Top 3 Ways A Business Blog Can Improve Your Bottom Line

You’re reading this article right now because you're curious about business blogs and you want to know you one can help you get new customers, improve sales and generally grow your company. A business partner or an employee may have suggested putting up one so you can get your brand out there.

But what’s a blog, you ask, and why should you care?

What’s In A Business Blog

Blog is Net speak for web log, a website that’s updated regularly, where the articles are arranged in chronological order, and some form of interaction is possible—usually through the comments section. It’s the real-world counterpart of daily journals and diaries.

Writers and diarists pioneered blogging but there’s a world of difference between personal blogs and business blogs. Personal blogs publish highly subjective posts that reflect the blogger’s views, beliefs, and opinions. You’d often find spirited debates going on in the comments because of the many perspectives that come with so many people sharing their (equally subjective) thoughts.

Business blogs, on the other hand, publish articles on subjects related to the niche or industry that the company belongs to. Even then, you’re not assured that people will agree with what you’re saying. When you share your views online, always expect a reaction—sometimes, thoroughly violent—through emails, snail mails, feedback forms or comments.

Despite this downside to blogging, marketers still  continue to capitalize on the blog’s popularity and effectiveness in engaging the market. They’ve discovered that a frequently updated website not only helps them reach their markets and expand their reach, it also has the added bonus of getting them found in the wild and wooly world of the Internet...and with fewer dollars, to boot!

Top 3 Uses Of A Business Blog

Just having a website to reach your customer doesn’t cut it anymore. I’ve had clients coming to me wanting help on setting up a business blog because their websites aren’t doing anything to attract new customers—their current customers couldn’t even find them on Google!

If your business is ready to graduate from the website-as-a-brochure tactic to the strategy of employing the potential of frequently updated business blogs, here are the top three ways you can use the media to your advantage:

1. Use your business blog to generate leads.

Acquiring new customers using traditional outbound marketing—advertising, direct mail, trade shows, conferences, expos and what have you—can be costly, not to mention time consuming. Your message reaches a big audience but the (measly) number of leads you generate can be disheartening.

Built in to business blogs, on the other hand, is the bonus of attracting prequalified leads. These days, consumers hit Google to look for information before they buy something on the web or in the real world. If you did your homework right, people looking for information on your products and services are more likely to find your business blog.

Assuming that your business blog is a great resource for what they need, they’ll read further on what you have to say, find out what you can do, ask questions, and when they’re ready, buy what you have to offer. You’ll have to admit that generating leads this way puts less pressure on your marketing budget. Be warned though: your business blog isn't your marketing strategy—it's just a part of it.

2. Provide customer support.

It’s rare finding a business these days that doesn’t get their email inbox flooded with support requests from customers. A business blog is a better alternative to the torture of wading through hundreds of emails and answering them one by one.

Free up several hours spent dealing with the Inbox Monster starting right now. Scan your email for the most common issues your customers encounter and address each one through carefully crafted blog posts. Your customers can go to your blog first to search for solutions they can do before contacting you with the more complicated stuff. It’s somewhat similar to putting up your brochure website’s frequently asked questions (FAQs) but with a business blog, you’re addressing issues in detail.

Additionally, it’s also a great way to educate your customers about what you’re offering. Announce product enhancements, share customer testimonials, showcase alternative uses for your products, launch sales events, and generally show customers what your products/services can and cannot do for them. It's another part of a great customer service strategy.

A business blog is also a great vehicle for managing or preempting a crisis. Let’s say you’re transitioning to a new ordering system which will definitely affect records and work flows. Through a blog post, you can warn your customers about what to expect with the move and what to do if any issues arise. In case your company has to do a mea culpa, your business blog can break the news and help shape the conversation that follows.

3. Establish your authority and expertise in your niche.

They say the Internet is a great equalizer. Nowadays, small firms are more able to compete head on with the big boys of commerce because of the many technologies that the Net has to offer, including business blogs.

Through these business blogs, entrepreneurs showcase the extent of their expertise and knowledge through helpful how-to articles, insights on emerging industry news and trends, best practices and lessons learned, and thoughtful answers to questions (among other things) that help customers solve their problems and achieve their aspirations. By focusing on their employees’ smarts, they’re also showing customers the faces and capabilities behind their products and services.

Online, trust is a prime commodity that opens minds and wallets. Between a business highly involved in helping customers work out their problems and a distant corporation standing aloof, customers always make a beeline for the provider who have helped them (or somebody they knew) in the past. A business blog can be the starting point of these conversations with your market, making for customers that are highly engaged and well aware of what you have to offer.