A few years ago blogging remained an alien concept for most businesses, with only a small proportion of companies seeing it as having much relevance for their marketing aims. Now, in 2015, the blogging landscape has become an integrated and established part of online marketing. The absence of a blog within a business marketing strategy tends to be off-putting for potential online marketers and collaborators.

So why is blogging so important? The biggest reason – your customers. A blog delivers something of added value to your customers. Therefore, every post needs to include topics and comments that demonstrate what your business is most passionate about and which gives your customers something more than a hard sell.

It’s also important to avoid the pitfall of blogging because you ‘ought to’ and allowing your posts to fall into the white noise online.

With this in mind, it’s important to plan your blogs. They may coincide with holidays and events or perhaps draw inspiration from particular times of the year. Having a plan will ensure that your blogs meaningful and relevant, and they demonstrate to your customer that there’s a human element to your business and online presence.

In addition to this, there are many other benefits to having a blog besides customer satisfaction and increased sales. Google recently updated their search algorithm to give precedence to websites with fresh, regularly produced content rather than stagnant web pages. This means that keeping a regularly updated blog is vital for your rankings on Google searches. Boosting your website in this way will help to pull your website up and increase organic reach.

Secondly, blogging = key content. If you’re running social media accounts with limitations on word counts and content, then it’s important that these accounts direct consumers towards your blog, where you are much freer to craft blogs which can act as a support frame for the rest of your website.

This will lead to increased website traffic, increased engagement online and an expansion of your brand awareness. Blogging not only increases customer engagement, it also gives you an opportunity to showcase your abilities and services.

Case studies and special feature articles within your blog can establish your position in the industry and set you apart from your competitors.

It’s important to remember that you don’t have to blog every day, but blog regularly enough that readers know when they can expect your content. Make a solid blogging plan and get going to reap the rewards!