Blogging culture has really taken off since the late 90s. You’ve seen the pages…food or style bloggers that have catapulted their viewership to tens of thousands of followers.

Companies have followed suit, and in today’s digital world, creating and maintaining a company blog can be a powerful and dynamic marketing tool, especially for a young business. If done right, blogging will add value to your online presence and serves as a personalized point of communication with your customer.

So if you’ve been wondering if adding a blog to your website is worth it, here are five reasons why you SHOULD be blogging.

Three letters…SEO

Plain and simple, blogging increases SEO for your site. Search engines love fresh content, so updating your blog regularly increases your chances of being found online. Think about it…every blog is one more page of content on your site, and one more opportunity to show up in a search engine.

Create a voice and connect with your followers

Yes, you might already connect with your customers through social media. But blogging goes even deeper. This is your chance to truly differentiate yourself from all the other businesses out there that might provide the same product, service, etc. You can create a unique and original voice that will connect and appeal to your customers.

Bonus — you can promote your blog on your social media channels, and send your blog readers back to your social sites. Blogs and social media are digital BFFs.

Instant feedback

A blog is like a virtual corkboard. You add content, and readers can immediately reply with their feedback and thoughts. It’s an instant, low-cost way to see what your customers want to see from you without an extensive and sometimes costly research campaign.

Offer your expertise

You know what you and your business has to offer, now share it with the world. If you create solid content with value, you can aquire a devoted following that will keep coming back.

Think about all the messages you see on a daily basis. It’s safe to say, Americans are experiencing an information overload. But if you show credibility and establish yourself as a trusted source, readers will take note. And one step further, if you become a “go-to” source for someone, this could also lead to multiple referrals.

If you don’t know what to write about, think about feedback you’ve gotten from customers. Have you received a question, concern or comment multiple times? You have the chance to connect with people on real situations, real life problems, and ultimately, real life solutions.

Loyalty

Recently, PR powerhouse Edelman conducted a study of Gen Y consumers and found that 80% will keep coming back once they find a company they like. Consumers today are looking beyond price when deciding where to spend their money. Corporate responsibilty, connection, even humor matters. If you can spark an emotion and appeal to your customer base on a personal level, you will create loyalty for your brand.