"Don't focus on having a great blog. Focus on producing a blog that's great for your readers." Copyblogger - Brian ClarkAs a small business owner, you’ve probably read headline after headline telling you that establishing a good blog that engages your readers is essential for success. However, you may have also stopped to ask yourself, “how much is a good blog really worth in the scheme of things?” As it turns out, a lot. Your blog will not only drive traffic to your website, but it will also establish you as a credible resource in your field and help you increase your customer base.

Adding a Human Voice to Your Corporate Approach

While it may seem a bit obvious, one of the main purposes of your blog should be to transform readers into potential customers and ultimately drive them to your doors for your products or services. A good blog gives your company a human voice, and in a society that thrives on interaction, your blog can show your readers your company’s personality, helping to differentiate your company in the marketplace.

Starting a Conversation with Potential Customers

In addition to adding a human voice, a good blog also gives you the opportunity to start a conversation with your readers and potential customers and to engage them on a personal level. After all, making your blog a two-way street by allowing for comments and engaging your readers is a great way to facilitate specific dialogues between parties.

Positioning You as a Subject Matter Expert

Probably the most valuable reason to develop and maintain a niche blog for your business is that doing so helps establish you as an expert in your industry. In addition to winning over your visitors, this can also help you gain more traffic and inbound links, helping you to “own” your niche in search engine results for your geographic area.

In case you need more persuading:

6 Reasons Why Your Business Needs a Blog

Why Your Business MUST Have a Blog

Measuring Results

With all the potential doors a good blog can open, measurable results can let you know which aspects of your blog are working, especially considering that search engines give preference to sites that have fresh, relevant content, and blogging is the easiest way to accomplish this. According to research from HubSpot, 82 percent of companies that blog regularly see a positive ROI. Since proving ROI is a top challenge for marketers, this is a compelling statistic. They also report that 79% of companies that have a blog report a positive ROI in 2013, compared to just 20% of companies who do not have a blog.

If you’re looking for the best way to draw more customers to your door and get found online, a good blog is one of the best ways to experience measurable results. Whether you want to transform readers into customers, improve your bottom line, or both, an engaging blog is an excellent way to achieve your business’ goals.