Blogging is not dead. In fact, it is a means of spreading the word about your business organically.
Believe it or not, people read and believe the information on the internet. When was the last time you used Google, Yahoo, or Bing to search for an answer? A minute ago?
You are at the right place, we’ll look into all the reasons why your ecommerce store needs a blog. Let’s jump right on in.

Budget-friendly marketing

Blogging is a long term investment but it is worth every minute of your time. You may not be able to see immediate results, however, the growth of your business is based on the foundation of value-based content.
Blogging is a non-salesy way to bring a stranger into your circle of trust and expertise.
People don’t like to follow overly salesy brands instead they cherish brands that tell interesting stories.

Increase your customer loyalty

When you constantly provide high value and researched content you not only continue to maintain a strong online presence, but you are letting your potential customers know that your business is thriving.
With that said, the more you give the more loyal your customers will become.
If you take anything away from this article, let it be this: Know, Like, Trust principle is the secret ingredient to blogging for a business. People like to buy from companies that they trust.

Tell your WHY

Give your brand a voice. Among all the ways you can market, blogging is a highly-effective means to stand out among the competition.
When you blog for a business you are ultimately telling a story and that is how you differentiate yourself from others.
Share your business character, vision, and personality to gain the interest of strangers.

Build lasting customer relationships

Ultimately, blogging is a fancy word for building relationships.
Writing consistently helps to strengthen the trust between you and your customers.
And if you are not on someone’s radar, blogging will make sure you will get seen.

Establish an authority in your industry

Become a go-to place on the web. You will want to establish an authority in the industry you are in.
If you think you can’t add value, know this, there is always something to talk about no matter what industry you are in.
Make sure your blog provides relevant and useful content tailored to your audience.

Increase search engine visibility of your website

Paid ads live on the web for a hot minute but high-quality, researched, well-written, and reliable content will live on the web forever. Which one do you think is the better option? Small businesses that have a consistent posting schedule are more likely to increase their search visibility.

Use Relevant Keywords

Insert relevant keywords that customers will search for, such as “daddy-daughter T-shirt” or a “dinosaur-themed T-shirt”. Here’s how to optimize you store with keywords.

Naturally acquire new customers

Create content that is about helping not selling. Customers use Google, Bing, and Yahoo to find answers, so the more content you can provide the more customers you’ll attract.

Things ecommerce sellers can blog about

The possibilities are endless. Let’s take a look at some of the things you can write about.
Blogging about things you find interesting will not only waste your time, it will also not help you be successful. Write about topics that your audience are most interested in.
For inspiration, take a look at the first page of Google to find a source of topic ideas that people continue to be interested in.
I suggest focusing on evergreen content that can live online for a long time.
“Evergreen content is search-optimized content that is continually relevant and stays “fresh” for readers over a long period of time – as the name implies.”

• Break news about your latest products
• BTS of your business (entrepreneurial lifestyle, challenges, etc.)
• Share practical advice relating to your business with fellow online sellers
• Checklists
• Giveaways
• Opinions
• Passions
• Short-form tips
• Testimonials
• Answer prospect’s common questions about products and your business (Add photos, diagrams, and videos to better explain the common questions)
• Comparison articles
• Expand on product descriptions
• Highlight people who make your business successful (customers, family, freelancers, etc.)

Put your own spin on it

Blogging isn’t anything like writing a paper for a class. Be more conversational and show off your personality. After all, personality is what makes people come back for more.
One of the most important components of rich content is originality. Strive to address topics that have not been addressed yet, even if you are not an expert on the topic.

Repurpose content

Blogging is a great way to reuse and resurface improved content. When you learn something new, you can add knowledge to an exciting post to strengthen the already indexed SEO page even more.
Here are some ideas that you can start implementing into your publishing schedule to repurpose already existing content.

• Update seasonal content with trending information.

• Reformat old posts into different mediums: podcast, infographic, freebie, quiz, webinar, video tutorials, newsletter, Twitter post, Pinterest board, PowerPoint presentation, slideshow, etc.

• “10 Tips to……” – Break down each tip into its own, in-depth post. 

• Round up past content with a common theme – 10 of Our Top Holiday Blog Posts Up to Date.

• Increase your exposure by publishing your content on other platforms (Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tumbler, Quora, etc.)

• You may want to give guest posts a shot. Make sure to have established in-depth guidelines so the content you receive is up to your standards.

• Create a new page dedicated to showcasing all of your popular blog posts  (best of, start here, our finest, top, etc.)

• Reformat posts to make them look more polished and easier to digest.

Every blog post should include

• Subscribe button
• Social sharing buttons
• Call to action
• About the author bio
• Add links to related content at the end of the post
• Comment Section

How often should you blog?

The frequency of blogging depends on the type of industry you are in and how much time you are willing to devote to blogging.
Before you start comparing yourself to industry standards, decide on how much time you are able to dedicate to writing rich content on a consistent basis.
Once a month? Daily? Find out what works and stick to a strict publishing schedule.

Monitor the performance and adjust the content accordingly

Metrics are pure gold, without metrics, you can’t know how to grow.
Monitor analytics to see which posts are the most popular so you can optimize/repurpose those posts for a better reach.
With metrics, you can provide useful content that actually serves your audience in a way that keeps them coming back for more.

Create opportunities for link sharing

When your blog grows so does the opportunity for link sharing.
The more traffic you drive to your content, the more likely you are able to secure exchange links with other services (designers, mockups) in your industry.
This not only increases your exposure but this form of marketing helps other small businesses with exposure too.

Exponentially grow your email list

Before you start asking for emails you must first convince your audience you are worth it.
Give them some kind of incentive for signing up for your newsletters, whether that is a freebie or product promotions.
Think of creative ways to give them a reason to sign up to receive your emails.

Get started

Do you have a blog on your store? If so, why did you decide to get started?