Lorna Sixsmith
In today’s post, Write on Track partner Lorna Sixsmith shares her own experience of how setting up a blog on her interior design website, Garrendenny Lane, has led to increased traffic on her website.
Many people are sceptical of using social media to promote their business, many are nervous about starting to blog, afraid of writing, afraid of being judged for their writing. However, keeping a blog for your business will help your business to succeed in the twenty-first century. I’m going to outline my experience of blogging and give you a few tips to get you started on your own business blog.
I started an Interior Design business almost 4 years ago and having decided to set up a website, I heard that ‘blogging can be good for your website’. All I knew about blogging was that it was connected to your website and it involved writing so off I went to a one-night blogging course to find out what it was all about, asked my developer to integrate a blog into my website and there I was, blogging. I loved writing for my blog and I found it brought in a considerable volume of work especially in my first year of business.
When I calculated approximately how much revenue my blog had brought in during the first year, it worked out to be about 40%. How did I know this? – well, I asked people when they got in contact. (You can read the story about my first year of blogging in an interview on the Irish Internet Association website).
How did that happen?
Well, if someone is looking for a particular product and they use a keyword that I have used in a blog post, there is a much higher chance that it will come up on the first page of Google than if it is used within the website, partly because it is seen as being of recently updated content which Google likes.
I continue to write blog posts for my Interiors online store and find that it does indeed bring significant traffic to my website.
If you are thinking of starting a blog for your business, here’s a summary of some of the reasons why your business will benefit from having a blog:
- A blog provides your website with regularly updated content which the search engines like and hence, it is much more likely to feature much more highly in google rankings.
- Your blog posts will showcase your expertise, hence, you will be viewed as an expert in your field. It will help you to stand out from your competitors.
- Showing photographs of your work or your products will provide readers with up to date progress of the high standards that your company adheres to.
- You can communicate with customers through the comment feature on the blog and this will emphasise the personal, friendly and approachable ethos of your company. Good customer service is now king and your blog can showcase how well you treat your customers. Customers are more likely to purchase if they feel they ‘know’ the people within the company.
- A good blog post can be widely shared on face book and twitter, hence many more people will become aware of your brand.
- Google Adwords can be expensive and a blog can include those highly searched keywords that will drive traffic to your site.
- A blog is a cost-effective means to make more people aware of your company and your brand, to get more people to your website to see your products and your work and ultimately result in more leads and more sales.
If you have decided that yes, your business does need a blog and you need help, do get in contact with us at Write on Track.
Marie Ennis-O’Connor BA, MIAPR, holds an Honours degree in History from University College Dublin. She is a graduate of the Irish Academy of Public Relations and has worked in a variety of PR roles over the past 12 years. Marie is editor of several award-winning blogs ranging from life sciences to health to business. She is a panel member of the newly established Bloggers International and is a regular contributor to Health Works Collective, an online community for thought leaders in international healthcare. She is a featured blogger on Webicina, an online service that provides curated medical social media resources in over 80 medical topics and over 17 languages, and has been awarded a top blogger accolade by Empowered Doctor.com and most inspiring writer by WegoHealth. Marie is also in demand as a trainer in social media marketing and travels the country teaching small business owners how to get online and maximise their online presence.
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