The key to growing your business or non-profit is having a solid inbound marketing strategy. Inbound marketing allows you to not only drive sales, or increase donations, but also gain loyal customers. One of the most important components of your inbound marketing strategy is your blog. But you may ask, "Why start a blog?" Blogs allow you to connect with customers or donors on a deeper level, and ultimately grow your business.
Blog Writing Is Different than Copywriting.
While both are an integral part of your inbound marketing strategy, there are a few key differences.
Copywriting: Copywriting is also known as writing sales copy. This is the text found on your website that encourages customers or donors to make a purchase or donation, or sign-up for newsletters. Copywriting involves specific calls to action, with a sale being the end goal.
Blog Writing: Alternatively, blog writing is designed to provide your customers with information that is both helpful and inspirational. By providing readers with fresh content, you begin a dialogue with them that allows them to learn about your brand and ultimately, begin to trust you as a company. While blogs don't have an immediate sales objective, they set the stage for potential customers to engage with your brand and eventually make a purchase.
Why is Starting a Blog so Important to Your Inbound Marketing Strategy?
As with all things in life, there is give and take in every relationship. This includes the relationship you have with your customers or donors. In order to increase sales, you must give something useful to your customers. The best way to do this? Your blog.
1. Blogs Educate Your Customers: One of the keys to gaining and maintaining loyal customers is by showcasing that you are an authority in your field/industry. A blog is the perfect platform to show off your expertise in your field, and allows customers to see you as a valuable resource when they go to look for information and knowledge. Blogs are also an opportunity to provide customers with answers. When customers see you as an authority in your field, they will likely buy your product or service.
2. Blogs Save You Money on Advertising: Blogs are huge when it comes to increasing your SEO (search engine optimization) rankings. Google, Yahoo, Bing, and other search engines are always seeking out new content, and adjusting their rankings accordingly. By using keywords in your blogs, your content is working two-fold: providing customers with helpful information, while boosting your search rankings. If a customer is trying to make a buying decision, their online research and the results will play a huge factor in where they ultimately decide to make their purchase.
3. Blogs Start a Conversation with Your Customers: Just as you would engage with customers in conversation if they came into your physical store, so should you with your online presence. The blog is your chance to insert your personality, mission, and knowledge into the conversation, as customers prepare to make an online purchase. Just as an "open" sign on your physical front door lets customers know that your store is open for the day, updated and fresh blog posts signal to online customers that your business is still open, relevant, and viable.
4. Blogs Lead to Sales: By adding a Call to Action (CTA) to each blog post, you constantly drive traffic to your site to make a purchase. Encourage customers to download other content, request demos, or sign-up for newsletters. All of these will provide you with the opportunity to lead potential customers through the sales funnel.
As you implement your inbound marketing strategy, you can't forget the blog! Blogs are the perfect way to increase your search rankings, engage with potential customers, and ultimately grow your business or non-profit. As always, contact the team at Wapiti and we'll help you kick your blog into gear.
