If you are a small company, and you don’t have a business blog already, what are you waiting for? Maybe you’re concerned that it will be too difficult to start and maintain, and you might be asking questions like, “How am I going to produce enough content for a blog?” or “How can I make sure my blog is relevant?” However, the task of creating a business blog isn’t as daunting as you might think, and your competitors probably already have their blogs up and running. It’s easier than ever to start your own company blog, and it’s a great way to bring in more business and drive more traffic to your site.

A business blog is ideal for a various number of reasons—and it doesn’t have to cost you anything. Your company’s blog will establish your reputation as an expert in your industry and will help in building your brand. Another important advantage to running a business blog has to do with SEO purposes. Most search engines, especially Google, reward websites who provide fresh and relevant content. All these factors combined will make your business blog an invaluable addition to your content marketing strategy.

Running a blog for your company also helps you establish authority and expertise in your industry. A business blog is the perfect way to show people you know what you’re talking about, and answer common questions about the products and services you provide. Once people see you as a reliable authority in your niche market, they’ll be more likely to work with you or utilize your services.

In addition to promoting yourself as an expert in your field, business blogging also helps you build your brand, and encourages word-of-mouth. Your blog will allow you to interact directly with your customers and spread information about your products and services. Building your brand is important because it helps you form a solid, consistent voice that your customers will trust. A business blog will help reinforce your company’s brand and will help sway potential customers through the content you post.

Getting people to notice and trust your content is important, but you also need search engines to notice your content. A business blog is great for SEO purposes, which will in turn drive more traffic to your site. Long-term, providing steady and relevant content to your target market will increase traffic and improve your website ranking. If you provide useful and relevant content, eventually you may even attract natural incoming links to your blog. The more reliable content you provide in your field the better, and a blog is the perfect way to share that content.

Now that you know why a blog is important, here are a few tips to setting up one of your own:

  • *Find a site to host your blog. There are many free sites available that are great for starting up a blog. WordPress is a popular choice, but there are many other options available depending on what you’re looking for.
  • *Determine the purpose of your blog. What do you want to blog about? Your business blog should definitely be related to the products or services you provide, so figure out what industry niche you’re trying to fill. Determine what you want to talk about and what your expertise is.
  • *Create a content calendar. In order to remain consistent, determine how often you want to post. A content calendar will help keep you stay on target and keep track of what topics you’ve already covered.
  • *Link to your main website and provide contact information. It’s important that people know how to reach your website and how to contact your business, so make it clear. Link back to your website and let people know what services you provide.

A business blog can help you bulk up your content strategy and show off your company’s knowledge about your specific field.  Sharing valuable and helpful information with potential customers will help increase brand recognition and create more interest in your company. If you are consistent and reliable with your content, this will drive more traffic to your site and turn into profit. Creating an effective business blog should be a crucial part of your content marketing strategy; paired with an effective direct marketing strategy, your company will be driving tons of new business in no time.