At Media Components, we have witnessed, firsthand, the incredible effects of the internet on business, marketing, and communication over the last few decades. Incredibly, in the last 20 years, global communication has completely shifted, and, with the advances in online marketing, social media, blogging, e-commerce, information sharing, etc.– businesses are no longer able to ignore that an online presence dramatically effects their bottom-line.
In 1984, most business owners wouldn’t have known what a website or a blog was, and now- only 30 years later it seems that everyone is on the internet….which leads us to ask:
Are you using your website to its fullest advantage?
Especially considering the state of our current economy, what company isn’t looking to increase their revenue? If you aren’t blogging and utilizing social media you are missing a huge opportunity to increase sales and revenue.
Here are 5 ways that you are missing out if you are not blogging on a regular basis (i.e. at least once/week):
- Unlike traditional advertisement or marketing platforms, blogging allows you to personally connect with your audience allowing you to present your company and ideas from a first person perspective. The less formal nature of a blog allows you to identify with your target market and communicate your intended message to readers in a more subtle way. You can use your blog in a multitude of different ways to educate your audience, to make them aware of upcoming promotions or contests, to describe specific elements related to your product or service, to let them know what’s happening within your organization- the sky is the limit!
- Blogging isn’t a one sided delivery of content – blogging opens up a dialogue and allows an organic conversation to occur between your company and your audience. By developing an interactive exchange, blog readers oftentimes- become followers who repeatedly expose themselves to your message and content increasing the likelihood of converting them into a consumer.
- Blogging is your way of creating shareable content – not only on your site, but on the internet for a global audience. This process allows you to utilize your preferred social media channels by interactively posting to your Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Pinterest, etc. while consistently driving traffic from these channels back to your website. When readers post your blog to their page, you are introduced to their followers- an entirely new group of potential clients.
- Pictures speak louder than words. Depending on your industry, a blog can become a portfolio of your work which is constantly being updated with your latest achievements. By posting images of the projects you’re working on, you can further engage your reader while demonstrating your capabilities. People might not always want to read through wordy content, but photos pack a punch and can quickly communicate who you are and what you do. You also legitimize your company as readers can see the results that you are producing.
- SEO! SEO! SEO! Search engine optimization is the way in which you can increase your visibility in search engines such as Google and Yahoo! Unless people are specifically typing in your business name-highly unlikely, you will be just one of the search results in a sea of your competitors. By creating quality content through blogging and others methods including the use of keywords, making your blog easy to share on other media outlets, and linking to other relevant websites, you have the power to move your website up the list of search results making users more likely to find and visit your website.
Some of our clients have outstanding blogs that have caught our eye include product based organizations such as Peter Callahan Catering or Rugs HQ and service based organizations such as Cutting Edge DJ’s. Blogs can also be utilized whether you are a business-to-business organization like graphic design company, Apple Graphics or a business-to-consumer organization such as All Med Comprehensive Care Center, a healthcare facility. It doesn’t matter if you sell a service or a product, if you are a B2B or a B2C company, if you are new to the market or have been around for years — blogging is a tool that all businesses can benefit from.
If you have invested in a website, take the time to invest in your business by starting and maintaining a blog.
