So, your website is shiny and up to date. Your onsite content is amazing and your metas are sparkling. But what about your company blog?
It can be easy to think that throwing a bit of company news on there is enough and sometimes it is but chances are, you aren’t using it to its full potential.
Ricemedia are going to show you the upside to putting some time into that possibly neglected part of your website.
What are the benefits of a company blog?
Think of how long you have spent working out the ‘voice’ of your company, what it stands for, who you’re trying to reach. Lengthy process? Of course it was because anything worth doing is worth doing right. Now, imagine being able to reinforce that message, over and over again for virtually nothing? That is the benefit of making use of the ‘blog’ section of your website.
Here are just a handful of the reasons that your company should be blogging:
– Blogging keeps things fresh
‘content is king’ is something we are sure you have heard numerous times, over the past few years and that isn’t going to be changing anytime soon. So why not get on board, if you haven’t already? It isn’t just any old content that is king, it’s fresh content. Your blog is the best way to stay on top of that and create something valuable.
– It’s a chance to share your expertise
Sharing is caring. But more importantly, it’s a chance to position yourself as an expert in your sector. The more you show that you really know your stuff, the more eyes will see your content. Word of mouth is still powerful. When your visitors arrive, what are you going to share with them? Customers are more likely to stick with a company who know what they are talking about.
Think of your blog as your company’s very own piece of the internet. What are you going to do with it? Blogging is a way of positioning yourself as an authority, in your sector. The idea is to bring something of value to visitors to your website. Will they stop by and learn something they didn’t know before? If not, they should be. Engaged readers are repeat visitors and repeat visitors turn into loyal customers.
-Blogging is great for customer acquisition
Let’s be straightforward here, you want customers. A readership is great but if reading is all they’re doing, you aren’t getting the benefits from your blog. Think of how you choose a service. Is it from the company who only ever shoves their product in your face? Or is it from the business who you believe care about their customers. A recent Hubspot survey revealed that 60% of businesses who blog acquire more customers. What are you waiting for?
– Improve organic search
Every new piece of content that you publish creates something new to rank for. It is not uncommon for company’s blog posts to rank for their keywords. Why? Because Google will see it. A good flow of traffic has no choice but to improve your search results.
– Blogging creates great social content
When we were ‘getting social’, we talked about the importance of planning your social media. Why not incorporate your blogging efforts into it. Social sharing is not only going to keep those channels active but it is also a fantastic opportunity to repurpose your content. Once your excellent posts are created, pick out tidbits of information that can be tweeted or turned into Facebook posts. That retweet or share could be a fantastic lead to follow.
What can I write about on a company blog?
Absolutely anything you want to. Going into this blindly will more than likely cause it to fall flat. You’re going to need a plan. Here’s the fun part. Sit down with your team, or if you’re a one man band, someone who you can bounce ideas off and collaborate with.
The team here at Ricemedia love to sit down and throw our thoughts out there. Even the most outlandish ideas can be turned into something that will make a great post.
What’s going on in your company? Do you have a new product? Write about it. Interlink to the product page.
Do you have a team whose roles are varied and interesting? Why not get them to contribute their thoughts?
So, how can I make this a success?
It’s easy, once you’re into the flow of things.
Make a plan
Are there key dates in your company or industry? Make a note of them and plan a post or two.
Respond to your audience
Once you’ve stuck at it for a while, your audience will begin to interact with you. Did someone retweet your article? Thank them. Have you read something that you think is worth sharing? Do so. Everyone appreciates a little recognition.
Be frequent
How many sites have you visited, thought you’d take a peek at their blog and have been bitterly disappointed to find that the news is old news and the blog has been abandoned. Don’t be that company. It’s not uncommon for neglected company blogs to be the last page a visitor views on a website.
Don’t churn out poor content day after day, in the hopes of a quick win. We aim for quality over quantity, when it comes to content and so should you. So, you can only blog one or two pieces every fortnight? That’s okay. Make it so good that your readers will be fine with waiting for the next piece because they know it is going to be worth it.
Make it accessible
Don’t assume that your readers know exactly what you’re talking about. A blog post filled with jargon is going to be off putting. On the other hand, if it has no depth, your reader is less likely to get much value from it. Don’t worry if you’re unsure about getting the balance, that’s what we are here for.
There you have it. Your blog is the ideal way to capture your existing audience, acquire brand new customers and show your competitors that you’re spearing ahead in your industry. Some careful planning, a team who know how to market great content and an eye on the industry will ensure that your company blog is maximised to its full potential.
