If you’re running a traditional (offline) business then you might think that a blog is not something you necessarily need. And I can’t blame you … it’s a natural opinion to have.
Unfortunately, you are wrong.
Well, actually you don’t really NEED anything to run your business, so to speak, but there are some serious reason why you should at least consider launching a blog. And here they are:
1. You can reach new people
The thing about the internet is that a lot of people use it on a daily basis to find stuff (products, services, information, and so on). It’s the easiest way to do this kind of research nowadays – Google is the company to blame.
The simple truth is that if you want your prospective customers to be able to find you, you have to have an online presence of some kind, and a blog is probably the best type of a website you can launch.
2. You can make a name for yourself
The main purpose of a blog is to provide relevant information and advice to your readers regarding the topic you’re interested in (hopefully the same topic your business is about).
Some entrepreneurs fall victim to thinking that people want to read what’s going on inside the company itself. They don’t. People/readers care only about themselves. That’s why when you launch a blog you have to focus on providing value first, and not talking about your newly appointed General Manager or something.
3. You can make connections with other site owners
The internet is a vast place, but when we narrow it down to specific niches, we’ll realize that there’s only a handful of leaders or site owners worth reaching out to.
If you have a blog, and try to promote it by contacting other bloggers and offering guest posts, you are essentially making new business contacts. You can then use these connections for multiple purposes.
Which brings me to:
4. You can participate in joint ventures
Collaborating with your peers, taking part in their projects, or running a joint venture is a great way of making additional money and including new services/products into your portfolio.
Depending on the niche you’re in, this can make more sense or less. Nevertheless, you should always be on the lookout for new opportunities. Owning a blog helps a lot because you can host some part of the joint venture on your site.
5. You can bring more people through the door
Don’t forget that a blog is a great way to convince people to visit your brick-and-mortar business. You can run multiple promotions, giveaways, or any other bonus offers that would single out some of your followers and entitle them to gain some additional benefits.
Sometimes you don’t even have to do that. Depending on the nature of your business, you might convince people to visit you just by publishing your menu, product info, or some other piece of essential info.
6. You can be where your customers already are
This is something the 21st century has made visible more than anything else. People are now spending more and more time online. And since they are already there, why not show them some relevant info?
Also, just as a by-product, you can make yourself and your business memorable. So the next time your customers are searching for [insert-what-you’re-doing] your business will come to mind almost immediately.
What’s your take on this? Do you find launching a blog something that can bring tangible value for your business?
- Published: June 14, 2012
- Author: Karol Król
- Blog: Ducking In Blog
- Category:
- Tags: Blogging, google, small business, website
- Comments:
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Brilliant post! Really enjoyed reading it 🙂
i think in today’s time when Google wants us all to shift to PPC, I think Blogs are the only way to work hard, without giving extra money to Google, connecting with people, building contacts etc.
I think the traditional businesses survived on one basic thing thing ‘Connectivity’ Even in today’s business, it is one of the most important aspects. How well you are connected online could eventually becomes a goldmine for you!
Of course that every business needs a blog, even a small hobby needs a blog nowadays. The most important thing a blog does is that it can create a name for you in your niche and it makes the people want to know you, your products or your services. Thank you for showing us how much a blog can expand the horizon of your business!
Yes, for every business it is a must. Though I am not much of an SEO person, but I have definitely heard that Google loves fresh content. If you are posting fresh & unique content to your site, you will start getting better positions in 7-8 months time. SO all the businesses are having a blog in their own site and they keep on updating it. It is easy to update and manage, It can also be very effectively used to market your latest events and successes of your firm!
4. You can participate in joint ventures
Love this tip Karol. Deal making is so often overlooked. When you have a blog that is getting traffic from the search engines, word of mouth and repeat visitors, you have a deal making tool as valuable as a large email list.