3 no-brainer reasons to start a business blog

You hear it everywhere these days: to successfully market your small business, you have to provide content, content, content. But what the hell does that mean?

Content can be anything from automated emails to your customers, to an ebook, to one of the “easier,” more popular content generators: blogging.

Blogging is great because it can accomplish a number of marketing goals for your small business. However, it can also be a major investment in both time and effort, especially if you’ve never done it before. Before you jump in with both feet, you need to think about why it is you want to start a blog.

Check out these 3 reasons to start a business blog, and see if they align with your goals. And follow my blogging board on Pinterest for more great tips.

1. Cement your authority

Use your blog to inform and educate readers on topics related to your small business, and you’ll soon come to be known as an expert in your field. But how do you do that?

• Teach something. Education is blogging gold. Everyone from lawyers to dentists to cosmetologists has a treasure trove of knowledge about their industry. Pick a topic and write about it.

• Talk about the latest news/trends. Keep up on recent news and trends in your industry, and people will know they can turn to you for the latest.

• Expand on other blog posts. If you read a blog post by someone in your industry and have something to add, or even if you disagree completely, build a post around it. Just make sure to credit the blogger if you quote from her or his post.

2. Draw in new customers

[caption id=”attachment_1391” align=”aligncenter” width=”500”] via wikipedia[/caption]

People are more likely to give their business to a company or person they trust, so show them you’re worthy of their hard-earned ca$$$h.

• Answer FAQs. Your potential customers have questions. Answer them. You can take a question at a time and answer it in a blog post, turning the posts into a series. If you don’t yet have actual questions from customers, make ‘em up. You can anticipate what kinds of questions they’ll have until you receive real ones.

• Relay your experience. People want to know you know what you’re talking about, so build confidence by talking about your experience in the business. Show how you’ve solved customer problems through either your expertise or via your product.

3. Inspire customers to buy again

Keep people coming back by blogging about how to expand use of your product or services. Or by blogging about them.

• Showcase customer success stories. Talk to customers who’ve used your product or service to see if they’d be willing to share their stories. The attention will show them you appreciate for their business, which builds loyalty. It will also impress potential customers.

• Show different ways to get the most out of your business. When is a coffee table not a coffee table? When it’s used as a standing desk. If you sell a product, chances are that product can be used for multiple purposes. Check out Ikea Hackers or this post on upcycling ideas to see what I mean.

The what

Blogging can have many purposes. Before starting a blog, figure out ahead of time what your purpose is, and if blogging will help you reach your goals.