I recently consulted with an ecommerce platform provider who had a very limited online presence. Their website wasn’t updated and their blog was hardly being used. There were some sporadic posts here and there, perhaps someone in marketing had at some point tried blogging but it was evident looking at the effort that -
They hadn't harnessed the power of blogs and content marketing
They did not know what to blog about
It was hard for them to be consistent and keep up
The business was operating conservatively with emphasis on sales outreach mostly. Lack of resources was definitely a challenge. But more importantly, the founders did not see a lot of value in blogging.
No doubt blogging requires time, consistency and resources to maintain. And they do not produce instant results in terms of sales and revenue. But consider the following statistics published by Hubspot -
Blogs are the 5th most trusted source for accurate online information
Companies who blog receive 97% more links to their website
Since an organizational buyer spends more time researching online and learning about a company and its products through content, rather than by paid ads or meeting with sales reps, wouldn’t it make sense to allocate resources, so you can provide valuable information to them, potentially increasing your sales? With quality backlinks and fresh content being posted regularly, your search engine visibility increases, which in turn provides exposure to a wider base of potential customers who may not have known about your brand or your product.
If you are still not convinced, let’s look at some more benefits of blogging -
Blogs Build Trust
Blogs Establishes Your Expertise
Blogs Increase Targeted Leads
1.Blogging Builds Trust - We all do business with companies and people we trust. But how do you build trust in the mind of your customers? One way to do so is to inform and educate them. A blog allows you to share all kinds of information, not only about your company, products, new releases etc. but most importantly address the pain points of your customers. Perhaps your customer is in the early stages of their buying process where they just discovered their problem and are looking to understand things or maybe they are close to making a final decision, either ways, by providing accurate and detailed information about how you can help meet their business objectives, you can actually add value and aid their decision making process. Customers appreciate that. They see you as their guide, someone who can help them navigate a complex purchase.
2.Blogging Establishes You As An Expert - When you consistently share your expertise, your customers slowly start seeing you as a credible source that they can rely upon. Your blog allows you the opportunity to showcase your knowledge about the industry and the subject matter. You can share statistics, white papers, case studies, and any relevant content that you think will benefit your customers. If your content truly adds value in their mind, they are bound to subscribe or return to your blog. Slowly you become their go-to-source for trusted information, which ultimately establishes you as an expert. It also gives you an opportunity to differentiate from your competitors. And even if blogging is a part of their content strategy, your blog articles provide a unique perspective, your point of view, which may set you apart in a competitive landscape.
3. Blogging Increases Targeted Leads - Consistent blogging increases your website and business blog's traffic. And when the website copy and the blog posts have the right keywords in them, your right audience will begin discovering you online. If your content educates, informs and enables the prospects in their buyer journey, chances are high that your posts will get socially shared with others. Resulting in more exposure and increased business leads eventually.
If you do not have a steady person who can manage your business blog, why not involve your sales reps and product marketing team to participate once a week. Sales has an advantage that your marketing team probably doesn’t have, they engage with your current and future customers one on one. They know first hand buyer's objections, challenges and feedback better than anyone else. They are perfect to share their experiences with new prospects.
As with most things in marketing, patience is key. If you are doing the right things, sooner or later your blogging effort will pay off. Approach it as an important content marketing activity that will produce results over time.
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