Many people do not recognize the value of blogging. They assume that it is just a way to post news about their website or business. While this is true, there is a lot more that a blog is capable of doing for the purposes of marketing. Blogs have a way of taking on lives of their own. Above the business and marketing aspect of blogging, blogs can change the face of the writer, or anyone who contributes to the blog on a regular basis.
How Blogging Will Impact Your Business
1. Forge new relationships. Blogging on a regular basis plus syndicating your blog will attract many different people. However, if you are blogging on a regular basis, you will begin to attract a regular following of people. It is with these people with whom you will form meaningful relationships. They will be the core of the community that forms around your blog.
2. Build an online community. As just mentioned, an online community will form around your blog. People will come back and comment, send email and even recommend your blog. Please note, that people do not do this will all blogs. Your blog has to be consistent, interesting, helpful, entertaining, educational and relevant.
3. You learn what your customers really want. Most businesses and the people who market them really want to know what makes their customers happy. There are millions of market research surveys that go out to target audiences. In the case of a blogging community, you already have your target demographic coming to your blog and voluntarily telling you what they want. If you ask them further questions on the blog, they will fill you in. It is every market researcher’s dream.
4. Make extra money. The purpose of building a blog is to attract customers to your main business. Yet, there are more ways to monetize your blog than you might realize. Selling banner space, putting up affiliate programs, Google Adsense, running fundraisers, and getting paid work on the side as a blogger are all ways to monetize. There are also indirect ways, such as being invited as a guest blogger on another site and earning new customers. Do not sacrifice the quality of the blog, but figure out more ways that you can create a side income and it means more money for your business.
5. You don’t have to write to be a blogger. Writing is a complex skill. Some people hate to write, or they do not write very well. They can still have a blog. The internet has introduced to us an entire universe of communicating and creating content.
Here are some examples:
- Create videos.
- Record a podcast.
- Build infographics.
- Curate content from other sources (with proper credit).
- Put in a social media feed.
- Use photos to tell a story.
There are many ways to put a blog together. The most important thing to remember is to create helpful, valuable content that people love to read and comment on. Give your customers something they will love to visit again and again. In return, there is no limit to how much value you get back from your customers.