Get a blog! Blogs boost traffic. They're indispensable. You're criminally negligent if your business doesn't have one. That's what everyone says, anyway.
Blogs really are important. In fact, if used wisely, they're one of the cheapest, most effective marketing techniques for most types of small businesses.
The thing is, it's not enough to just slap up a bit of content and call it a day.
What's Wrong with Most Small Business Blogs
Most Small-to-Medium Businesses (SMBs) have no idea what they're doing when it comes to blogging. I include my own now-deceased business in that sweeping generalization.
Here are a few reasons why:
- They write for themselves, not for what their customers are actually searching for.
- They rarely, if ever, link to competitors, or anyone else for that matter.
- They don't share their expertise with customers.
- They don't address pricing.
- They don't solve problems or answer questions for customers.
If you want to make the most of your business blog, then here's what you should be doing:
Start with Search Intent
Before you write a word, ask what the reader is actually trying to do when they search. Are they looking to understand something, compare their options, or make a purchase? Matching your content to that intent is what gets it found and read. Google rewards pages that genuinely satisfy the searcher's goal, so the best posts answer a real question completely rather than just mentioning a keyword. A quick way to find those questions is to look at Google's "People also ask" boxes and related searches for your topic, plus the questions your customers ask you directly.
Talk about Price
The number one complaint we marketers hear from customers is, "I just want to know how much it costs." Talking about price is easier in some niches than others, but it's something your blog should address as openly and as specifically as possible.
For example, in the computer repair industry, you could do a whole series of blog posts just on price:
- How much should a virus removal cost?
- How much should a laptop screen replacement cost?
- How much should a new hard drive cost?
You get the picture.
These are questions customers want, and need, to know the answers to, and they're often searching for them directly.
Offer Alternatives and Comparisons
Most consumers love to compare. Android versus iPhone. Camry vs. Accord. One product against its cheaper substitute. The specific niche hardly matters; few people are ever happy with just one choice.
Smart business blogs lean into this. A well-written "X vs. Y" or "best alternatives to Z" post answers a question people are actively searching, which is exactly why those posts so often land on the first page. Look for the comparisons your own customers wrestle with, and write the clearest, most honest one out there.
Recommend Products and Services
If all you ever do in your blog is highlight your own company's products and services, then you're really limiting your audience. The best business bloggers talk about their industry in general and make recommendations that actually improve people's lives:
- An accounting firm could blog about the best free or low-cost bookkeeping software.
- A lawyer could blog about the best sources for free legal forms.
- A marketing company could share free resources on improving your small business blog.
Readers (your potential customers) always appreciate, and often remember, when you've given them something helpful for free. And grateful readers are more likely to give you a call when they realize they can't do something on their own.
Share Your Expertise and Build Trust
How-to articles make up some of the most popular content on the web. Take advantage of this. Write about your expertise. Share tips and tricks. Let the world know how much you know.
You might be thinking, "But why would I tell a potential customer how to do my job? That's stupid!"
But really, it isn't.
If people want to do something themselves, they're going to do it. The web is full of articles and videos on how to do just about anything imaginable. If they don't find it on your site, they'll find it somewhere else.
What's more likely is that your reader decides doing it themselves is more trouble than it's worth, and then calls you, but only if you've written an awesome how-to that definitively proves your expertise.
This is also how you build what Google calls E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. When your content clearly shows first-hand experience and real know-how, with a named author who actually understands the subject, it earns more trust from both readers and search engines. Add author bylines and short bios, cite credible sources, keep your information current, and write from what you genuinely know. Google's ranking systems increasingly favor exactly this kind of helpful, people-first content.
Tell People How to Save Money
I don't know anyone who doesn't like saving money. Do you?
How you approach this obviously depends on your industry, but almost every company has some insight into how to save money. If they didn't, they probably wouldn't stay in business very long.
Whether it's free software, inexpensive ingredients, great bulk pricing deals, or a cheap substitute, let people in on your budget tricks.
One of my favorite blogs, chocolatealchemy.com, does a great job of this. It's helped me save hundreds of dollars (on chocolate making), which I've been more than happy to pour back into purchasing products from the site, products I never would have learned about had it not been for their blog.
Participate in the Broader Online Conversation
If all you ever do is log into your blog, paste in a post, and log out, then you're unlikely to accomplish much, regardless of how amazing your content is.
The internet is a big place, which means you can't just rely on Google to get noticed. What can you do to get your fair share of the limelight? Participate in forums and communities. Comment on other blogs. Highlight other people's great content on your own. Share to the social platforms your audience uses.
Promoting your content this way is part of a broader SEO strategy. If you'd rather have a team handle it, see how our SEO services can help.
Still Stuck?
If you're out of ideas, look at the questions your customers actually ask, the comments and reviews you receive, and the "People also ask" results for your topics. There's a near-endless supply of posts hiding in the questions your audience is already asking.
And if you'd like a hand, contact us about how i7 Marketing can help you take your small business blog or website to the next level. We're nice and sociable, so drop us a line.
Blogging is part of a bigger picture. See our complete guide to marketing your small business online.
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