Why you should have a blog, and what you should be doing with it

If you're in business, and that business has a website, you need a blog. 

"But that's an awful lot of work, and I wouldn't even begin to know what to write." I get it. You're right - when you're running a business, the idea of sitting down and creating your own content can seem incredibly daunting, if not impossible.  It probably falls into the 'I'll get to that one day' category. It might even be in the dreaded 'I started that, got overwhelmed and honestly just gave up on it' category. 

It absolutely shouldn't be, and here's why: blog content drives traffic to your website. It's really as simple as that. And if you have a social media presence to promote your business, blog content feeds your fans with subject matter that boosts your brand perception. Want to underscore your expertise? Blog about relevant, informative aspects to your product or services that give your target audience something to grab onto and learn about. 

Yes, people really do read blogs. In fact, blog content is the hardest working  aspect of your website - let it work for you (even when you're sleeping) by using keyword-rich, SEO compatible text that Google can grab onto and raise your rankings on the search engine whether you're clocked in or not. Even more than that, your audience will come to consider you first when they're choosing where to spend their money. 

But don't take my word for it. According to research conducted by ContentPLUS UK, blogs on company websites attract 55% more viewers, 70% of consumers prefer getting to know a company via articles rather than advertising, and 60% of consumers feel more positive about a company after reading custom content on their site. 

Strengthen your online presence by having a robust blog section that is updated frequently. You'll want to have at least four or five new content pieces each month. Then you're going to post about it on your related social media platforms and engage in discussions about what you've posted.  It becomes a nice, big, ongoing circle of fertile content and engagement that attracts eyeballs and gets people clicking. 

Your content should contain links to any source material that you've used to support your viewpoint, plus a great image both in the beginning and every 500 words. What's the right length? It doesn't really matter (something is better than nothing) but ideally you're shooting for anywhere between 500-1200 words. 

Once you start, don't stop. There's nothing worse than a website that has a dusty old blog section with its last entry dated more than a year ago. So once you commit, buckle up and fire away. You certainly don't want to lose the momentum that you worked so hard to create. 

If this sounds like a lot (because it is), consider delegating your blog writing task to a professional - that way, you'll be sure to have custom, strategic content on a regular basis without having to rearrange your to-do list. Hiring a dedicated content creator like Digital Heartbeat can easily become one of the best things you'll do for both you AND your business.