Are you wondering whether your website needs a blog? The short answer is yes. Blogging is becoming an increasingly useful way to inform and draw in customers. Not just in terms of SEO (although that is very important), but for other reasons that benefit you and your users.

Why should I blog?

A blog is a great opportunity for you to learn, and in learning you become a better teacher. Writing about and researching things related to your business can establish you as an expert in your field. Your customers want you to know exactly what you're talking about, and to be able to explain it to them in a way that they understand.

And as well as your customers learning about you, you have an insight into them. Blog analytics allow you to track readers, click-throughs, popular topics, shares and comments. You can even tell what day of the week your visitors prefer to stop by. The comments section allows you to connect and interact directly with your visitors, and sharing on social media only enhances the amount of views and connections you might get.

When you put your focus on core content and competency, social media marketing is easy. It gives you something to post about, and establishes your value and credibility.

Overall it's a good chance to provide a reflection or set a tone for your company. Your blog can give your viewers a sense of your corporate standards and personality.

What should I blog about?

So if you're now convinced that blogging is a good idea, but are stuck about what to post about, here are some pointers:

Helpful how-to's

Tutorials are useful and informative, and often people search specifically for them, meaning more traffic to your page. 

Solve a problem 

Is there a commonly encountered problem in your industry? Address the problem and suggest ways to fix it. This could spark discussion and that's always a good thing too. 

Promote products / services 

If you have or are about to release a new product or service and want to explain it in more detail, the blog is perfect for this. 

Share industry related news

Is there something new in your industry that everyone is talking about, and that might change the way things work? Make sure you and your customers are well informed.

Tips for a good blog

• update content regularly: search engines reward fresh content
• internal links: as long as they're relevant and useful! 
• create interesting to-the-point titles: keep search engines in mind, what will people search for? 
• be original, relevant, and entertaining: copying content will result in a punishment from Google
• develop a tone and stick to it: this can reflect your company's identity
• use images, video, and strong headlines: these help break up blocks of text, and are especially useful in how-to posts
• not too long: make your content easy to scan so the important bits are seen quickly
• do not use your blog as a sales pitch: this can be off-putting and users won't stick around

Essentially a blog is a free marketing tool, and it's worthwhile to put some effort into making yours a valuable platform. Generating traffic to your website is always a positive, and you can learn and stay up to date with news in your industry. Make the most of what a blog can do for your business.