How Important is Blogging to Small Businesses?

As an experienced SEO company in Arizona, PrimeView understands that blogging is one of the best ways to not only optimize your content for search engines but also provide a way for readers and consumers to know what a company is about. EMarketer is forecasting that by 2013, 58% of the U.S. internet population will be reading blogs (a 20% increase from today). Additionally, EMarketer also forecasted that 17% of the U.S. Internet population will be blogging by 2013 which is almost 30% more than the current number.

In an article from US News, a study that involved 1,210 small businesses with fewer than 100 employees has found that: “While celebrities and the under 25-year-old population are flocking to Twitter, small business owners are just realizing the full potential of blogging. Use of blogs for specific business purposes more than doubled in the last 12 months, and 40% of small business owners now use this medium in their business”. Many business owners read blogs and maybe some even participate by commenting, but even less have active blogs that they maintain on a regular basis.

When it comes to blogging, Jakob Nielson’s 1-9-90 rule applies. 90% of online users are referred to as “lurkers” because they visit online communities such as blogs, but they don’t contribute anything. 9% are individuals who contribute from time to time, and only 1% are active contributors. This gives any small business owner a great advantage to get ahead of the competition. If only 1% of online users actively post on a blog, but 90% will read a blog, this gives the 1% a lot of influence and power.

Top Three Reasons Small Business Should Have Blogs

1 – Give your Company a Face and Voice

There are many words you don’t want associated with your business, and “faceless” is definitely one of them. Having an active blog, with fresh and regular content, provides a voice for your company. This is a great way to assure your business remains pro-active in its communication efforts, and engages the public with outbound messaging. In a world where connecting with your target audience is so crucial to the growth of your business, a blog can be an efficient and cost-effective way to achieve a healthy, positive communications strategy.

2 – Take Back Control

With Twitter, Facebook, and blogs becoming people’s quickest sources for obtaining information, controlling a message can be very difficult. Having a company blog to which you can publish knowledge and information, allows you to control your message, respond to potential issues in a timely fashion, and assures that your customer-base is getting reliable and trustworthy answers to their questions. You’ll never be able to fully control what people say about your company online, but a blog can go a long way in helping you get your message out to the masses.

3 – Boost Your Traffic

Without getting too deep into the details of search engine optimization, a blog can provide fresh and unique content for your website – a major prerequisite if you want to drive quality traffic to your website. Use your blog to talk about anything ranging from new product launches to promotions, as well as highlighting your value proposition and mission statement. When you have an active and updated blog, search engines will pick up on your website, sending valuable leads to your sales pages. Increased website traffic is a surefire way to increase your company’s bottom line, cost effectively.

What to Post

If you’ve already been blogging and not seeing much by way of traffic, response, shares, and so forth, take a look at what you’ve been blogging. Are you merely talking about company news and business offers? If so, it’s time to resuscitate your blog. Instead of every post being just about you and your news, mix it up. You may also consider the following:

• Timely industry news
• Evergreen posts (how-to and top tips lists, for example)
• Videos, infographics, graphs, or charts, and analysis
• Interviews with other respected industry professionals

Remember, too, to mix up your long and short posts. Keep your audience informed, educated, and supplied with ample content.

From a practical standpoint, blogging just makes sense. With minimal effort and expense, you can build credibility, boost search engine rankings, increase website traffic, and foster relationships with potential and current customers. This is an opportunity no small business should pass up.

Are you interested in creating a blog for your organization? Do not hesitate to ask any reputable SEO company like Primeview for expert advice on blogging and content-related optimization services if you do not have enough time to blog or have limited knowledge about it.