We hear this all the time: “But my business is B2B. We don’t need to blog. We reach customers through word-of-mouth, tradeshows, and advertising in industry-specific publications.”
That’s great and all, but your company should definitely still be blogging. Here are seven reasons why your company shouldn’t underestimate this powerful marketing tool.
Boost search engine ranking for specific, non-branded terms
Through blogging, you can have your company’s website appear on the front page of a Google search for certain specific phrases related to your business. Think of what questions your potential customers are asking (and searching). Address those in a blog post---sticking to one topic per post. Regularly deploying this tactic (and writing great content) will assure a significant boost in search engine ranking for your blog; and the rest of your website too.
Your customers ARE Googling
Now, we know what you’re thinking: “But my customers don’t use online search to find what they’re looking for.” You might think so, but this is almost certainly not the case. Google handles over 3 billion searches per day. Of those 3 billion, do you really think there’s no opportunity to capture qualified leads?
Short learning curve
There is actually a very short learning curve for blogging effectively. Many tools exist that make blogging and optimizing your blog posts very easy. Hubspot is our personal favorite, but there are tons of others. Don’t let a lack of technical ability prevent you from blogging. If you can use Microsoft Word and Powerpoint, you can blog.
Establish authority
Blogging is great for industries with a long sales cycle. Think about it. The more time a customer spends researching a purchase decision, the more chances you have to reach them by addressing their questions via your blog. If you sell a product or service that is expensive and requires very specific knowledge before purchase, you have ample opportunity to turn all of your expertise into a volume of helpful blog posts. When a lead notices that you are answering all of their questions, they’ll view you as a trusted authority on the topic, and potentially become a customer.
Drive social media traffic to your site
Having a presence on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn is great, but it may be a wasted opportunity if you’re not driving people from those channels to your website. Posting your own blog posts and encouraging shares is a great way to convert Facebook fans into paying customers.
Opportunity to show personality/tell your story
A company blog is a great way to stand out from your competitors by showcasing some of your company’s personality. Show us your mission, vision, and passion; but don’t make it sound like a sales pitch.
Total control/flexibility
Unlike much of traditional advertising, with blogging, you have total control over the format, word-count, subject matter, and tone of your posts. This allows for a lot of freedom in what you post; and whom you reach. The world is your oyster.
So there you have it. Now you know that B2B businesses are NOT exempt from blogging. Better get started. Need some help? JAM Graphics provides digital marketing services to B2B businesses in NJ and across the country. Contact us for a free website audit and digital marketing consultation.