The idea of possessing a blog, originally thought of as merely an online diary, has become more and more important in the business world for use as a web marketing tool.

That’s right – Business owners are taking it to the streets (well… to the virtual streets) and finding that blog use has benefited them. Because of this fact, we have put together a list of some of reasons why blogs should be incorporated into your business plan.

1. Search engines love new information
   A huge reason that business owners are taking the time to blog about it all – business, products, news, etc. – is simply because search engines tend to crawl your site the more often it is updated with new content.
   Blogs create the perfect platform for such updates because not only are you producing more content, but you are also creating useful information for your customers through the articles or blog posts you write.
2. Blogging creates a personable voice
   What would be classified as one of the key factors in running businesses today? Customer Service. Even though a blog does not really create customer service, it does help to create that which goes along with it: a personable voice.
   By creating a personable voice, customers may start to see a business as more than just another company and one that they can actually relate to. Blogs usually provide a business the means to talk in a more relaxed manner, further allowing customers to see that “real” people work there.
3. Blogging lets businesses stay current
   The business world, let alone individual businesses, is constantly changing. Blogs provide a method to inform customers about business news, product highlights, reviews, trends and more in an easy and accessible way.
   Not only does it allow for information updates that keep the business owners from having to modify – or pay to have someone modify – website content, but it also allows businesses to elaborate on topics in a more user-friendly manner. For example, a company might provide an interview with a customer using one of its products on the blog.
4. Blogging opens a forum between businesses and customers
   Through blog posts and comments, customers have the ability to relay their concerns or opinions in a manner that is public.
   Many businesses may shudder at the thought of customer opinions, or complaints even, being showcased to the entire web world, but if other people are able to see that a business reacts in a timely and correct manner to such issues, a business can actually create more loyal customers for the future.
5. Blogging creates a web presence and builds a following
   Nowadays, if your business does not possess a web presence, you will start to be overlooked. Businesses use the web to set themselves apart from other businesses, and blogs are now helping to take them one step further. By creating a blog, a business can really let customers know that it is an expert on a subject and create a more loyal following because of it.

If you are a business and do not currently maintain a business blog, we suggest to start thinking about it. We can implement a blog into your current website or design your new website around a blog.