Do small businesses need a blog? The answer is yes.
A blog is a simple and fast method to create more awareness. Digital marketing has changed a lot of things, and just posting on your blog isn’t enough. The trend now is optimizing it to do more.
The goal of starting a blog as a small business is to let people know about what you do. If your blog is not optimized for your target customers to see, then the purpose is defeated. In this article l’m going to discuss steps you need to take to optimize your small business blog.
Use of Competitive Keywords in Your Industry
This is where some small businesses get it wrong. Before you create a blog post for your business, identify competitive keywords in your industry. Your potential customer makes use of keywords to find what they need.
Take for instance flour, an important ingredient for baking a cake. As a small business that deals in flour distribution, one of your blog posts should cover extensively about flour. It’s an important ingredient in baking and many people are searching for it. Any user that performs a search about flour wants to know more.
If you have a blog post that appears in the top search result for that keyword, you’re likely to get 10 percent clicking on it. There are many free keyword search tools that you can use to identify competitive keywords in your industry. Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, Keywords Everywhere, and AnswerThePublic are some free keyword tools you can use.
Create a Content Calendar That Suits Every Season
Knowing when to write on a specific topic will help you create more awareness for your small business. Content creation flows with the seasons, and you should always leverage it.
A content calendar is a list of all the articles you want to publish on your blog, usually with target dates. Some businesses are seasonal, and if yours is, plan on publishing articles on your blog a few weeks before that season starts.
Why? Customers will be busy then searching for what to buy for the upcoming season. An article they read on your blog detailing the benefit of a product or service creates a good impression about your business.
Through that article, you can create awareness about your business and recommend the product and/or service to them, increasing your chances of them buying from you. Key dates like Black Friday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas should be in your mind, too.
Based on your industry, publish articles on your blog that will tell your potential customers what you have them for them in advance so they can take advantage of your offer.
Publish Content Regularly
Business blogging requires commitment and consistency. I recommend publishing on your blog at least once a week. This could be in the form of articles, videos, or audios.
You also could publish content about important events that took place in your business that you think your audience would like to see. Once your audience notices that you’re publishing consistently, they may visit your blog frequently to read the latest.
And sometimes they may even share your content with friends and family on social media.
Check Out Your Competitors
To remain relevant, you should always know what your competitors are doing. For any customer you lose, it’s potentially your competitor who gains.
Creating awareness for your small business should involve knowing what is going on in your industry. Your potential customer will compare you with your competitors before making a choice. Your business blog is where you can convince a potential customer that your business is the best, and second to none.
Once in a while, check out some strategies your competitors have used on their blog to outdo you. If there are updates in your industry, implement them in your business and write about them on your blog to demonstrate that you are staying current.
Conclusion
For small businesses that have a blog, the game has changed. The competition is getting tougher by the day. Many small businesses now know that having a blog is a plus, and it’s an easy and cheap way to create awareness and attract customers.
Those who optimize their blog reach more potential customers, turn visitors into leads, and make more sales. The simple steps discussed above are what you can implement on your business blog to generate results.
