Are you looking for a way to build more meaningful relationships and trust between you and your clients and potential clients, and for a way to get your business name out into the world? Then your business needs a blog. Even if you aren’t looking for these things, your business still needs a blog!

A blog is an aspect of content marketing, and it’s one that you really can’t afford not to have if you’re serious about running a business that thrives. What is content marketing? Essentially, it’s using good, useful content to market your product or service.

What constitutes “good, helpful content”? It’s material that your reader can use – material that is actually helpful and helps to inform, inspire, or solve a problem that your clients or potential clients may have. For example, if you make and sell Rosaries and other religious goods, a few titles on your blog might be “5 Ways to Incorporate the Rosary Into Your Day,” “How to Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet,” or “Tips for Creating a Prayer Corner in Your Home,” etc.

Creating a blog for your business requires a bit of time and planning: time to set up the blog itself and create content, and planning to determine the right frequency and volume of blog posts. But when it comes to establishing your authority in your field, building trust, getting your name out there, and increasing web traffic, a business blog is truly worth the time and trouble it requires.

So why do you need a business blog?

A blog establishes authority

A blog for your business is a place for you to show your clients and potential clients that you know what you’re talking about – that you have some degree of authority in your field. Sharing informative, insightful, and altogether helpful posts sends the message that you deserve the time, attention, and business of those who are interested in the product or service you offer.

For example, if you’re a copywriter (like me!), you might write posts on various aspects of writing and editing. Posts like this may help individuals who are looking for guidance on how to write and edit projects on their own, but they also illustrate to visitors to my website that I have the capacity to offer useful assistance in writing projects they may decide to outsource.

A blog helps to build trust

Similarly, having a blog for your business helps to build trust and foster relationships between you and potential clients. Giving a client something that they can use shows them you care and that you truly want them to trust you as a writer/artist/consultant/designer/whatever your profession may be. It expresses your interest in making your client’s experience with your product and service an ongoing relationship in which you provide helpful information outside of individual business transactions.

On the other hand, creating sloppy, unhelpful blog posts just to fill space on your website makes it abundantly clear that you aren’t taking the time to effectively communicate and provide your clients with something worth their time and attention. That inevitably reflects poorly on the other services or products you offer.

A blog helps to get your name out there

Social media is a reality and these days, if your business isn’t present on at least one or two networks and posting content with at least some regularity, you’re going to miss a valuable audience. This is the beauty of content marketing – blog posts are easy to share. If your content is especially helpful, your social media followers will do the work for you by sharing your posts frequently with their own friends and networks, extending your reach even further. This is remarkably more effective than traditional web-based advertising.

A blog will help to increase site traffic

Creating regular blog posts and sharing them across social media networks is a surefire way to drive more traffic to your website, meaning more eyes will be seeing your product or service and hearing your name.

The best blog posts take into consideration keywords, search engine optimization, and meta tags to ensure a higher ranking in search engines. Not only do regular blog posts show that your website is still very active, but they also provide many more opportunities to drive new people to your website.

A blog for your business is worth the time and effort

Creating and maintaining a blog for your business may sound daunting at first, but consider the many ways a blog can help you to engage with your clients, get your name out there, and share your passion with the world. It may require time and attention, but it will truly be worth the effort.

Sarah Coffey is a freelance writer, copywriter, and editor. In college, she converted to Catholicism, met her now-husband Jesse, and received a B.A. in History. In 2018 she took the entrepreneurial plunge and started a copywriting and copyediting business – Coffey Copy & Content, LLC – and hasn't looked back. She loves using her talents for writing and editing to help business owners, students, and writers convey their messages powerfully and cleanly. She is also currently working on a Master's in Sacred Theology through St. Joseph's College of Maine and writes on matters of faith, theology, business, and travel. You can read more of her writing here.