Today, most “window shopping” is done online. People seek advice on what to watch, where to go, and what to buy. According to a 2019 study by Statista, search traffic generated 65% of total e-commerce sessions. Capitalize on those searches and drive people to your “window” by developing a blog for your business. Here are six key reasons why you should have a blog:
Develop Your Brand’s Personality
A blog gives you the chance to show off your brand’s personality in ways you might not otherwise be able to. The Content Marketing Institute says that the best way to hone your voice is to define it in three words. Whether your tone is “friendly, casual, and helpful,” or “business-like, succinct, and straightforward,” find three words that best describe your brand and use them as you create content. Developing and using a specific tone will make your brand feel more personable and approachable.
Build Trust And Expertise
Blogs demonstrate expertise and build trust with customers — both key to driving online sales. By advising shoppers about ways to use your products and producing thoughtful and reputable content, both of these needs are met. Studies have shown that the majority of US shoppers have purchased a product based on a blog recommendation. Use your blog to make those recommendations and capitalize on this trend.
Highlight Key Products
According to Think With Google 2019, 49% of users say they use Google to discover or find a new item or product. By highlighting your products in a blog, they will be more easily searchable for these users. Blogs show off products in an easily digestible format, as opposed to simply browsing product listings. Product highlight blogs are a great way to feature your best-sellers, spotlight high-margin products, and get users to notice products you need to move.
Capitalize On Trends
Blogging regularly gives your business a way to capitalize on current trends. You must be nimble and react quickly, but the result will be a hyper-relevant blog that can drive traffic. You can also take advantage of monthly or annual trends with timely blogs. For example, if your company sells bathing suits, you know interest grows as summer approaches. You can plan a blog post for Memorial Day Weekend with your top swimsuit picks for that year.
Build SEO Organically
Blogging leads to more text on your website, which means more chance of matching searchers’ keywords and leading more users to your site. Blogging about a product effectively doubles your search value. According to research by HubSpot, blogging leads to 55% more visitors than companies without blogs.
In addition, blogs help you capitalize on informational queries on search engines, such as “best high heels” or “what to wear with skinny jeans.” They also help build internal and external links, which are key for SEO. If you create strong content with your blog, others are likely to share it and link to it, generating organic and valuable backlinks.
Develop Long-Tail Content Whose Value Lasts For Years
Search engine ranking takes a long time to develop. In fact, most top-ranked pages are over two years old. Creating evergreen blogging content that will remain relevant for years to come gives your page more time to build backlinks and develop authority. A blog created now will only generate more value as it ages!
It is, however, important to keep your blogs up to date. If your blog includes statistics, prices, or other variables, verify and update them regularly. Updated and optimized blogs also boost your SEO. Hubspot studied the return on their optimized versions of older blog posts and saw organic traffic to these posts more than double.
Need Blogging Services?
Looking to add a blog but don’t have the time or expertise? Most businesses outsource their blogging services. As a leading online content provider, NetElixir can help you create blogs that will work for your business and drive visitors to your site. Reach out to content@netelixir.com to learn more.
