We’ve spent some time this month talking about the history of our own blog and tips to start your own, as well as how to create your first content calendar. But, so far, we’ve neglected to answer that one important question that kicked this all off: Why should I blog? After spending this blogging month with us the ideas we’ve talked about may sound ‘fine and dandy,’ but you still may be asking yourself, “Why should I spend so much time doing all this?” After all, blogging is a time commitment. So why should you blog? Here are just some of the numerous reasons:
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Humanize Your Business With A Blog
One of the most important reasons to begin a blog is to better connect with your audiences. A blog injects a faceless company (large or small) with a personality. Much like successful social media strategy, a blog lets audiences know that there is, indeed, a face behind that company logo. That there is a human being, just like them, behind the company façade that they can connect to. Who understands them. After all, it’s much easier to have a meaningful and valuable relationship with a personality than a logo.
Grow Your Businesses Visibility With A Blog
A blog will make great strides in enhancing your company’s visibility online. If your information is valuable, or noteworthy, enough it could facilitate conversations and ‘buzz.’ A company that is actively participating in educating their audiences, while including them in conversation, will receive more interaction than a company that simply boasts a webpage. By sharing each new blog post, you open your company’s website up to even more audiences. So add a blog to that webpage and voila! You have a better chance of being seen.
Create A Reputation As An Expert Though Your Blog
By having a blog, you’ll force yourself to stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest in your industry. Which you should be doing anyways, right? So why not take some time to comment on trends in your industry via your blog? You’ll not only stay on top of current trends and news in your industry, but you’ll seem ‘on-the-game’ with your audiences.
Use Your Blog To Gain Customer Trust
Of course once your audiences see, via your blog, that you truly ‘know your stuff’ in your industry, they’ll think of you every time a question may arise related to your field. That’s something every company blogger hopes for; that they become the ‘go-to’ place for audiences with questions in their industry. It’s all about trust. If you share with your audience valuable, up-to-date industry commentary or information, you’ll run the risk of becoming a trusted company. Top of mind for audience questions. Which, in my opinion, isn’t a bad risk to take.
Leveraging Your Blog To Build Relationships
This aspect plays right into the “trust” concept. Once your audience trusts you, you’ll be better able to construct valuable relationships with them. A key way to get the conversations started is by allowing for comments on each of your blog posts. While the ability for readers to comment may sound a little ‘scary’ at first, in the end its benefits far outweigh its pitfalls. By allowing for comments, your readers will feel like their voices are heard- and wanted to be heard by you! Never never never make your readers feel like they aren’t in the conversation. Open it up! A relationship is a two-way street. Don’t just blog AT them. Blog WITH them.
Blogs For Social Media Content
I put this reason at the very end of this list, mainly because it should never be used as your sole reason for starting a blog. But, hey, it’s a perk. Once you have a blog that you’re updating on a decent and reliable schedule, why not share your posts on your social media? It will not only bring in readers to your blog, but potentially spark conversations amongst your social media audiences. Giving you another avenue to build those great audience relationships and introduce them to your business!
We’d love to hear from you! If you’re a current blogger, why do you blog? Photo Credit
