8 ways a blog benefits your business (part 2 of 2)

Cont. 

5. Links for Search Engine Optimization. As well as the direct traffic benefit of leads, links are important in bringing in search visitors. The more linkable your website, the better your search results will be. Very often traditional websites are difficult to link to and not easy for search engines to index. This can be due to the website's structure, the software it's built with, or its overly complex URLs. Blogs are not only more linkable, but when linked to your website they make the two together more robust for search engines.

6. PR and customer support. It is an opportunity for you or your company to respond to a customer's negative feedback experience. The negative comment just may be something you might want to fix, or at least address the issue head on and communicate the perception that you care about your customers conderns. These days, customer service and public relations have never been more important; a bad story can spread around the web’s social networks at light speed. Your blog becomes a responsive outlet to explain your side of any story and douse the fires of negative activity.

7. Grow a community. Through discussion, interaction and comments, you can help forge a sense of community that can be strengthened both online and off.

8. Offer better service. Your blog provides multiple routes for customers and prospects to get in touch. It can show your human, approachable side, allow better customer interaction, and improve customer service. All of these benefits add up to more new and repeat sales from much happier and better informed customers.

Gary At 3dbGroup

8 ways a blog benefits your business (part 1 of 2)

1. A good blog not only generates traffic, but also helps retain that traffic, keeping people coming back and growing in loyalty. With a blog you can hold prospects' interest for a longer period of time, turning prospects into admirers, and bringing them back to hear from you long after their first contact. 

2. Informed and educated visitors become confident, loyal customers. More people are turning to the Internet to research before they buy. You can position your company as a go-to resource, thereby winning more business. Plus, with blogging, information flows both ways. You can gain insights into your customers' minds, their needs, challenges and preferences. Comments, feedback forms, surveys and polls become instant, spontaneous market research tools.

Photo-illustration by Gary Greer courtesy of Curtiss-Wright.

3. Build trust and familiarity. Trust is vital in making sales and important for encouraging visitors to opt into your lead-generation process. By starting with compelling information and resources, and by encouraging repeat communication, you build familiarity. Over time, this creates a strong bond of trust and brand, making sales so much easier. 

4. Branding. This positive attention and these value-based, long-term experiences don’t just create trust. They help to create a stronger, better brand. This leads to word-of-mouth advertising, which is one of the best forms of promotion you can get.

Blogging benefits 5-8 coming soon, subscribe to this blog so you don't miss the rest... 

Please comment below – I would like to hear your experiences and comments if blogging has or hasn't worked for you or your company.

Questions? Contact: Gary Greer