Nowadays it seems like everybody has a blog and you’re probably wondering if you should start one too. Either for personal or business purposes, blogging is a great way to share your expertise with the world and make money with it.
In this post I’ll explain what’s a blog, how can it help to grow your business, and where to start one. By the end of it, you can take my free quiz “Should I Start a Blog?” to find out it is right for you.
So, get yourself comfortable and let’s get started!
What is a blog and how does it work?
A blog is a frequently updated online journal where you can share with hundreds or thousands of readers your knowledge in a topic. It’s used to publish any form of content online to establish credibility, build rapport, and expand an audience.
It’s also known as content marketing and can take the form of written blog posts, videos, podcasts, social media, and email
In short, you can promote yourself, your passion or your business by blogging.
Who blogs?
Any person who wants to share her passion, thoughts, experiences or knowledge. Whereas a business uses a blog to create content related to their product or service. For example:
- If you’re a person who is best known for being an expert in a topic (like cooking, fitness, or natural skincare), then blogging is a good way to work on that passion and monetize it.
- If you own a business, then a blog can help to grow it and even create new sources of revenue.
That said, I’ll focus my next recommendations on those readers who want to blog for business.
Should I Start a Blog for My Business in 2020?
Absolutely! There has never been a better time to start an online business through a blog. Because of the deep changes the world is undergoing now, new needs and opportunities are emerging online.
By harnessing the power of content marketing, you can grow your current business or start a new one. As one of my favorite authors points out:
How Can a Blog Help to Grow Your Business (5 Benefits)
1) Be found by new targeted customers.
Every day millions of users look for answers online. And search engines like Google will prioritize those websites that provide useful and relevant information. So, the more useful content you create, the more pages from your blog will be indexed in a search engine.
In other words, by blogging regularly your business will show up more often in search results, increasing the chances of getting seen by your ideal clients.
2) Create authenticity
A blog is a platform where you can use your voice and unique perspective in a topic. It’s a space where your readers can connect with you in a more intimate way. They can see who you are, your brand’s voice, and how well you master a topic.
In short, a blog is a solid foundation for building trust and authority for your business.
3) Support your social media presence.
If you use social media, then you can lead your followers to your blog (hosted on a website) where they can learn more about you without the distraction of the competition.
Once your followers are on your blog, they can subscribe to it through an Email Marketing System and become potential clients.
4) Create authority.
By providing solutions to your customer’s problems through your content, they’ll see you as the subject expert in your industry.
6) Create new sources of income.
Besides supporting your current business, a blog can generate new sources of revenue from selling digital or physical products or services. And although some work is needed to set up a transactional website, it’s a long-term benefit worth the effort.
Where Can You Start a Blog?
If you want to start a blog for business and reap the benefits listed above, it’s best to set it up on a self-hosted website. My recommendation is to use WordPress.org as it’s the most flexible platform to grow and customize your site.
And if you want to blog as a hobby, you can quickly launch one for free either on social media (microblogging) or on WordPress.com. Just be sure that you don’t intend to monetize it in the future. Migrating your blog into a more robust platform is a complex task that may require help from a specialist.
Final recommendations
Check out these useful resources written by yours truly and other respected online experts.
- What are the 3 Most Popular Platforms for Building Websites.
- What’s the difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com.
- How to choose the best website builder for your business.
- How to do a SWOT Analysis for your Blog [FREE template]
- The Problogger Podcast, by Darren Rowse.
- Elite Blog Academy by Ruth Soukup.
I hope you found this article helpful. If you have any questions, you can send me an email. I’ll be happy to helpl
