Blogging can be used to market your small business in so many different ways. Whether you want to increase your online visibility and drive free traffic to your website, build trust and credibility with your potential customers or generate more enquiries and sales, blogging has a place in your marketing strategy. However, many small business owners tend to underestimate the value that blogging can bring to their business because they don’t fully understand how to use blogging to market their businesses. My guide, written especially for blogging beginners and small business owners, will show you how to use blogging to market your business.
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What is Blogging?
Firstly, we need to understand what blogging is. A blog is simply a piece of written content, usually between 500 and 2,000 words long, that provides some kind of value to the reader. Blogs can be educational, inspirational, instructional or motivational, and they can also include images, videos and graphics.
Where Should my Business Blog Go?
Your blog will usually sit within your main website, under the same domain (e.g. my blog is at https://purplehorsemarketing.co.uk/blog). This is important for SEO purposes because it indicates to search engines that your blog articles are tied to the rest of your website.
How Often Should I Blog for My Small Business?
The short answer to this question is “it depends”. Factors such as the level of competition, your time constraints, your budget (if you are paying a copywriter or content marketing consultant) and how you plan to use your blogs all affect how often you need / want to blog.
Depending on all sorts of factors, you could blog from once a month to several times a week. However, the rule of thumb here is to aim for quality over quantity. I generally aim to blog 1-2 times per month, but my blogs tend to be quite long on average (1,000 - 2,000 words).
How often you blog, and the quality of your blogs, will affect your website’s search engine rankings as well as the impact that your blog content will have on your traffic, leads and sales.
How to Use Blogging to Market Your Business
Knowing how to use blogging to market your business is key to being successful in using blog content to drive traffic, leads and sales. In this section, I will cover how to use blogging to increase your online visibility, build trust and credibility and generate leads and sales. It is important to note that not all blogs will do all three things; some will be aimed more at selling, whilst others will be focused on generating visibility through SEO.
Using Blogging to Increase Visibility
Blogging can be used to increase the online visibility of your small business in two main ways. Firstly, you can use blogs to get your website found in search engines (e.g. Google). Secondly, you can drive traffic to your website by sharing your blog articles on social media (more on this later).
You can use blogs to drive more organic (free) traffic to your website by targeting long-tail keywords. Put simply, this means using blog articles to answer the questions and queries your target audience is searching for in search engines.
Example of how to use blogs to target long tail keywords
An online store selling houseplants could use blogging to drive traffic to its website by writing articles that recommend different houseplants for different situations. The keyword “best houseplants for air purification” has an average monthly search volume of 390 (SE Ranking, March 2024). So, writing a blog article that answers that query can drive people to the website who are searching for houseplant ideas or recommendations. When they land on the blog article, they become aware of the business and may then sign up to an email newsletter or even make a purchase.
Using Blogging to Build Trust and Credibility
You can use blogging to build trust and credibility with your target audience. Blogs that offer expert insights, guidance or advice can be great for visibility (see the previous section) and they can demonstrate your business as a trusted source of information.
Blogs that educate your audience and offer free information can help you to nurture an audience of people who aren’t quite ready to buy yet, but who could be converted into customers in the future. Educational blogs can also be used to dive deeper into why your product or service is the best option for the customer, or to cement your marketing with research or evidence that supports your product or service.
Example of How to Use Blogs to Build Trust and Credibility
Going back to our online houseplant store, they could use blogging to educate their audience on how to care for their houseplants. The keyword “how to care for a banana plant” has an average monthly search volume of 260 (SE Ranking, March 2024), making it great for search engine visibility (see the previous section). Furthermore, it demonstrates the store’s expertise in houseplant care. This helps to build a positive reputation for the business as a trusted and reputable source of information. This blog article could also be used to help sell any products related to caring for a banana plant, such as plant food, pesticides or misters (see the next section).
Using Blogging to Generate Leads and Sales
The third main way in which you can use blogging to market your small business is by using it to generate leads and sales. By linking the content in your blog article back to your products and services, you can present them as a solution to your reader’s problem. I will often mention my products or services within my blog articles where they are relevant, and include a larger section at the end of the blog that talks about my offers in more detail. Provided it is relevant and does not prevent the reader from finding the information they need, it is a good idea to link your blog content back to your offers.
Example of How to Use Blogs to Generate Leads and Sales
Again, we will go back to our houseplant store example. Both of the blog topics I have mentioned could be linked back to the products sold in this online store (i.e. plants and houseplant care products). By adding calls to action throughout the blog article, you are showing the reader that you have everything they need and making it easy for them to find and purchase the item(s). This takes them another step closer to buying from you, instead of leaving your website to shop elsewhere.
Sharing and Repurposing Your Blog Content
Once your blog is live on your website, it doesn’t have to just sit there. Of course, you can leave it there to get found by search engines, but there are endless ways in which you can maximise your blog’s performance.
Sharing links to your blog article via social media or email marketing is a great way to drive traffic to your website without having to wait for search engines to index and rank your blog. By doing this, you are offering free value to your target audience and engaging with people who are already interested in your offers.
Your blogs can also be repurposed in so many ways. You can use your blogs as a base for social media content, emails, videos (long form and reels / TikTok), podcast episodes and webinars. You could even transform them into paid-for content such as courses or live programmes. For example, I’ve incorporated content from a number of my blog articles into my online self-study course “Blogging for Small Business”, which is available for £47* with lifetime access.
Content Marketing Consultant for Small Businesses
If you are ready to start using blogs to market your small business, then I am here to help. As a content marketing consultant, I support small business owners with writing engaging, SEO-friendly blog content that helps them to get found and make sales online. My products and services offer SEO and blogging support at a range of price points, so why not check them out and book your FREE discovery call to find out more?
1:1 Power Hours | £99* per hour
Want laser-focused advice and actions to take now? Get your blogs driving traffic to your website with my 1:1 Power Hours. Held via Zoom, these super-focused blog content coaching sessions are there to point you in the right direction so you can blog with confidence. If you're stuck with knowing what to blog about or you want support with creating your blog article, my 1:1 Power Hours are perfect for you.
Bookable online, or you can DM me on Instagram @purplehorsemarketing or drop me an email at rhiannon@purplehorsemarketing.co.uk. Discover my Power Hours and book online today.
Monthly Blog Content Support Package | £99* PCM (monthly rolling)
If you struggle with procrastination when it comes to writing your blogs, then this package is for you! Get your blog article written, optimised and published every single month with my monthly blog content support package! For just £99 per month, I will support you with planning, optimising, publishing and repurposing a blog article for your small business.
This offer includes a 30 minute Zoom call each month, as well as support with topic / keyword selection, as well as planning, writing and optimising your blog for SEO and conversions. Plus, it’s available on a flexible rolling monthly basis.
Find out more about my flexible monthly content support package, and book your free 30 minute discovery call to get started!
Self-Study Online Course: Blogging for Small Business | £47* for Lifetime Access
Are you looking for a super-affordable, self-paced way to learn how to use blogging to market your business? My online self-study course is for you!
This course covers everything you need to start blogging. From choosing what to blog about, to planning, writing and optimising your blog articles, this course takes you through all the steps needed to write your first blog article for your small business website. Plus, you get lifetime access to this course, including any updates, new content and bonus materials!
Visit Purple Horse Marketing Academy to take the first steps towards better visibility, more organic traffic and sustainable online sales today.
*Prices are correct May 2024. Please visit the relevant service pages for up-to-date pricing.
Monthly Ten Hour Blogging Consultancy Package | £2,250 (or £750 PCM for 3 months)*
Are you looking for intensive SEO and blogging support, consultancy and accountability? My monthly blogging consultancy package is for UK businesses that want to invest in long-term visibility, credibility and conversions and are looking to make the most of what SEO and blog content marketing have to offer.
This package includes ten hours of support, calls and consultancy per month, for a minimum of three months. During this time, I can support your business with just about anything related to SEO and blogging, including SEO / blog strategy, reporting and insights, blog content creation and optimisation, blog templates, keyword research and more. Slots are strictly limited to 3 businesses at any one time.
Book a free 30 minute Discovery Call, DM me on Instagram @purplehorsemarketing or drop me an email at rhiannon@purplehorsemarketing.co.uk - tell me where you want to go and I'll suggest how I can help you get there!
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