Once upon a time, blogging seemed to me, to be something you might do as a pastime, or a creative outlet and little more. It might be a way to share information, write about a topic you are passionate about or vent your frustrations at the world. I believe it still is all of those things, but once upon a time, I also never realised the marketing power of a blog. Blogs drive traffic to your website, invite conversions through ” calls to action”, inform your customers that you are an authority on your subject and tell Google that your business is alive and kicking!

If you are a small business or an independent trader, you need people to know about you. Traffic to your website is the key to getting business through your door. But how do people find you?

By creating regular blogs, which are informative, well researched and have been optimised for SEO, you create regular opportunities for customers to discover your brand through your website. Each blog shared on social media is another opportunity to raise your profile.

Blogs alert search engines to your active website.

Blogging regularly maintains your online presence and alerts Google and other search engines to the fact that your website is active. A blog is also something of a gift that keeps on giving. Your blogs, if appropriately optimised for SEO, can continue to be discovered and read, and therefore, continue to maintain your online activity.

Why would a search engine even know you are alive? Consistent posting of blogs means search engines like Google know you exist. It lets them know you have something to say and each indexed page on your website is another chance that someone might find you. But consistency is vital. A lull in blogging means that your website has sloped off for a snooze. Keep your blogging regular and relevant.

Blogs help raise your social media profile.

An informative blog, once shared on social media platforms is a great way to raise your profile. Customers can very easily click the “share” button and share your informative, entertaining, helpful blog more widely. This of course, spreads your reach and each new person to click on your blog, raises it’s online profile and Google ranking.

Blogs give you opportunities to invite customers to request a “Call to action”

A “Call to action” is a piece of content intended to induce a viewer, reader, or listener to perform a specific act, typically taking the form of an instruction or directive (e.g. buy now or click here ).

Every blog should invite a call to action. If not, you are missing a trick! As Rachel Leist explains in her own blog, “8 Types of CTAs You Should Absolutely Try on Your Blog“, you can invite readers to download an article or poster, click to check out your social media or even subscribe and follow you. In doing so, you create conversions from your blog and we love conversions.

You can even invite the reader to download a beautiful poster ( see attached!)

Show your customers how knowledgeable you are.

Do you know your stuff? A blog provides the opportunity to show that you are an authority on your business. Consider what your customers might need to know and answer these questions through your blog.

Your customers might well come across you after searching for answers to their questions. If a customer wants to know whether they should be blogging, they are led to my website through my blog after a google search for ” Why blogging is important?”

Many of my blogs are written with my customers questions in mind.

Should my website be fully responsive? Why does my website need to be fast?

These are all questions a potential customer might ask. In answering them in my blogs, I show that I consider these things important too. It shows I have knowledge of my subject and it provides information, answering customers questions.

Personality! – Let people know who you are?

The phrase “people buy from people”, is one I have heard many times and I decided to google it. Does this phrase really apply?  The suggestions which popped up were mixed to say the least. Some articles wholeheartedly agreed and others disputed it as nonsense. Why would people be buying from Amazon if this was the case?

I can see this argument if you are a widely renowned business, but if you are; like me, a small business, or freelance, why should someone choose you?

I would say, having also run my own primary and toddler language business, Lingotot Swinton and Worsley, for three years, is that people buy from people they believe in, trust and like. This takes time, but you have a better chance of selling your individual brand and sharing your knowledge if people can get to know you through your blogs.  I think blogs are phenomenal channels to invite your customers to get to know you. Share your personality, your interests, your knowledge and let people know that you do indeed know what you’re talking about.

So how might customers find your blog in the first place?

There is no point writing a blinder of a blog, full of wit, knowledge and repartee if no-one ever comes across it and it sits quietly on your web-site gathering virtual dust. The answer to sharing your brilliant insights is social media and lots of it!

I was once full of disdain for social media. “Why don’t people just converse!” , I would cry condescendingly. This was before children and before owning my own business and becoming a freelancer.

I do still believe that there are horrors awaiting the unsuspecting Facebook-er. Being a mum of two, I found that the “Competitive / “judgey” mum groups” could be a particular danger for the stressed out new mum. That’s another blog entirely! We all know that here is still much to be wary of in the social media minefield.