If you’re a consultant or entrepreneur, you’ve probably given some thought to starting blog. If you’re already blogging, great — this article isn’t for you. But if you’re still you’re still on the fence, it’t time to take that leap. If you’re running your own business, I’ll assume you’re some sort of an expert. And that’s what the blogging world needs: more experts to share knowledge with a rapidly expanding audience that is looking for real information on the web. And if you can connect with these people who have an interest in your knowledge, that is the first step to turning them into paying clients.
Even if you currently think writing a blog is a frivolous use of your time. here are three concrete reasons you should start.
You Have to Think About What Your Competition Is Doing
Your competition is either blogging or not blogging. If they’re blogging, they’re taking valuable eyeballs and potential customers away from you. Even if they are not as good a you, they are getting in front of more prospects than you. And they increases the odds of their phone ringing. Quite simply blogging is a real way for people to find out about you and your business.
If your competition isn’t blogging, then that’s even better. This gives you a chance to get in front of more clients than you can possibly service! And while they’re not blogging, you’ll create a build a competitive advantage based on your expertise.
Either way, you need to be blogging to get those visitors who may be tempted to go to another business just like yours.
Google Loves Fresh Content
When was the last time you opened a phone book to find a service? Most people use the web to find suppliers, products and services. So you need to be found on the web if you want to be found at all. That means you have to rank highly in search engines in your area of business if you want to get in front of the clients who are willing to pay you money.
One of the ways in which you can increase your chances of being successfully found is by having content that is updated frequently on your website. A blog is a perfect vehicle to do this. You can update it as frequently as you want, but the more you do, the more likely that search engines such as Google are going to amble along and pay your site a visit, which will help you rank higher. On top of that, you’ll have an audience going to the content regularly, and possibly even linking to it, which will do a lot for your Google rankings. Plus, the more pages you have, the more opportunities you’ll have to rank for multiple phrases on search engines, too.
People Will Get to Know You, And You’ll Establish Your Authority
Blogging is essentially a branding exercise. It allows potential customers to get to know your style before they actually commit to buying anything. This is important, because we all buy stuff from companies that we know. Think of running shoes. Would you rather have a pair of Nikes or similar shoe from a company you’ve never heard of? Chances are, you’re probably going to buy the Nikes because you’ve heard of them and people talk about them as a good quality shoe. You know them, so you buy from them.
What’s more, you also get the opportunity to demonstrate your brilliance to the world and become a recognized authority in your industry. This helps to move your audience beyond knowing and liking you, to actually trusting you — which is where the magic really begins to happen. So be sure to give blogging your all and pull no punches. Become a valuable resource to your readers and they, in turn, will probably respond in kind by buying from you. If you establish your authority online, good things are bound to happen.
Are there any other reasons why you think you or small business owners should start a blog? That’s what the comments section is for, so have your say.
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