In an increasingly connected world, it is impractical for businesses not to have an online presence. The Internet provides a means of reaching a wider market than traditional media usually provides a company, and at it does so at a much more cost-effective price.
By maintaining a company website, people and businesses can remain in touch with their client base 24/7 electronically, essentially never closing their doors to customers’ orders, questions, and comments.
Why a business blog?
You already either have a team of employees who regularly maintain your website, or have outsourced this to a reliable team of web professionals.
You’re probably now wondering why you would want to maintain a business blog. Your company website already provides you with a business portal to keep your transactions ongoing with your clients wherever and whenever.
Most likely, it also provides a means for your clients to either email you or leave you messages. A blog will require that you maintain a new section of your website, or maybe a blog with another provider.
This means that you will have to come up again with new content often, something that might prove to be another expense, or at least take up your time.
Getting personal with business
A website might provide your customers with lots of useful information about your company, but a blog will lend your company a more human face.
Keeping a business blog that you maintain yourself allows you to keep in touch with your clients in a more personal way. Blogs are usually seen as glimpses into the lives of people.
A lot of people use it as their online diary. You can make your blog into a diary of your business. You can talk about your future plans, new and upcoming activities and promos.
You can include photos about your products, the people involved in your business, and even pictures of satisfied customers that you’ve befriended.
Generating interest and hits
Another advantage of keeping a separate blog is that it allows you to write about things other than those that directly pertain to your company.
You can include content that covers your niche or field of expertise. By maintaining your blog up-to-date with interesting articles, your readers are compelled to return to your blog.
By providing links to your website, or even better, integrating your blog into your main company website, people will start to read beyond your blog and follow the links that lead to your company website.
Blogging communities are also close knit. Interacting with other bloggers is important. By reading other blogs and leaving meaningful comments, other bloggers will recognize your expertise in your field, start reading your blog, and possibly bring you new business.
Go forth and blog!
A business blog may be an investment in time and effort, but the additional interest that it will generate for you and your company can prove to be well worth it.
Consider taking up blogging as part of your daily business.