Saying 2020 was a year of change is a bit of an understatement. While the way many of us do business (and life, for that matter) has been disrupted, due to that dreaded five letter word, some things have remained the same. Among them is the importance of creating relevant content to connect with and motive your customers’ buying behaviors. When you create content, you share your thinking, knowledge, and the value you bring to the marketplace.

Blogging is one of the best formats to create and share your unique content. Beyond that, adding content to your website supports your SEO which improves your ranking with Google and ultimately improves the organic traffic to your website. Insiders tip: companies that blog receive 55% more website visitors than those who do not.

Gaining organic web traffic, which tends to be an engaged audience ready to learn and make a purchase, is a smart strategy. One, because these individuals are a more qualified lead, and two, because the cost per lead is super low.

While gaining organic traffic is the most-cited reason to blog, there are additional benefits to companies who blog. It allows companies to talk directly to their audiences and achieve several notable goals:

1. Position Your Company as an Expert

Blogging allows you to showcase your expertise and knowledge of your industry. Whether your readers are current clients, potential clients, peers, or competitors, blogging allows you to position yourself as a subject matter expert. If your peers and competitors are blogging as well, choose a niche topic that will set your blog apart from the rest. If your peers and competitors are not participating in the blogging world, you have a great opportunity to be a leader in your industry.

2. Educate and Entertain

Use your blog to educate and entertain your audience. Readers will only return to your blog if they feel the content added value and expanded their knowledge. To ensure your content is relevant, create a list of most-asked questions or common misperceptions you work against when selling your product, service, or experience. While it’s okay to showcase your expertise and unique value proposition, tread lightly when it comes to outright promotion. If the article is more about you and less about the solution or problem you can solve for someone else, you may want to revisit your content.

3. Share Your Content

Developing a content calendar outlining blog topics for the months, quarter, or year is a great time saver and ultimately makes it easier to have an integrated content marketing strategy. Think of it this way: Your articles are ‘housed’ in the blog on your website. Your other digital strategies such as social media, digital ads, and emails become the path to lead your customers and potential customers to your website where they can learn more about your company, which is the first step in the sales channel.

Blogging may seem daunting and time-consuming but the value it will provide to your brand, your marketing efforts, and your website is well worth it. Need help getting started? Scheffey works with clients to create blogging strategies and write content and we’d love to help you, too.