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Blogging Benefits that Will Change Your Business Forever

In the early days of the internet, blogging was one of the most popular ways to share information and connect with others. Today, social media has taken over as the primary platform for online communication, and many people have questioned whether blogging is still relevant.

While it is true that social media has eclipsed blogging in terms of popularity, it is still a powerful tool that can help you reach your goals.

If you’re thinking it might be time to start blogging, but you’re not sure if it’s worth the time and effort, then we urge you to keep reading. Here are 6 blogging benefits that will change your business forever.

Boost search engine optimization

SEO is extremely important for any business operating on the web. Every time you write a blog post, more pages from your domain become indexed in search engines. This gives you another opportunity to be found by people.

Search engines don’t want to send users to abandoned websites with outdated content. By regularly publishing contents to your website, you stand a better chance of being found by your target audience.

Drive traffic to your website

Blogging is an inexpensive way to attract more potential customers and drive traffic to your website. Studies suggest that companies who blog get 67% more leads as compared to those who don’t. In order to do that, you first need to know your target audience and create contents that will be of value to them.

Position your brand as an industry leader

Blogging is especially beneficial for small businesses looking to gain credibility. Majority of people go online to because they want information. By providing fresh, valuable information in your blog posts, you can build trust and clout within your industry. Over time, people will come to you for informative, helpful content and will be seen as an industry leader.

Convert traffic into customers

Now that you have captured the attention of your target audience, you want them to keep coming back to your site. To do that, you need to provide them with fresh, interesting and informative content on a regular basis. Once you have built an audience of loyal and trusting readers, it will be a lot easier to sell to them. In fact, studies show that 67% of American buyers have made a purchase based on blog posts.

Building your personal brand

Blogs are a great way to share your thoughts and ideas with the world. You can blog about anything, from your personal life to your professional journey. And unlike social media, blogs allow you to control the narrative. You can decide what information you want to share, and how you want to share it. As a result, blogs can be a powerful tool for building your personal brand. In addition, blogs can help you to connect with like-minded people and create a sense of community.

Differentiate your brand from the competition

Blogs are a powerful tool that can help businesses to differentiate their brands from the competition. This is essential in business; it’s what sets you apart from the competition and drives customers to your door. When used effectively, blogs can provide insights into your company culture, values and vision. They can also be used to share news and announcements, showcase customer testimonials, and promote special offers.

In addition, a blog can help humanize your brand, making it more relatable and approachable. By sharing the story of your brand, you can connect with potential customers on a personal level and build trust. So if you’re looking to differentiate your brand from the competition, consider starting a blog. It could just be the thing that sets you apart and helps you attract more business.

Final thoughts

A blog can be a powerful asset for your business. It can help you drive traffic to your site, position yourself as an industry leader, and convert traffic into customers. If you need help starting a business blog, we’re here to help. We’ll work with you to create content that is relevant to your target audience and helps you achieve your marketing goals. Schedule a free consultation today to get started.

Blogging Benefits that Will Change Your Business Forever

Blogging Benefits that Will Change Your Business ForeverBlogging Benefits that Will Change Your Business Forever

I love hearing stories of how people got started in their freelance business, what was that final straw, or trigger point for them to take the leap of faith and go out on your own.
We had spoken with Seth a little over a month ago and really loved what he was helping businesses do, the foundation he was creating. Branding is so very important to your success and it is something that can be overlooked.

Meet Seth

Seth is a versatile Designer + Creative Director with a decade of experience that includes work for major brands such as USA Today, Disney, Adidas, Union Pacific, FOX, and Coors.
He started WonderWild with the belief that great design can be simple. He loves helping companies of all sizes rediscover the wonder of their brand and visually express it in ways that create emotional connections and ultimately helps them level-up.
He and his wife of 13 years have 4 bio children, 2 foster children, a dog, a cat and a fish.

Free Guide: 25 stats about design you can’t afford to ignore.

 

Entrepreneur Series Interview with Seth Rexilius {Wonder Wild}

 

Core Values, Why They Are Important To Your Business

What Are Core Values?

Core values are a set of standards for your business that everyone involved in your business must use in order to deliver the best possible product or service.

Core values force you to raise the bar and set the standard, the tone, and the cadence of your business.  Make sure you are doing what you can to set the right standards for your business to get the outcome you are looking for.

This video will help you establish core values for your business.

Why Social Media is Important for Business Over the last decade, social media has helped a lot of entrepreneurs grow their company. In fact, it is now considered as one of the most powerful digital marketing tools for businesses. 92% of business owners reported that social media has played a big role in their business’ success.

Here’s a look at the top benefits of social media for businesses.

Brand recognition

Because social media is used by more than 2/3 of the population, this is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to introduce your brand to your target audience.

If used correctly, social media can help you build a strong social media presence and connect with your current and prospective customers. We can guarantee, it is worth the time and effort.

Save money

For small businesses that are looking to spread the word about their brand and promote their products without having to spend a lot of money, social media is your best option.

Social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn allow you to share content to your fans and potential customers absolutely free.

Increased traffic

Sharing relevant and informative content on social media can help you generate leads. Here, you are not only limiting your content to people who are already familiar with your brand. Rather, your goal is attract people who may be interested in what you have to offer and encourage them to visit your website. Make sure you supply them with interesting content, so they’ll keep coming back.

Improved customer service

We all know that businesses have a dedicated customer service department that consumers can reach via phone and email. But because most people want a quick response, they still choose to connect with businesses through social media.

Here, you can see question, comments and complains instantaneously. Plus, answering questions and settling complains publicly adds a level of transparency to your business. Remember, all eyes are on you, so make sure you handle issues professionally, politely and in a timely manner.

How to Build a Social Media Following

Most business use social media to generate leads. But in order to make social media marketing work, you’ll need to have an audience. This means having some fans and followers on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social media channels.

The number of fans and followers you have will give you an idea how big of an impact your message make. However, growing a social following can be quite frustrating, especially if you’re running a start-up business. But how do you build a social media following?

Here are some tips on how to get more followers on any social media channel.

Choose the right channels

One of the most important things you need to do is to decide which platforms are going to be right for your content. Twitter is an instantaneous outlet. LinkedIn favors professional content. Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook are more visual mediums.

Also, determine which social media networks your target audience use the most. There is nothing more frustrating than spending your time and resources, only to find out that you weren’t able to reach your target audience.

Interact with other users

Interact with your fans and follows on a regular basis. You can ask questions, answer questions, share some of their posts or encourage people to share yours. Also, take the opportunity to get involved in conversations. This will help you stay connected with your audience and not miss out on anything important.

Offer something unique

This is probably the most important thing you can do to acquire more fans and followers. Some people would post links to their work and promote their products in an attempt to get people to visit their site. But social media isn’t the place to advertise your products or services.

In order to capture the attention of your target audience, you need to make sure that you provide them with contents that are fresh, interesting and entertaining. Adding a picture to your posts can also make your posts standout and encourage people to follow you.

leadtrickstips

Every marketer’s goal is to generate new leads that will eventually turn into paying customers. Unfortunately, a huge percentage of marketers admit that their lead generation efforts are ineffective. In fact, studies suggest that about 80% of visitors who add items to their cart do not buy, and 70% of them will never return.

These lead generation tips will help improve your marketing campaign and hopefully attract more people to your business.

Keep building relationships

The best way to keep your sales pipeline well stocked is to keep building relationships with potential leads. Send them a link to a news article about an industry trend, share some helpful tips or offer some business intelligence.  These may seem like small things, but these little things may help keep you at the top of your prospect’s mind.

Blog consistently

You probably know that blogging is effective for generating leads? So how come it took you an entire month to write a new blog? If you are serious about increasing your web traffic, then try to write blogs as often as you can.

Persistence is key

A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that people will visit their website with a just a few clicks of a button. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works.

Block out an hour or two of your day and dedicate this time for lead generation activities only. That means no checking of emails, texting or playing games. Pick up the phone and talk to your prospects. It doesn’t matter if they have turned you down before, just keep trying. Remember, persistence is what sets successful marketers apart from the unsuccessful ones.

Call-to-action

Visitors need clear instructions on what to do when they arrive on your website. Do you want a subscription to your channel or page? Their contact information? A site visit? Then let them know. Sometimes, all you need to do is ask.

BimsPeople do business with people they trust. If you let your customers interact with a robot that is programmed to promote your products and offerings, do you think they’ll do business with you? Of course not.

People will only be interested in doing business with you if they know that there is a person behind it that they can trust, relate to and connect with. That said, humanizing your brand is a must.

Here are some tips to make your brand’s voice a little more human.

Avoid corporate speak

Sometimes, business owners think that they sound super smart and important if they use business and industry-specific jargons. We hate to break it to you, but people do not want to hear or read sales talk, corporate jargon or overly fluffed up language. Speak in a language that inspires people to connect to you and your brand.

Use words that your customers understand and ditch the corporate mumbo jumbo speak.

Build bridges

A lot of businesses see their social network followers as nothing more than a new batch of potential customers. While we understand that you’re excited to tell the world about your business venture or new products to be launched, there is no need to talk about the same topic every single time.  You’ll have a hard time connecting with your target audience if you think like a corporate engine.

Put a face on your brand

People may not be interested in doing business with you if you post in anonymity and hide behind a corporate logo. Instead, show customers that there’s a real person working behind that corporate logo.

Be honest

Customers can tell when you’re faking it. Don’t try to make your experiences sound more impressive than they truly are. Don’t say you have experience you don’t have. Don’t fudge the numbers on your publicity packet.

 

FB photo

Your cover photo is one of the most noticeable parts of your page. In fact, it is the first thing most people would look at when they visit your Facebook page.  Don’t you want to make it impressive?

We understand that finding the perfect Facebook cover photo can be a challenge. You only get once chance to make an impression so you need to get it right. Here at BIMS, we’re all about sharing information that can help your business grow. Here are 4 Facebook cover photo ideas that will make an epic impression on your fans. Pay attention.

Show them what you do

With millions of users from all over the world, Facebook is one of the best places to establish your brand. Your cover photo is a great way to promote your business, your services and yourself. Use this space to show people what your business is all about.

Take advantage of this space to show people the products and services you offer. If you are an artist, feel free to display some of your work. If you have a new product line or an upcoming event, this is the perfect place to put it.

Put your customers and fans center stage

Instead of using this space to promote your business, use it to highlight photos of your fans. You can also use testimonials from customers to your advantage. This adds a human touch to your company and shows the credibility of your business. Plus, it’s a great way to show your fans that you value and appreciate them.

Introduce yourself

While most companies would showcase their products and events, why not shed a little light on the amazing people who works behind the scenes? It makes your business much more personable and gives viewers a more intimate look into your business.

Call to action

Including a call-to-action to your cover photo urges people to instantly respond to your request. Social media is an effective tool when it comes to lead generation. Use your cover photo to encourage people to visit your site, leave their email address or buy your products.

 

BIMS_8.25

Social media marketing can be comparable to traditional media marketing. The only difference is that it is a lot faster. Trends waxes and wanes in hyper speed, going from cool to super lame in a matter of days or weeks. As a result, it is becoming more and more difficult to stay relevant.

Here’s a list of social media trends that can hurt your brand. Read on to find out which trend you should finally put to rest.

Facebook exclusive

Facebook may be one of the most popular social media channels today, but focusing your marketing efforts on Facebook is certainly not a good idea. Why? It’s because it has the most competition and advertising can be more expensive.

Focusing on one platform is like advertising on TV alone, and not using radio, print, billboards and any other channels to reach your audience.

Live blogging

During the SuperBowl event last year, a lot of people were active online, chatting and posting about the event as it happens. Some businesses took the opportunity to engage with their audience by posting something about the said event. If the brand is about sports, then this is justifiable. But if not, then there’s no sense talking about the SuperBowl.

Try focusing in topics that would be of interest to your target audience. They’re expecting you to provide them with content about specific topics, not some general world news.

Half-baked story

Social media is a great place to keep up with breaking news. We strongly advise that you check your facts first before sharing stories on your blog or business page. Do your research and make sure that the news is from a reliable source.

Sharing half-baked stories will affect your brand in a negative way. The last thing you want is for people to see you as an unreliable source.

Ignoring LinkedIn

If you’re not on LinkedIn, then you’re missing out on a lot of opportunities to get more branding for your business. LinkedIn is the best social media platform for business owners and executives to be in. Here, you can expand your network and meet people in the same industry.