Why Your Business (or Consulting Firm) Needs a Blog
Please note – this article contains affiliate links, but I only recommend products I use
The Importance of a Blog
I will be the first to admit it: I didn’t always have a blog. I have been in business for nearly a decade, but my company’s website was outdated, and our blog was nonexistent. This was a HUGE error on my part, so I am writing to enlighten other businesses to the importance of having a blog!
We launched our blogs not long ago – one is geared toward HR professionals, recruiters, and business owners (The Resilient Recruiter). The other is geared specifically toward job seekers (Need a New Gig). The results have been incredible, and I am sorry we didn’t do this sooner. Please don’t make the same mistake.
What’s the Purpose of a Blog for Business?
When I told other business owners that I was starting a blog, many of them laughed a little bit. “Isn’t that for talking about hobbies or recipes?” Sure – if that’s what you want to talk about. It’s all about what you want your blog or website to do that matters. If you understand the benefits, blogging is a way to drive serious traffic to your business.
First of all, who are your customers or clients?
What would they be interested in hearing about?
We are a recruiting firm, so we technically have two distinct audiences: hiring authorities of all kinds, and job seekers. Both groups want to hear about very different topics, so we decided to create two blogs. Both blogs are designed to engage our customers on pertinent topics they have expressed interest in.
Have you ever asked your customers what they want to hear about?
The Benefits of Blogging for Business
People do business with you for a reason. They have a need or a problem, and you are able to provide a solution to their issue. They also like you and want to hear what you have to say. As humans, they have the inherent ability to learn, or seek answers.
So let’s talk about some benefits to creating a blog for your customers:
- It Builds a Community: A blog is a forum for conversation among like-minded people. Let’s say your business calls on people in the Consumer Products Industry. You invite customers from all over the country that likely hold a similar position in the same industry, and provide them with updated content that both informs and engages. They are able to leave comments and communicate with each other through the commentary section, forming a community among peers. They learn from both you AND each other.
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You Provide a Unique Perspective: Your company and your experiences are different from anyone else’s. Isn’t that why your customers do business with you? Sharing some of your positive (and not so positive) experiences provide advice and direction to others that may be experiencing the same difficulties. You can provide valuable insight as to why you were successful, or what you learned from the negative experiences. See my article on counter offers for a perfect example of that!
- It Creates Brand Recognition: Brand recognition is a popular buzz word in business. When you think of your industry, who is the first company you think of? It is probably a large company with an expansive reach, but nevertheless, you immediately think of a name. That is brand recognition. When I think of recruiting, I think of the big names in my industry, like Heidrick & Struggles, or Korn Ferry. How can I make others think The Resilience Group? By putting solid, consistent content out there that provides value to my readers.
- It Provides a Greater Reach to Others You Might Not Have Been Able to Sell to. The more content you write, the better your SEO (or Search Engine Optimization) will be. When someone searches for you, they are much more likely to find you. Perhaps you create training materials. Rather than spending hours and travel time to deliver your course to five customers, you create a webinar that you record once, and sell it ten times rather than 5 – in less time.
Businesses with Blogs Acquire More Customers
If you see where I am going with this, you will see that businesses with blogs acquire more customers than businesses that don’t. Period. After combing through multiple surveys conducted on this topic, businesses that have a blog following attract any between 38% and 60% MORE customers than similar businesses that don’t have blog followings.
This is not just something easy to whip up in 5 minutes, however. It takes time, consistency, strategy, and patience. Solid writing skills, and relevant topics are also a must. Your blog should be at the heart of your marketing efforts and provide the voice you wish to portray for your business. It can be fun, challenging, creative, and provide advertising that you don’t have to pay for!
If you are interested in learning more about how to start a blog for your business, please sign up for my free email series on Building a Solid Blog for Your Business. I look forward to guiding you through this process the right way!
by Natalie Lemons
Natalie Lemons is the Founder and President of Resilience Group, LLC, and The Resilient Recruiter and Co-Founder of Need a New Gig. She specializes in the area of Executive Search and services a diverse group of national and international companies, focusing on mid to upper-level management searches in a variety of industries. For more articles like this, follow her blog. Resilient Recruiter is an Amazon Associate.