Does your business have a blog? If you’ve considered creating one for your business, but aren’t quite sure why it’s needed, here are some tips to help you figure it all out.
What is a Blog?
First, in order to understand why your business should have a blog, you should understand what one is. A blog is 
essentially an online journal consisting of entries in chronological order. Entries can be from a single person, a small group or business, and are often centered on a theme. Entries can include text, photos, videos, polls, music or any other kind of media you can imagine.
A blog can be private (for personal use) or it can be for business purposes. For businesses, blogs can be used internally (corporate communication) or externally for marketing and PR purposes.
What Blogging Platform Should You Use?
There are a number of blogging platforms (the website that allows you to publish to the web) available, but if you’re new at it, here are two of the most popular and most user friendly (and free):
WordPress
Key features:
- Create multiple pages (allows you to use it as a website)
- Widgets for Flickr, del.icio.us Twitter and more – easy integration
- Multiple authors
- Super simple to use
- Great stats system
- SEO, SEO and more SEO
Tumblr
Key features:
- Design control (create your own design)
- Mobile access
- Social Media integration
- Multiple contributors to one post
- You keep your copyright
Why Should I Blog?
The most obvious answer is because it’s good for search engine optimization and will help send Google traffic to you. But it’s much more than that:
1. If you allow multiple contributors to your blog, it empowers your employees to share their opinions; it makes them feel valued and part of the team.
2. If you’re writing a blog post two or three times per week about your industry, you’ll find:
- Blogging forces you to stay on top of the trends. You’ll know what’s hot and what’s not in your field on a consistent basis.
- It’s easier to answer questions about your industry and company because you’re well informed with the most up to date information.
- Your overall skills, presentation and sales ability will increase—because you’re well informed.
3. You’ll become a thought leader. Once you establish yourself as someone consistently knowledgeable and trustworthy, others will begin to look to you as a thought leader in your industry. Customers will come to trust your opinions and, eventually, this will lead to an increase in sales.
4. Feedback: When blogging, be sure to allow feedback, via the comments section of your blog. It’s a great way hear – and respond—directly to their thoughts, comments and suggestions. It’s possible that your customers might tell you things about your business that you didn’t know.
5. Do Better: Once you have feedback, make tweaks to your business. Do better. And when you do, be sure to tell them about it via your blog.
6. Content is KING! It’s true. Content drives the Internet, and people are looking for information that solves a problem. Content marketing creates trust, credibility, and authority, while introducing your audience to your products or services.
As a business owner, blogs are a great way to learn, share, listen and establish credibility. Drop AdMix Social a line to find out how we can help.
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