Blogging leads to 434% more indexed pages, and it increases indexed inbound links by 97%, according to DemandMetric. Business blogging is so effective that 57% of online marketers say it has helped them gain more customers.
A blog is a written compilation of expert opinions, facts, and thoughts about an industry or its customers.
Today’s customer is informed, and they reject information that pushes them to make a purchase. They are looking for informative, authoritative, relevant, and timely information throughout their buying journey.
Business blogging has changed the way businesses market as it has become an avenue for offering relevant information to the customer without pushing them to make a purchase. Blogging is about answering the customer’s critical issues and addressing their needs.
The first step towards business blogging is understanding your buyer personas. The step helps you know your customers and people who visit your site, based on research and data. Since blogging is about the customer and not about you, understanding their persona will help you craft marketing messages that suits your client’s needs.
Are You Wondering How Business Blogging Can Increase Your Traffic?
Did you know that 70% of the people who use the internet read blogs? Well, customers search for information online before making a purchase. When customers enter a search query, Google and other search engines connect them to reliable information.
If your site has answers or the information that online visitors are looking for, the search engines direct the searchers to your site. Traffic from search results is known as organic traffic.
It is pointless to create excellent content then fail to market it. Organic traffic is not sufficient to attract enough prospective clients to your site: you need a content marketing strategy.
Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest are suitable places to display your work. Establish the platform where your clientele spends their time, then display your work on the platform.
How Business Blogging Converts Without Selling
Statistics show that more than 4 million blog posts are created every day. This means competition for traffic and conversion is high. It is, therefore, essential to find ways to attract as many potential clients as possible. Also, it would help if you found ways to convert as many website visitors as possible.
So how can you do it? Invest in content marketing as part of your inbound marketing strategy.
Inbound marketing is a way of attracting customers to your services or products without ‘selling’ to them. Content marketing involves content creation and marketing to attract your target audience. Content marketing and inbound marketing are part of a jigsaw. Business blogging is part of content marketing.
Creating content with a purpose increases the conversion rate through the following ways:
1. Build Trust by Displaying your Expertise
There are many brands with blogs, so you must find your unique selling point. Like what makes you different from your competitors?
Industry leaders are knowledgeable, and they offer valuable advice. Identify your brand’s voice and personality and use it when writing blog posts.
Use a language that your clients and potential clients understand. This will help you to create a bond with them. Communicate to your consumers directly in a way that shows you understand their concerns and you have the solutions they need.
Consistent business blogging asserts your position as an expert in the field. Consumers build confidence and trust with brands that are experts in their industry.
2. Offer Valuable Customer Experience
Business blogging provides a perfect opportunity to give your consumers free and valuable information without forcing them to purchase anything.
A content marketing strategy aims to educate before selling. When customers make a purchasing decision, they become loyal since they will have created a bond with your brand through free information.
Do you have a FAQ section on your website? It is an excellent way to resolve some of your customer’s concerns when they visit your site.
Take each question on the FAQ section and create an in-depth blog post with valuable information. Link it to the question so that if a consumer needs more assistance, they can always click on it.
Providing valuable customer experience places you above your competitors.
3. Optimize Your Site
Search engine optimization is a long-term strategy that ensures your site is visible in search engine results. Do you want to succeed in this? Write blog posts that rely on keywords that your customers are using in their search activity. Focus on fresh and relevant content.
Your keywords should appear on the page title, URL, sub-headers, page title, image ALT text, meta descriptions, section header, and main content.
It would be best if you also blogged frequently. The more the crawlers index your site, the higher it ranks on search results. Customers conduct an online search before purchasing. The more you provide solutions for your customers through blogging, the more you become a resource for them.
The more optimized blog posts you publish, the more pages are indexed, and the higher your traffic. As your website traffic increases, your conversation rate goes higher.
4. Increase Leads
An increase in leads is possible through demand and lead generation. The first step towards attracting a customer in any industry is to create demand. Businesses use content presentations and blogs to inform their customers about their solutions and brands.
Demand generation is a strategy of capturing potential and interested prospects’ contacts through the contact form. Marketers send targeted promotions and communication to their email subscribers.
All subscribers are added to the marketing funnel. Targeted content increases the chance of a conversion. Besides, the content creates and nurtures an interest in your brand’s products or services.
Lead generation has three stages. The first is the awareness stage, consideration stage, and finally, the decision stage.
Blogs provide information for customers in all three stages:
- For the awareness stage, a customer needs information that draws her to your products.
- To move the potential to the consideration stage, they need blogs on what to do with your products. The content follows the ‘how to’ topic model.
- For a customer to make a purchase, they need to be convinced that your products or services are the best. This is where you need to include testimonials.
5. The Value of Linking
Links within your website provide more profound meaning to relevant website content. You can link to the services or products that you provide to introduce website visitors to your business.
Inbound links are like recommendations to Google. When websites link back to your site, it indicates that your content is informative and highly educative. Links from highly authoritative sites are desirable.
Backlinks from authoritative sites help to improve the domain authority of your site. High domain authority signals to search engines that your site is a good source of information, so it ranks high in search results.
To attract inbound links, create content that solves your customer’s problem.
Tips To Incorporate in Your Blogging Strategy for Increased Conversion
Since the inbound marketing strategy does not push products or services to customers, you need to identify ways to know your customers better. The following tactics help you to add value to your prospects, and with the time you convert them.
Email Subscription
Email marketing allows businesses to connect with their leads, nurture them, and convert them into customers. Loyal readers are open to knowing more about your brand. Most of them are potential clients. The more valuable information they consume, the further they move up the sales funnel.
Businesses send emails about discounts, new products, and other valuable information like blog posts. When sending emails, you rely on the buyer persona and objectives of your content marketing strategy. If you need help in creating the content, hire a competent writer to help you.
Your website visitors are in various stages of the buyer’s journey, so you need content for all stages. Create more valuable content to cater to all visitors. Include a call to action where your website visitors can subscribe to your blog posts and newsletter.
A Call To Action
When creating a content marketing strategy, you need to identify your objectives, buyer personas, and a way to track the outcome.
Create direction for readers, depending on the objective of your blogpost. Do you want them to subscribe to your mailing list or to download a free resource? Make it clear in the blog post.
Place the call to action button in strategic places on your website and blog posts. Ensure the button is visible, and use easy instructions such as ‘click to download’ or ‘click to subscribe.’
Social Media
Customers are the best marketers, and this is why people look at reviews before making a purchasing decision online. You cannot afford to ignore social media accounts. Social media platforms have options for business accounts. The accounts have more features compared to personal accounts.
To get the most out of social media marketing, including social media buttons in all your blog posts. Use software and tools to help you measure the success of your content on social platforms. The tools will help you listen to what people are saying about your brand. If there is a negative comment, find ways to clarify things professionally.
Social sharing increases readership and visitors to your site. As a fact, 54% of social media browsers use it to conduct product research.
Optimize for All Screen Types
40% of online transactions take place via mobile phones.
When creating your website, ensure it is mobile responsive. Check the load time, the images, navigation, and appearance of the site on a mobile device.
Concluding Thoughts
Business blogging takes time and effort. To do it right, you need a plan to guide you. If you are consistent, you will enjoy a high ROI. You do not have to create and market your content; if you are short of time, hire an experienced blogger.
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