So, you have an (empty) blog page (or at least space for one) currently on your website but you’re not sure if it’s the best time and money investment? It takes time, effort, and creativity to come up with engaging content each and every week and to be perfectly honest if it’s not business critical then you’d rather not waste your time…
Besides people don’t read blogs anymore…right?
Wrong – actually.
Here are 4 reasons why your beauty business NEEDS blog content (and spoiler – yes, a good blog can help build your business) …
Branded Interactions Facilitate Sales (read: more people can indirectly stumble across you).
The internet is a massive place and whilst people may not be directly searching for your business, they ARE looking for information. Every time they open their browser, they’re looking for something relevant to them be it the latest beauty trend, or the next up and coming health and wellbeing practice. If you have blog posts that cover these queries the likelihood of them ending up on your site is dramatically increased. No direct sales tactics required. I always recommend creating blog posts of approx. 500 words or longer at least 4 times a month to keep your site fresh, relevant, and current. Once you have them on the site you can then allow your other beautifully curated web content to point them towards what you do best…
Updated & Relevant Content Boosts Google Searches
Blogs have the potential to increase your search engine ranking. Before you switch off at the mere mention of SEO this is because search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing will rank your website higher if it finds new (and regular) editions to your site! These up-to-date blog posts create more indexed pages and these in turn mean a higher ranking.
Why do we care about higher rankings? The higher the ranking, the higher the (organic) traffic, the higher the traffic the more customers you can sell to.
Simple right?
Build (lasting) Relationships with Your Consumers
When we find a brand, we resonate with as consumers, contrary to popular belief we actually want to hear more from them. We want to know if we can trust your brand, your ethics, and your product offering. With the (massive) amount of competition out there, a good first impression is key, and blogs help you not only build relationships with new and existing consumers but establish your tone of voice as an authority within the industry. There’s a reason influencer marketing has been so successful – it’s based on cemented relationships and your blog works in the same way. You can directly open a dialogue with your customers, engage with them in the comments and offer them value beyond just the products or services you’re selling.
When we trust a brand, we’re more likely to buy from them initially and consistently going forwards. Still sceptical? Check out my previous post all about the importance of brand personality here.
Your Content Is Easily Shareable!
Who doesn’t love free advertising / recommendations, am I right?! Back to the influencer marketing analogy again but bear with me. When you see a #AD for a product or service, you begin to build familiarity and an affiliation with that brand. If someone you trust recommends that brand to you, you’re MUCH more likely to make a purchase over the competitors. A good blog is a natural way to get people talking about (and sharing) your content over email or social media. You just have to make sure that you’ve got your finger on the pulse of what people are actually sharing. Once again relevancy and upcoming content is key.
The bottom line?
When done well, a blog can be a great drip-feeding marketing tool for your business to drive sales, build your customer base and firmly position your beauty business in the crowded marketplace. Remember what I said about relevant and upcoming content?
If you’re looking for an example of how this works in practice, keep an eye out for my monthly Friday Forecast series where I collate all of the top industry trends, new releases and content worth knowing about in one place for you. So, you can keep an eye on your competition…
Char x