A blog is combination of two distinct words of web and blog and originally started as a weblog. The phrase came from Jorn Barger in 1997. Since the time the word weblog has been simplified to be just blog.
A blog is a collection of blog posts that are grouped or categorized to be easily found. Each blog post or article covers a single topic, is concise to the point of what is being talked about and will routinely relate to other articles that are of interest to the company hosting the blog.
Now that we have an understanding of what a blog is and a high level understanding of what the benefits can be let's look at the benefits of how having a blog can benefit a your business.
A blog will help build credibility (great for branding)
Having a company blog that contains well-written, insightful content, internet users will be more likely to think highly of your company and consider your company a leader in its field.
People are more likely to purchase products or services from businesses they feel like they already "know", provide consistent and reliable information and are honest in what they post.
Blogging helps you drive traffic to your website (great for SEO)
With each blog post you create additional content for your website. This new information will produce new text which allows for the potential growth of additional keywords that the search engines can find your information under. Having new keywords and phrases on your website will continue to keep your content current and keep your visitors coming back for the latest news and information.
Your blog will strengthen relationships with consumers & potential clients (also great for customer service)
Business blogs are an informal, easily maintained method for regularly communicating with your current and potential customers. A business blog allows customers to get to know your company, and learn about your products, achievements, expertise, and innovations.
A blog allows your customers to learn about your business. They don't have to be put on hold, or wait for office hours to call you. All of the info about your company should be found on your blog, so customers who have any questions or want to find out more about your business can easily do so.
A blog is one of the best ways to update customers on new products or services being offered. You can also respond to customer inquiries quickly and more efficiently, and you can gain valuable feedback from your readership while using that feedback to make improvements and build a better business, as well as business relationships, with your client base.
Consumers will read your blog posts, and they might comment on them or tweet about them. When you reply, they'll feel more connected to your business, and they'll be more likely to use their hard-earned money to pay for the goods and/or services you're offering.
A blog is an easy method for regularly communicating with your employees (great for business)
In-house staff communication just got MUCH easier. A blog differs from email in that a permanent record of posts is maintained by category. All employees receive the same information at the same time. Also if you have a member area set up you can monitor which employees have actually been keeping up with posts on the blog and keep the information away from public eye.
A blog gives you a voice (great for branding)
Every business needs a voice, and a blog is a simple way to do that. A blog can help manage your online reputation and give your business the voice and authority it needs to thrive.
Other bloggers will link to your content (great for SEO)
If you're writing interesting, high quality content, other internet users will link to your blog posts on their websites and blogs. The more links you have, the more visible your blog will be on search engines. The more visible your blog is on search engines, the easier it will be for people to find your business.
Your blog can save you money (great for income)
Cutting back on your print, radio, and TV advertising efforts and putting more emphasis on online marketing strategies can save you a lot of money.
Fast Communication of current and relevant information
Most businesses don't update their website as frequently as they would always like. A blog allows you to provide up-to-date information to your customers quickly and easily. It's typically much easier to update a blog than your website, and it requires no special technical skills.