Why should you bother blogging?

I thought it was only right that I write this article because I get SO many questions about blogging and why you should do it. Mainly,

• What actually is a blog?
• What do I blog about?
• Why should I blog?
• Is a blog suitable for my business?

You can use a blog for just about anything relating to your business, and it's an ideal way to attract visitors to you who may not have found you otherwise.

You could use it to share expertise, share more information about your company like a behind the scenes type of thing, you could share an in depth history behind your stock, you could share projects that you're doing, share examples of where your stock has been used to decorate a home, or you could even just use it as a news and events page - the blog is your oyster!

Blogging can have a massive benefit in terms of SEO, and getting hits from Google and social media which is why it can be a brilliant tool if used properly.

You may also hear blogging referred to as content marketing.

What is a blog?

A blog is a website or a webpage sharing a writer's own experiences, observations, opinions or information. They often have images amongst the text and they also may have links to other websites as well.

What you can blog about

Anything!

As I mentioned before there are no set rules as to what you can blog about. It depends on what you'd like to share and what interests you and your audience. For example if your company specialises in restoration or reclamation then you could share specific pieces you have restored, the history behind them and what you did to restore them. You can then also add before, during and after pictures of the transformation!

It's also really useful to blog about something you might have a particular area of experience in.

If you have a good back history on any of your stock, you could write up on that as Appley Hoare has done in her article about Arras Garden Furniture, or as Robert Marris has done in his piece about Patch Stands and Tazzas.

You don't even have to call your blog a blog. It can be called anything from "Diary" (Spencer Swaffer is a brilliant example of this), to "Notepad", to "Gallery" or anything of that nature.

If you have a lot going on and have frequent updates and events then it's a great idea to use the blog to keep your visitors up to date! If you exhibit at lots of fairs, it's a good way to let people know your whereabouts and what your company is upto just like English Salvage do with their blog.

There's lot's of different topics that could provide your customers with value or entertainment, e.g:-

• How to care for your Antiques/ Vintage/ Militaria items
• How to know if your item is genuine
• The history of (insert title here)
• Restoration projects
• Behind the scenes at (insert company name)
• Meet us at (insert fair name here)
• How to style your (insert item name here)
• How to date your (insert item name here)
• Interior design tips
• A write up about how your stock has been used to decorate a home (including pictures)

Why should you blog?

Blogging is great for a number of reasons, but one of the main reasons is that it positively contributes to the 'voice' of your company/brand and adds an element of personality which is always a good thing when it comes to business in the 21st Century. A few other great reasons are:-

SEO (eg, Google!)

Blogs are great for your websites SEO. Publishing a new blog posts counts as updating your website and with all of the text you'll have in your blog post there's a lot of additional keywords you may have in there, that could get picked up by Google searchers who usually may not have come across your website!

Blog articles are also likely to be shared on social media.

You'll stand out, build rapport and establish authority

• We all know how important building rapport is and blogging is the 'virtual' way of doing that. Building rapport creates trust and trust creates business relationships, leading to sales. Winner winner!
   
• Only 1% of Internet users actively create new content, acording to the '1 percent rule', while the other 99% of participants just view it. By actively using your blog, you will stand out from the other 99% that don't and that's super important when the internet is getting increasingly competitive.
   
• By blogging about topics related to your industry, audience and what you do, you establish authority in your field.
   
• Having a blog is the modern day equivalent to having a business card back in the 80's, it boosts your image and makes you look even more professional.

Attract an audience

Blogging enables you to reach  a lot more people than just your website alone. Writing about different topic associated with the Antiques, Vintage and Militaria industry can get you traffic that possibly wouldn't normally come across your website, which is great news!

Using your blog is a great way of attracting an audience as your blog provides something of value before asking your potential customers for anything in return. You could eventually convert your audience into friends, partners or customers by creating a blog that provides value. Even if it is just for entertainment purposes.

Your blog and Social Media

It's important to get your blog out there of course and send it out in a mailshot in addition to sharing to your social media accounts. 

Our website managers enable you to share your blog post straight to your Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and more.

How to share your blog posts

For each blog article you create, make sure you:-

1) Post it a link to it on all your social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest etc). For Instagram, put the link to your latest blog entry in your bio

2) If you have an email mailing list, share a link to the article with your email mailing list

3) Post a link to it in any other networks or forums you use

4) Make sure your website's blog has a facility to share the blog post on social media (our websites do)

It works!

Here's the research....

• Content marketing (blogging) costs 62% less than traditional marketing and generates about 3 times as many leads
   
• 72% of marketers think that branded content is more effective than magazine advertisements.
   
• The most effective SEO technique? Content creation (blogging)

And... well, you've read this haven't you? And this is our blog so if you've gotten this far it must work!

 

Above: Spencer Swaffer's Glossary of Antique Dealer terms... a very funny read!

How we can help

Great news! Our websites have an integrated blog, which means there's no fussing with building an additional website to blog on, no posting links here and there, just write your post add your images and you're off! 

It couldn't be easier. Contact us today to find out about how to use your blog on your website. Or f you'd like to discuss a new website with us, just get in touch

Happy Blogging!