If there is one part of my job that is the utmost challenging, it’s convincing business owners why they need to blog. Don’t get me wrong, social media comes in at a close second… but asking someone to blog is like pulling teeth!

I have blogged for the past few of years, both personally and professionally. Even now as a marketer, I still face challenges at finding topics to write about and finding the time to sit down and devote to writing. It’s incredibly challenging and you really do need self-discipline to keep the momentum going. However, once you find your groove, it’s easy to see why people love blogging. Not to mention, you’ll begin to notice and reap the benefits over time.

Here is just a short list of what I believe are some of the hidden benefits of blogging. Feel free to add to this list in the comments section.

Blogging helps you understand and learn about your business
When you are challenged to write about topics that your customer would like to know, it forces you to put pen to paper (or finger to key) and really hone in on who your ideal customer is, what challenges they face, what their needs are, wants are, etc. You find new ways of explaining your business as you begin to communicate to specific key audiences. You also become better at communicating the answer to the age-old question, “What is it that you do?”

Blogging forces you to keep up on industry trends
It’s hard to always find time to research what’s going on in your industry. When you are blogging and looking for inspiration on what to write about, it’s much easier to work this in organically. Not only does keeping up on industry trends keep you informed about what’s going on, it gets you thinking about ways you can integrate some of these trends in your own business plan.  It also allows you to communicate to your customer about what’s going on in your industry because you are in the know. And let’s face it, when you educate your customer, you look smart. Who doesn’t want to look smart?

Blogging can help you become a better salesperson
“Say what?” Yes, blogging can really help you become a better salesperson. It’s much easier to write and try to sell an idea rather than just trying to come up with a sales pitch on the fly. Blogging helps you articulate what you want to say and how to say it. Bonus: you also begin to build a reserve bank of discussion points about your products or services when you write long enough. By repurposing your old content into something new, it saves you time, money and keeps things looking fresh.

Blogging can help your business grow
Imagine what could happen if you brought in qualified sales leads from your company blog. No cold calling, no advertising and no spending thousands of dollars on marketing campaigns. Is that hard to imagine? Well, you really can bring in leads from your website. Not only does blogging help your search engine rankings organically, it gives your business credibility and shows that you are an expert. Search engines love that. When you write about topics that are interesting, informative and educational to your potential clients, you are already putting a sales pitch out on your website whether you know it or not. Leverage this and use it to your advantage.

And there you have it! Of course, there are many, many other hidden benefits to blogging. These are just a few that mean the most to many of our B2B clients. If you don’t have a company blog, have no fear. We can help you add a blog to your website so you can begin leveraging your blog as one of your inbound marketing tactics. Now get out there and start blogging!