Much has been written on the benefits of blogging for business, and the verdict is still out as to exactly how valuable blogging really is for for-profit enterprises. My opinion is that a blog is another tool to add to your marketing and communications toolbox, and every company will benefit in different ways. Of course, it’s a given that regular, informative, and accurate content is imperative to the success of any blog — blogs don’t work if a commitment isn’t made to keep them keep them current and interesting. It also helps if they’re written in a conversational tone that will appeal to your readers — that means no corporate-speak, please.

With that in mind, the main benefits of business blogging are:

1. Increased search engine presence
This is something all bloggers mention as a benefit, and I can tell you that blogging did increase my search engine ranking, but not in a big way. When I started blogging, I couldn’t get my company website listed on the first page of Google, ever — even with a direct search of my business name. Now, I have the first three to four pages for both my business name and for my personal name, but I also submitted a few articles to ezine article sites at the same time I started blogging and did a bit of speaking, and those show up, too.

I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to rank high in my industry with “marketing communications” or “branding,” as the competition for those keywords is so intense, but when searching for the keywords (the names of my blogs), “meaningful marketing” (5 and 6 on Google today) or “brands that connect” (1,2, 6, and 7 on Google), I do okay.

The story is that search engines love blogs — they love the consistently updated content, and they find and index them regularly. If you’re having trouble with search engine ranking, a blog can be a boost for your regular website: your blog may get more search engine presence than your company site, and customers can find your website and learn about your company through your blog.

Another bonus to help with ranking as well as traffic is that other bloggers link to valuable content on a regular basis, so if your content is valuable to other bloggers, you’ll find yourself getting links from them. More links equals higher search engine placement — search engines love links, too.

Search engine ranking isn’t going to lessen in importance any time soon: 93.2% of B2B buyers indicate that they go online to research business purchases, and 63.9% of these buyers start their research with a search engine, according to Marketing Sherpa’s B2B buyer’s search use survey.

2. Direct communications
A business blog provides the opportunity for you to speak directly with your customers and prospects, and to share your company’s expertise with a larger audience. Few companies keep their websites updated regularly enough to provide communication on an ongoing basis, and new information is what keeps visitors coming back to sites.

It’s also possible to use a blog to answer questions customers might have before they are asked, in a more personal fashion than a FAQ section on a website. Because readers can respond to your answers on a blog, you may learn more about the needs of your customers and be able to respond accordingly. Blogging affords a two-way conversation that FAQ sections can’t.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban sees blogging as a way to talk directly to the public without being edited by the media: “I can spend three hours talking about a topic, and the media will edit it to fit the three-minute segment or 500-word column. That’s far from the most efficient way to communicate,” Cuban says in a BusinessWeek article by Olga Kharif. He goes on to add, “The (his) blog changes all that.”

3. Brand building
Everything your company does affects the brand. Your brand really lives in the mind of your customers, and all you can hope to do is influence your customers’ perception of the brand by fulfilling your promise to them. A blog is one more way to connect with your customers, to be more than a commodity, to matter more than the next guy.

4. Competitive differentiation
Are others in your industry blogging? No? Then maybe you should be. Yes? Then you should be reading their blogs to learn more about them and how you can differentiate. A blog will help set you apart from the competition, allowing you to show what’s truly different and better about your organization/products/services. A blog will allow your customers to learn more about the company and the company’s philosophy, so that they can connect with you on a deeper level.

5. Trust building/relationship marketing
People want to work with people and companies they trust, especially today, when so many have lost faith with big business. Direct communication through blogging allows customers and prospects to learn more about the people and philosophies behind the organization, fostering trust and building long-lasting relationships.

Blogs also allow for a more informal and personable writing style than most company websites do, which increases rapport with customers. The more they feel like they know you, the more likely they are to return, and to visit your main company website. The fact that customers can ask questions and leave comments also makes you and your company appear more accessible and approachable, also building trust and rapport.

6. Position you/your company as the expert
Blogs give companies the opportunity to showcase top talent. Whether authored by one person or several, a business blog with interesting and well written content will position your company as the expert in your field. Topics can include how-to or educational articles, industry news and trends, product reviews and comparisons, and opinions and points of view, as well as information about your own company.

7. Easy dissemination of company news
Because of the ease of publishing, a blog is perfect for informing customers of product updates, new product introductions, special offers, and late breaking company news. Information that needs to go out now can actually go out now, without having to wait for the weekly or monthly newsletter.

8. Effective internal communications
Blogs make great vehicles for corporate communications when used internally for company news and announcements. They’re excellent for employee feedback, too.

9. Clarity in your value and point of view
Regularly posting to a business blog forces you to get clear about the value your company brings to the marketplace, as well as sharpening your point of view. You’ll become a better writer and be able to put your thoughts in order more quickly when talking to customers, because you’ve already written about it on your blog.

A blog is a tool that can provide a unique personal connection to your business, allowing you to communicate in new ways, and allowing customers to get to know you on a different level.

[tags]business blogging, benefits of business blogging[/tags]

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 11th, 2007 at 9:26 pm and is filed under Marketing Strategy, Social Media, Tactics and Techniques. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.