I came across an article recently that was catchily titled, “Does my small business website need a blog?” This is a topic I’ve written about before, and I like to see how others are framing the same general information. But the gist of this piece was based on the idea that you have to want a blog, and without that burning desire, you’re be better off finding a millennial employee to post on your company’s behalf on social media.
This is bad advice.
wanting a blog is beside the point
The article is off to a bad start, claiming that a blog is a great way to engage customers and tell them about specials (uhh…). But good luck with that, because unless you’re posting regularly, writing really great stuff and telling people all about it all the time, no one is reading your blog anyway, so what’s the point.
One of the best things about a blog is that good content is rarely wasted. When you do everything right, and your content is optimized for the very keyword that someone happens to searching right this minute, your post should be served up all piping hot and fresh and relevant. Just because your post isn’t racking up views the second you publish it doesn’t mean it’s wasted. Business blogging, above all, is a long game.
oh, you don’t enjoy writing?
The big takeaway from that article is that you’ll only write interesting stuff if you enjoy it. If you hate writing or can’t think of anything worth spending 400 words compiling, then find someone who’s good at social media and let them handle your online presence.
First, don’t do that. Second, seriously, don’t do that.
There are lots of really, really great content writers out there, and just because your twenty-something employee is never without a phone in his/her hand does not make him/her a social media expert.
I wrote before about social media as a replacement for a website. Go read that post, but the gist is that social media accounts pose paid visibility and brand control issues, with none of the benefits of search engine optimization. So don’t make the mistake of assuming that a few social media accounts are a clever alternative to a functional website and banging business blog.
If your idea of a business blog is as a forum for telling people about your latest specials, you’re missing the point – and all the benefits. So read up on best practices for that business blog or consider hiring a writer. Because yes, your small business really does need a blog.