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Blogging for business has been steadily climbing the ranks in content marketing. It provides an effective way to support organizational goals by nurturing and converting leads. How effective is business blogging you might ask? B2B marketers that publish blogs receive 67% more leads than those who don’t. That’s huge. Anytime you find a way to increase the number of leads you generate, it’s a method you can’t afford to ignore it. Leads, customers, and sales are metrics that can easily be measured metrics and traced back to blogging to determine your return on investment (ROI).
Blogging allows businesses to create, publish, and distribute custom content which can be used to reach their target audience. Ideally, you want your blog to serve as a way of building relationships with potential customers by establishing trust, proving expertise, and providing value. Trust and credibility play a vital role in the buyer’s journey; from prospect, to lead, to customer.
How Blogging for Business Can Increase Lead Acquisition
You can create as much content as you want, but it won’t do you any good if you can’t get it in front of your target audience. That’s why some of the best writers in the world aren’t always the most successful bloggers. Their content might be incredible, but no one can find it. It’s the companies who understand how to promote and distribute their content effectively that reap the rewards of business blogging.
What makes a great blogging strategy? Consistency. The most important thing you can do for your business blog is producing content on a consistent basis. Spotty blogging that leaves large, inconsistent gaps of time between posts will alienate your audience and rank low in search engines.
How to Leverage Your Blog
The first step in running a successful business blog is determining your goals. Do you want to drive website traffic? Acquire qualified leads? Increase brand awareness? All the above? No problem. These are all great goals, you just need to create a blogging strategy that charts your course to success.
Common blogging tactics you can leverage:
- Increase traffic to your website
Focusing on search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the best ways to attract more website traffic. Blog posts that receive a high ranking and land on the first page of Google search results are instant winners. The type of content your blog produces will also have a big impact on the number of visitors you attract. Blog posts should be aligned with the needs of your target audience and should be as informative, educational, and helpful as possible.
- Establish brand credibility and expertise
Your blog needs to publish articles that demonstrate the knowledge and proficiency your company has. Provide value to your audience by supplying information and data that isn’t readily available to them. In addition, pay close attention to the quality of each blog post. Grammatical errors, contradictions, and poorly referenced resources will do more to hamper credibility than establish it.
- Build a relationship with your target audience
Trust is one of the few things you can’t buy in business. It must be earned. When you publish a blog post, make sure it speaks directly to the needs of your audience and demonstrates your understanding of their issues. Once the post has been published it should be monitored daily for comments, both on the blog and on social media. 91% of customers prefer following brands on social media that are authentic. Look for opportunities to interact with customers and leads across all content channels and use each interaction as a method of building trust.
- Improve your social media presence
High-quality blog posts have the potential to make a huge impression on social media. Make it as easy as possible for visitors to share your blog post on popular social media platforms by placing share icons on each post. Make sure your blog is added to your company’s content marketing strategy as well so each post is shared across your social media channels.
You Can’t Afford Not to Blog
Building a successful business blog is a great extension of your content marketing strategy. If you’re looking for a way to increase the ROI of your marketing efforts, blogging is a great channel. Find out what works for your audience and build a strategy around their personas that allows you to deliver exceptional content on a regular basis. An established blog will enhance the quality of your website, demonstrate your company’s expertise, and serve as a highly effective way to acquire leads.
