Today is my birthday. Lucky number 37.
As part of my birthday celebration, I’m committing to blogging more. Junta42 was started as a blog (this post is proof from April, 2007) and I still believe it is one of the most important things you can do as a business (as long as you have the right strategy). So, here’s my 37 reasons to blog and blog more. I hope they inspire you.
A blog is just a tool, but it is the easiest, most effective publishing tool to share information with customers and prospects.
A blog can be the center of your content marketing strategy. As you widen your net to attract prospects and customers through social media, your blog is the place you point them to. It’s your magnet.
You don’t need a publishing degree to start a blog. There are no technology barriers. WordPress first, then Typepad are two places to look. For larger corporations, Compendium is an interesting platform.
Thinking about writing a book? Then start the blog first. This blog was started on the idea that it would serve as the basis for our book, Get Content Get Customers. It did just that. Blog with the idea of chapters of your book in mind.
You can’t be taken seriously in social media unless you have a robust, consistent blog. That’s the truth. Deal with it.
Blogging may be the best way to showcase your employees. Check out Indium. How much more powerful is this brand with their employees consistently communicating helpful information? How much greater is the employee morale because Indium is embracing social media and conversations with customers? You have employees who are rock stars. Give them the platform to help you in the process.
A blog is search engine candy. Google loves blogs and Google is hungry. Feed the beast.
A blog is an industry game changer. When the buying decision comes down to three or four companies, the company website with consistent, relevant content is 60% more likely to win (Custom Content Council stats).
A blog is a great way to learn to stop talking about yourself and start focusing on what your customers need to hear.
Can you really be an industry thought leader without a blog? Think about that.
How can you be successful with Twitter, Facebook and other social media without generating consistently relevant content through a blog? Remember, content strategy comes before social media. That content strategy can be executed through the blog.
The blog is a great way for us to communicate with our customers on a regular basis without having to constantly pitch them on our products.
A blog can serve as the content hub for your enewsletter, print newsletter and company magazine.
Your customers want and need to be inspired. Is there a better way to inspire customers that than through consistent content gifts through a blog.
A solid blog will lead to speaking events. I’ve been invited to more than 30 speaking events specifically because they found me on the blog. No kidding. Five of those were international speaking events.
Since most websites suck, a blog is a great way to differentiate yourself from the rest of the online corporate brochures.
A blog is one of the best ways to share your point of view. You’re take on the industry and customers is unique (or at least should be). Tell your story.
If you can’t figure out how to tell a unique story, a blog is a great testing ground for you to find your corporate voice. Find your compelling story.
A blog removes corporate shackles. By opening yourself up to imperfection and transparency through a blog, you are actually moving closer to perfection.
Having a blog forces you to ask questions about your industry and your customers all day long and while you sleep. Having a blog forces you to become a journalist and think like a publisher. That forces you to become a more innovative business.
Your competition may be able to duplicate your product, but it’s very hard, if not impossible, for the competition to duplicate your story. A blog will help tell your story.
You will meet more influential people and gain more contacts through a blog than almost anything else you do.
Listening and commenting is extremely important to any social media program. Without a blog, a listening program is more like eavesdropping. It just seems wrong.
A good blog will lead to blog guest posts on other sites and other free public relations efforts.
What other tool can enable you to have real conversations with customers, prospects and influencers?
Although a blog can work for any organization, it’s simply the most cost-effective way to promote and market your business.
Blogging is fun. Who thought you could write about interesting things that affect your business and have it positively affect you and so many of your customers?
Your brand is what your people read and talk about online.
A blog forces you to keep abreast of what’s going on with your customers and your industry. Remember, you are the industry expert. Act like one.
A blog promotes customer loyalty. Customers will look to you for expert insight to help them with their pain points. When they are ready to buy, they’ll buy from the expert.
The blog can be the core of your search engine optimization strategy.
If you don’t have anything interesting to say, why would anyone have a reason to talk about you or your company?
A blog can be your personal therapist. It’s saved me thousands.
Traditional journalists love to interview bloggers. They know they’ll get the information they need because they already see the proof.
A blog is a credibility machine. Any thought leader in the space needs two things – a blog and a book. One without the other is like Laverne without Shirley or Cafe without Mocha.
Everyone is an expert in something. Figure out the intersection between your expertise and your target audiences’ needs and find your secret sauce.
Repackaging of blog posts will fuel white papers, ebooks, in-person events and just about all the other educational content you’ll need for your marketing. A blog, can literally, do it all for your content marketing program.
For more, check out this free white paper on attracting and retaining customers through content marketing.
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