If you think that blogging is unnecessary or a waste of time, your brand is destined for a slow suicide. Blogging is one of the most important things you can do -- for your brand and for yourself. Here's why...Blogging makes you a better salesperson. I am constantly writing sales pitches via Twitter (a microblog), Facebook, and this blog. It is a unique opportunity for me to formulate these pitches, state them precisely, and recite them clearly over and over again. If you can practice this online, you will also be able to do this easily and confidently in person.
Blogging gives your business a face. A website tells people what you are. A blog tells them who you are. For instance, when people who have never heard of iVi Scents go to our website, all they know is that we sell nontoxic bath and body products. It wouldn't be appropriate to tell them anything else there. But a blog is different. It is a place to share your company's culture, charity projects, events, photos, and employee shenanigans (hopefully they have some).
Blogging forces you to focus. Every day, at the end of the day, I have to sit down and recap my day. Was it productive? Was it fruitless? Did something amazing happen? I am accountable to all of these questions, which means if slacking occurs, I have to own up to it. Likewise, if I am focused and productive, I have lots to be proud of.
Blogging allows you to test your ideas. When I first started iVi Scents, I would rack my brain trying to think of ideas for scent names and new products. Then one day it hit me -- I could ask my followers on Twitter! They solved in two minutes what took me two days! In fact, two of my products were named by a follower this way. The iCing Body Frosting, one of our best selling products, was one of them.
Blogging increases traffic to your website. Unlike your website, your blog is updated with content often. This is the stuff search engines crave! They scour the internet looking for change, something only blogs can provide. So give them what they want, and they will return the favor.
Blogging makes you a better thinker. There is nothing more embarrassing than doing something stupid, except doing it in front of billions of people. This is completely possible when things get uploaded to the internet. To avoid as many embarrassing moments as possible, you find yourself really thinking about your content and your ideas. It may not prohibit you from making a mistake, but it ensures that they don't happen as often.
Blogging makes you more creative. Sitting down at the end of every day and making yourself come up with something to write about taps into the right side of your brain -- the center of creativity -- and allows ideas to flow. After practicing this daily, your creativity will begin to come more naturally and quickly. This will translate into other areas of your business as well.
Blogging keeps you up to date with the latest trends. In an effort to come up with as much fresh content as possible, I try to stay abreast of what's going on in my niche, in social media circles, and in real life. This helps me to keep my business in line with these trends as well.
Blogging makes you a better networker. There's nothing like logging into your blog account and seeing that people have commented, read, or subscribed to it. Seeing these people happy fuels me! Prior to starting iVi Scents, I had absolutely no networking experience, but after building a large network of people via Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube I can now network with ease. Virtual networking skills easily translate into the real world.
Blogging allows you to have a chronological record of your business growth. I was advised to keep a personal journal about the growth of iVi Scents but failed to do so. I really wish I had, especially when I get discouraged. You are going to need something that reminds you how far you've come during those difficult times. It will encourage you beyond measure. Plus, you should also have accurate records, so when the media asks you to film your success story you're prepared!
I challenge you to start a blog and write every single day. You can set one up on Blogger, Wordpress, Typad, or a Facebook Fanpage. You will soon discover all of these things I have mentioned are true! If you are inspired to start a blog as a result of this article, please mention it in a comment below!
Aarin Elizabeth is the founder of iVi Scents | Nontoxic Bath and Body
Get these helpful business tips delivered to you by email
