Small Business blogging is big business!

Blogging for small business

Did you know 72 percent of consumers will conduct online research prior to purchase? And that the average online research time for Australians is 1.2 hours? Your customers are using your digital footprint to compare you with your competitors, and that means your content needs to outshine everyone else’s to get them over the line.

There are a number of ways to build genuine, rich content, but one of the best for SEO and demonstrating your expertise is through blogging.

Why blog

• SEO (Search Engine Optimisation): When you write about what you know, and what you offer customers and clients, then your content will align with what customers are looking for, which helps Google show the most relevant sites to potential customers. Google also loves fresh content, because it shows you are an active business and keep your website updated with current information. This, along with SEO-enhancing tips that you implement when uploading the blog, all helps towards gaining better SEO.

 

• You are seen as an expert: with so much research taking place online, the more valuable information and advice you can give someone, the more you will be perceived as open, honest, trustworthy, experienced and knowledgeable – and that goes a long way in the decision making process!

• Drive traffic to your website: When you have a unique blog URL on your website, you can share this across your social media channels and newsletter to help amplify the reach and traffic to your site. Once they are there reading your blog, it’s an opportunity for them to browse through more blogs and look further into your services or products. This keeps people on your site for longer which also tells Google you’re giving your customers what they came to look for.

 

What to blog about

Blogging should inform and help motivate a potential buyer. Grab a pen and paper or start a spreadsheet, and think about what your small business does – here’s one place you could start.

1. List every service or product you sell – there’s a good 5, 10 or even 50 topics!

2. List every problem or pain point you solve for customers – this is not “I give women haircuts” – this is “I make women feel confident and beautiful” or “I help women look smart and refined for job interviews”. Think big picture. Then as a hairdresser, you can blog about confidence, beauty, how to wear your hair for a job interview and so on.

3. List the top industry bodies, personalities or politicians important to your sector – then start following them on social media and sign up for their newsletters, and use their content as inspiration for blogs. There might be a protest happening somewhere that you have an opinion on, or a new law is being considered that affects your clients and customers.

When to blog

That’s the million-dollar question! Some say 3-4 times a week, others once a month. I recommend once a month at a minimum, but if you can do more, do so – just make sure it is good quality. Don’t blog for the sake of putting words on a page because going back to the benefits of blogging discussed above, it needs to resonate with readers to make any real difference to your business.

When you publish your small business blog, just remember to share it far and wide and then start thinking about your next topic. It could be the very catalyst for your next customer to make a purchase with you.

If writing isn’t your strong point, or you just don’t have the time on top of everything else to worry about as a small business owner, consider outsourcing your blogging to a professional writer who can write on your behalf. Many of my clients use this service to maintain strong communication online while focusing their time elsewhere.