This is Part 3 of the 3-Part Series “10 Reasons Why You Need to Blog”.
You already know why you should have a blog. I’ve given you 10 reasons in Part 1 and Part 2 of this blog series. Let’s recap:
- It’s a Great Way to Connect With Your Customers.
- It’s a Great Way to Find New Customers.
- It’s Free!
- Search Engines Love Helpful, Fresh, Relevant Content.
- People Love Helpful, Fresh, Relevant Content.
- You’ll become a better writer.
- You’ll become a better thinker.
- You’ll become a better _______.
- You’ll inspire others.
- You’ll become more confident.
But then again, maybe you shouldn’t. Blogging isn’t for everyone, and despite the many benefits it will bring you, if done poorly, it could potentially be detrimental to your business.
1. You have no idea what a blog is
It’s 2015. Everyone knows what a blog is, right? Unfortunately, no. Sure, we can say that most people have heard the phrase “blog” at least a few times, whether around the office or on social media. But average internet users don’t usually understand blogging, or the benefits of having one, and they certainly don’t have marketing goals mapped out.
A blog is a key marketing tool that helps drum up leads for your business, and it needs to be taken as seriously as any other marketing strategy you use. Before diving into the deep end of the blog pool, make sure you know just how deep the water is. In other words, ask these questions:
- Why am I blogging?
- What am I trying to achieve?
- How often should I blog?
- Who is going to the write the posts?
- Who is my audience?
There aren’t clear black and white answers to these questions, but the key is to have answered them before starting to blog.
2. You have no idea who your audience is
Do you know who your audience is? I can tell you who it isn’t: every person on the internet. Before knowing what to say, you need to know who you are saying it to. What does your audience need? What do they want? What kind of information are they looking for? This will help you know what topics to write about.
Then you need information about your audience. How old are they? Are they mostly male or female? Where do they live? Knowing the answers to these questions will help you when you are writing, and it will help you tailor your writing style towards the demographic you are targeting.
3. You have no intention of doing anything with it
The most common reason businesses fail at blogging is due to lack of commitment. Blogging requires time and resources and a lot of them. Here at Engenius we spend, at minimum, a cumulative 10 hours per month drafting, editing and maintaining our blog.
The only way you will reap the benefits of blogging and gain a following that will increase traffic and drum up sales is to post on a consistent and frequent basis. If your blog sits inactive for months at a time, not only is it not professional, but also it’s detrimental to your marketing plan. If a visitor clicks over to your blog only to discover that your most recent post was actually published half a year ago, that will give them the impression that you are lazy. Why should they trust you will complete their project on time if you can’t even commit to blogging more than a couple times a year?
If you have a blog, use it. Post regularly and frequently. Learn how to make it better. And make it a team effort. The more you can do to know and understand your readers, the better it will be. There are many benefits to blogging, but the only way you will see them is if you do it right.
If you have more questions, or if you have other topics you’d like us to discuss, Ask Engenius!
The post 3 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Blog appeared first on Engenius.