Do I need a blog?
Clients often ask me, ‘do I need a blog?’ My answer is yes - as long as it is kept updated. In this article, we’ll look at the benefits of whether you feel the investment of time and resources are worth it.
How can a blog help a business?
Let’s look at some of the benefits:
Posting regularly (say once a week) will show Google that you have a fresh and up to date website, giving you a better chance of being referred.
Posting helpful and interesting content will help determine what the website is about, again hopefully helping improve search performance. The key to this is for the content to be interesting, and you will ideally have a focused content strategy on what to post based upon meeting the search criteria of potential customers.
Beyond the good Google stuff, your blogs can help you connect more closely with your customers, thanks to more conversational content, especially if backed up by good photography.
Blogging example
If you’re an accommodation provider in a popular tourist area, getting to the top of organic search results will be challenging but not impossible. However, if you write an exciting blog about things to do or locations your guests may enjoy, that might be an easier entry point to your website. Let’s look at an example based upon a similar exercise that I helped a client with:
You have a large holiday cottage suitable for families and write a blog entitled ‘10 great family attractions in (name of the area)’. In the blog, you provide reviews of activities and attractions, suggest the ages of children they are most suitable for, etc. It essentially makes a helpful article that a family might search for to be sure that area is worth visiting. They find your blog, appreciate the content, and then notice that you have a great cottage to let (because you’ve mentioned it/promoted it as part of the post) and make an enquiry about staying.
The secret is to think of your potential customers, what problems/concerns they have, and how you can help?
Blogging discipline
Now the tricky bit, you need to commit to publishing a weekly blog. Think of a range of subjects and consider preparing a few of them in advance and scheduling them to ensure an even flow. Promote them on social media and check the results over time in Google Analytics. Remember, this could be an entry point into your website, so you need to move them to other pages. Hence, you need to think carefully about how you will authentically promote your business to compel the reader to click onto other content or make an enquiry rather than bouncing off after they have read what you have to say.
About
Based in Loch Lomond, Paul Saunders Marketing works with clients throughout Scotland, providing marketing consultancy and creative digital media for businesses, charities and organisations of all sizes.
Services include marketing, commercial photography, brand design, website design, video production and social media, events & PR. Call Paul on 01360 661029 or get in touch via the contact page to find out more.
I hope you have found this blog helpful! If you would like any advice about growing your business online, please get in touch.
