful? If not, you’re not quite on the right track.
Become and Be Seen As an Expert
You don’t have to be an expert to know that customers like to know that they are dealing with experts. Look to your own experience if you want any convincing of this point. You know that when you are looking to buy your own goods and services you want to deal with people whom you can trust to give you sound advice.
One of the great things about a blog is that it gives you a medium through which you can develop your expert credentials. This really is a continuation of the previous point above. If you are writing blogs that your customers find helpful it helps to secure in the mind of your customers that you are a company which can be trusted. Smod.com puts it succinctly:
A blog lends an opportunity for you to establish your expertise in your field and updating it regularly with relevant content reinforces that idea. It also paves the way in establishing your leadership quality while gaining people’s trust at the same time.
It’s a very simple equation: trust builds brand loyalty.
Hold a Conversation With…
…the people who count: your customers and potential customers. People like high quality information: that’s a fact. People also like to know they are being heard: that’s another fact. Your blog gives you the opportunity to get feedback from your customers – blogs, of course, are not the only way to get feedback, but they are certainly an effective way.
The important thing to remember with feedback is that it may not always be positive. Some customers will be critical. Whatever the feedback, good or bad, do not ignore it. If the feedback is critical, you have an opportunity to answer it. There may be little or nothing that you can do about it but at least your customer will know that she is being listened to.
To summarize what has been said above, a blog should be a central part of your content management strategy. It offers you a number of opportunities to enhance your search engine optimization and grow your brand loyalty amongst your customers. A blog will involve a small investment in time that could reward you with a significant dividend in the fullness of time.