When it comes to the internet, there are a lot of terms that get thrown around without much explanation. “Social media,” “SEO,” and “blog” are just a few examples.

It’s easy to nod along and pretend like you know what someone is talking about, but when it comes down to it, do you really have any idea what they’re talking about?

If you’re not quite sure what a blog is or why they’re so important, don’t worry—you’re not alone. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about blogs and how they can help your business.

What Is a Blog, Anyway?

A blog is short for “web log.” A web log is basically an online journal—a place where someone can record their thoughts, feelings, or observations on a particular subject.

Over the years, blogs have changed from simple online diaries to complex money-generating businesses all on their own. 

However, at their core, blogs still serve the same purpose: to give people a platform to share their ideas with the world. We’ve just gotten better at learning how to make money while sharing those ideas.

Why Do Businesses Need Blogs?

Now that you know what a blog is, you might wonder why you need one.

After all, can’t you just stick to posting on social media or your website?

While those are both great places to share your content, they’re not enough if you want your business to succeed in the long run. Here’s why:

1. You Own Your Site and have full control

2. Blogs Help With SEO 

3. It allows you to help your audience for free, creating transformations prior to purchasing, if set up correctly, will lead to more sales

4. It brings in traffic & sales for years to come. Social media content is a one-and-done kind of content. However, a piece of blog content will continue to bring you people for years after its creation.

5. It is your business’s digital storefront

There are many more reasons every business should have a website and a blog but to keep this post short, i’ll only list the top 5.

SEO stands for search engine optimization. In other words, it’s the process of ensuring that your website shows up as high up as possible on search engine results pages (aka Google). And guess what?

Blogging can help with that! How? 

A few different ways, the top 2 are 

1. It allows you to build what’s called domain authority

Basically googles job is to give the person searching the best answer for their question, it’s more likely to show them a piece of content from a “reputable” site vs a widely unknown site that has yet to prove the content is reliable & of a certain standard of quality. 

For example, if you run a tool blog, that talks all about wood tools, and you regularly write content around that topic targeting various keywords related to that, google is more likely to put your article on the 1st page of the search results as opposed to a brand new (within 6 months) website that has shoes, tools, and Disney content, it’s sporadically posting content, never regular, google’s algorithm has a hard time pinpointing what the site is all about, therefore, struggles to build authority for any given topic, its highly unlikely this site would rank at all on google’s first few pages, for a very long time.

2nd, blogging gives you more chances to include specific words (keywords) throughout your website. 

The higher your keywords appear on your site (and the more often they appear), the better chance you have of ranking high on Google—and that means more people will find you, basically more eyeballs = more money.

Blogs Give You a Chance to Show off Your Know-How

You do NOT have to be an expert…I repeat you do NOT have to be an expert to have a successful blog, just your knowledge is enough, sharing what you already know to those who are looking for that knowledge paired with a good plan to get your stuff in front of people is the recipe for success, most folks don’t want to hear from a know it all anyways, they love hearing your failures, and then how you overcame them, it gives them hope that you offer what they need to get the same result you have achieved.

If you want people to trust your business, you need to show them that you know what you’re talking about.

Otherwise, why would they bother listening to you? A blog gives you an opportunity to do just that—to share your knowledge with the world and position yourself as an authority in your industry.

I like to think of a blog like this: you’re walking down the street and you just had a sign that said let me help you with [your niche], more than likely that person is going to give you a side-eye and pick up the pace and book it outta there (this is most ads).

Instead imagine this, your walking by you happen to see they need help you come over and chat for a second offering some helpful insight on something they needed (they feel like you were in just the right place at the right time) they feel like they’ve gotten to know you and can trust you- now you offer to help them, they are excited to have someone who knows more than them assist them with their problem (this is a blog). It gives you an opportunity to show you now a bit about your niche and gives them a chance to feel you out and gather enough intel to decide to trust you, and that you’re not just some rando online ad bashing them, but that your regularly sharing awesome helpful content and they need your help!

Ready to start your blog?

Conclusion:

As you can see, blogs are essential for businesses—they allow you to improve your SEO, show off your expertise, and build trust with potential customers. If you don’t already have a blog, now is the time to start one! Trust me; it’ll be worth it in the long run.