This blog post explains why it’s very likely that your service business needs a blog for your website.
The debate about whether we need a blog for our website continues on…
“I need more traffic.”
“I need more targeted traffic.”
“I need more targeted traffic to generate leads.”
“I need more targeted traffic to generate leads that convert.”
“Does my website need a blog? How will blogging help my service business?“
Of course, it’s not only about blogging. Effective marketing is also required. But blogging can play a key role in your content marketing strategy.
This post will explain why your website may need a blog.
Do They Even Know You Exist?
I recall how on one occasion, a client and I discussed the progress of my business. He couldn’t understand why I was not attracting new clients.
Was it the quality of my work?
No. He and my other clients were and are more than happy with my work.
Was it my prices?
Ha! No! I have always undercharged. Even my clients tell me that!
Then came the bombshell. “Do they even know you exist?” he asked.
Ouch! That hurt! What a painful lesson. But I was honest enough to accept the reality of the situation. And I knew the solution.
I needed to blog.
But Why?
Home is Where the Blog Is
Well, you know what they say. “Home is where the blog is”, or something like that. Your blog needs somewhere to reside, a home, a place to call its own. For example, my blog URL address is https://www.nathanambrose.com. This is where I live, and you came here to visit me at home.
You’re welcome. Be my guest. Step inside, relax and make yourself at home. Now I will explain how a blog can help your business.
Build Your Own Home
When people ask you to make yourself at home, do you feel completely at home?
Or do you feel that you shouldn’t do this or you shouldn’t do that because it’s somebody else’s home?
It’s rather different when you’re at home. You have your own space. You’re in familiar surroundings. You have your own platform to make your voice heard. It’s your turn to be in charge.
You likely decorated your home and furnished it, according to your taste. And given the right opportunity and circumstances, you would even have designed and built it yourself. Why? Because your home reflects YOU. It is your abode. Your comfort zone. You set the house rules, and it became a part of your personal brand. By building your own blog, you’re building your own home.
Likewise, your own blog will help you brand your business. It is your home, 24/7. And you can start for a relatively low-cost barrier of entry.
Build Your Own Audience
Your online presence is your platform from which you can shout about your business. Blogging will give you a voice. It will get you seen and heard. By building your own blog, you’re building your own audience. When you start to blog, your neighbours will get to know where you live. Those who want to get to know you the most will pay you a visit. That’s free targeted traffic.
By presenting solutions to your readers, you may use your voice to establish your position as an expert in your niche. As people get to appreciate your expertise more, they may even regard you as the authority. Because of that, they will keep turning up at your door.
But what if you’re not at home? Will you miss them? Your sincerely interested visitors will still leave a personal message for you at your home, via your contact page, for example.
Isn’t that so much better than receiving a notification that somebody left a message for you to go and collect from elsewhere, and then come home again?
Global Search Engine Traffic
To Have your neighbours find you and pop in to visit is great! How convenient.
But in most cases, will that be enough to sustain your business?
Suppose your next ideal client lives on another street, another town, another city, another country, or another continent. How on earth (I didn’t say “another planet”) will he or she find you? Thanks to you updating and marketing your own blog, your business will get indexed by numerous search engines, bookmarking sites and social media networks. Your next client may even find your home blog address by looking up such directories and references. Then they will still come to visit you at your home. Even more convenient!
Build Trust
Do you have friends whose homes you have never entered?
Of course, they are still your friends for a reason.
But, have you noticed that you trust people even more after they finally invite you over?
With a blog, what a great opportunity for any business to put your prospects and clients at ease. Especially if you explain more about the decor and furnishing and even show your guests around.
But being a guest doesn’t stop there. You too can become a guest.
How?
One day, The relationships that you build may result in you being invited to guest blog for somebody else. Guest blogging will enable you to post one of your best articles on the blog of an influencer, then connect with his or her followers, leading to exposure from a wider audience. But that’s another subject for another day.
Showcase Your Services
By having visitors to your blog and showing them around your home, you will be able to showcase your products and services in the most flexible manner. It’s good to be able to showcase one’s products and services without fear of being considered a spammer.
Some of even your closest friends may feel uncomfortable about engaging in business with you publicly. But they will certainly be more likely to do so at home.
Encourage Community Engagement
Your blog could be a great place to address (see what I did there?) consumer business solutions. Blog community engagement will help you to gain deep audience insight that way. Visitors may ask you questions privately via your contact form, and you will be able to reply to them privately.
In addition, posting regular industry updates, tutorials, and reviews through articles, images, audio, and video, etc. will keep your visitors well informed. This will also help you build solid trust, rapport, and relationships. By allowing your visitors to comment on your posts, you will gain valuable feedback. This, in turn, will serve everybody well, as it’s a great way to grow your business.
What about Social Media?
You and I have seen many businesses built on social media platforms. A Facebook page here. A Pinterest board there. You may also have done it yourself.
Why do you use social media?
What do you gain from social networking?
Of course, you know that social networks are great places to go to hang out, make new friends, socialise, and network. On some occasions, you might meet your friends for some Twitter talk or Facebook fun.
Many entrepreneurs use the social media networks to great effect, and they really strengthen their brands in this way. But I’ve also observed that the most effective of them prioritise building their communities at home, on their blogs.
Why do that?
If any of those places ever close down, become less effective, charge too much, throw you out, or change their house rules, then what?
What will happen to your social networking community?
From where will you run your business?
Invite Your Friends Home
Social networks should not and cannot be your home. You can’t live there. When I’ve had enough, I like to come home, take off my shoes, put on my slippers, make a cup of tea, and really get things done.
You normally have far more control over your home than you do over any public establishment. So it is with your blog and social networking. You need to go home and take your friends with you.
Unless you’re Mark Zuckerberg, you don’t own Facebook or any of the other social networking websites. We don’t want to overstay our welcome. This is why it’s good to invite our friends to our home.
Does Your Website Need a Blog?
Now you know the advantages of blogging for your business, it’s up to you to choose. From my experience, and in most of the cases that I’ve observed, I strongly suggest that your website DOES need a blog. It is a great way to build your content marketing cycle of quality blogging, social media content, social media syndication, social bookmarking, engaging, and building trust in your brand.
So What Next?
So if you decide that you do need a blog for your website, then what next?
I have a recommendation for you. I recently visited the home of renowned blogger Kevin Duncan, who lives at Be a Better Blogger. If you look through the window of his logo, you may even see him sitting there, typing away at his computer.
While his back was turned I took the liberty of reading his 10,273-word definitive guide to writing a blog post. Here it is: How to Write a Blog Post: The Definitive 10,273-Word Guide Your Mom Will Understand.
I suggest you read it, all of it. Kevin explains step-by-step how to use WordPress to build your own blog, just as he and I built our own blogs. It may seem like a long article (well, it is), but it’s easy to follow.
However, you may feel overwhelmed by the size of the task ahead and just want somebody to get you started now. That’s OK. Or perhaps you want a writer or web designer to free up time for your business. That’s also OK. You’re at my home, and I’m here to make you feel comfortable with these business solutions. So, just leave a message for me here.
Before You Leave
It’s almost time for you to go. Before you leave, please leave a comment to thank your host, then share this post with your social and professional networks on your way home.
Thank you.
