The article “Do You Really Need a Small Business Blog” from Small Business Computing answers it’s own question with a resounding “Yes!” Maintaining a blog for your small business may seem like an unnecessary addition to your to-do list, but there are more benefits that you may think. Just one or two posts a week can help raise your company’s profile on the Web, build word-of-mouth marketing, and more, making it a worthwhile investment of time. Not to mention, it’s free! Here are five reasons to start blogging:

1. Improve search engine results. Because Google is calibrated to find the most relevant and updated results, having a blog on your business website will benefit your search engine optimization. Regular updates will keep your site near the top of search results.
2. Establish your industry expertise. Treat your blog more as an informational platform that a promotional tool. By sharing your industry knowledge, you can establish yourself as an expert, making your business a logical choice for potential customers.
3. Leverage social media platforms. A blog provides another opportunity to drive viewers to your social media profiles, and vise versa. Blog posts make for great content to post on your social media accounts. If your blog is compelling enough, your fans will share the posts, thus spreading word about your business. Don’t forget to include social media share buttons on your blog!
4. Create a FAQ database. Turn your blog into an added benefit for your customers by making it double as an FAQ section. Make posts with tips and advice about your products and services and include links for more in-depth information.
5. Gather customer feedback. Enable comments on your blog to make it another avenue for receiving valuable feedback. You may get negative comments from time to time, but it’s always better to have the chance to address criticism rather than letting it go unheard.

Click here to read the entire article from Small Business Computing.