Can Blogging Really Benefit Your Outdoor Business?
Sure, you’re a business owner, but you’re an outdoor business owner. All your customers really want is to spend time outside. They’re not sitting around reading online articles about your new line of jackets- Right?
Don’t be so sure. Here’s why blogging is so important. Especially for outdoor brands.
You may have a perfect image in your mind that describes your ideal client. They’re eco-friendly, not afraid to take risks, and love hiking and backpacking. And they’re not as worried about getting their daily shower as the average Joanna. From that picture, they don’t seem like the type of person that really cares about your brand’s online content- especially not blogging. Let’s dive a little deeper and you’ll be surprised by just how important consistent blogging is for your outdoor business- and your customers.
How Blogging Benefits Your Outdoor Business
Let’s get down to it- why should your outdoor business have a blog? As you know, the marketplace is becoming increasingly digital. Especially with the current covid-19 crisis. I know, you’ve already heard it, but the future is online. Blogging is one of the best ways to make sure your outdoor business doesn’t get lost in the noise.
Blogging, when done correctly, uses SEO (search engine optimization) to help your website show up in the right places. - Where your customers are looking. This works by targeting keywords that are relevant to your product or service in your blogs. This leads to increasing your chances of showing up when your customers are searching for you. Consistent blogging builds your SEO strength over time, meaning the investment you make in blogging only increases through the years. Doesn’t it sound nice to have your customers coming to you instead of the other way around?
Besides utilizing SEO, having quality blogs that are long enough to provide new and useful information creates a new page on your website. This gives your website more ‘depth’ and gives Google a reason to crawl your site again. Crawlers search for new information and re-rank your outdoor businesses’ website with each addition. Websites that offer quality information, the more the better, are the sites that Google prioritizes and ranks higher. This means that your blogs should focus on more than keywords or trendy topics- they need to offer quality information. The more consistently you blog, the more often Google crawls your website and re-ranks your outdoor business. If your goal is to show up at the top of search results, blogging is a key to success.
Blogging is also a surefire way to build and strengthen your outdoor businesses’ image, voice, and credibility. Want to showcase your sustainable values? Highlight your brand’s eco-friendly packaging decision in your next blog. Hoping to lighten up your brand voice? Add some humor or sarcasm to your post. Looking to build trust? Explain the technology behind your latest piece of gear. Blogging is a place to speak directly to your customers. So take advantage of this opportunity to tell them what you’re all about and share why you’re valuable.
Why Blogging Benefits Your Customers
Great- blogging can help your business by boosting SEO and website ranking. But at the end of the day, bringing value to your customers is the true way for your outdoor business to be successful. It doesn’t matter if you rank #1 on Google if your ideal customers don’t trust you, like you, or think your products are beneficial for them.
Making a purchase for an outdoor product is different from other industries in several ways. First, outdoor goods are typically higher priced than other products your customer buys. If your business focuses on sustainable production and sourcing, chances are that your products are even more expensive than your competitors. You need to showcase your worth so customers know why they should spend the exta cash. Secondly, outdoor gear can literally be the difference between life and death for your customers. Especially if you’re offering technical gear for climbing or mountaineering. Even something that seems simple, such as a waterproof jacket, makes the difference between a great backpacking trip and a miserable one. With these things in mind, your customers need to know that they can trust you and what you’re offering them. Blogging benefits your customers because it answers their questions and calms their fears. It solidifies the value of your product by showing it’s quality, technology, and benefit.
Along with answering your customers’ questions, blogging offers valuable information and insider advice. Whether your customers are heading out on their first hike or their 100th trek, there’s always something new to learn about the outdoors. By blogging about topics that your customers want to learn about, you’re offering value beyond your products. As professionals in the outdoor industry, we know the value of lessons learned in the outdoors. And we know that sometimes the littlest tips make all the difference. The outdoor industry is growing at a record pace, with more people headed outside than ever. While it’s exciting to see more people exploring the outdoors, misinformation is everywhere. Now more than ever, customers are looking to the outdoor businesses they trust for the information they need to recreate safely and responsibly.
With the constant motion of business and the recent curveballs of covid-19, blogging might be falling off the radar for your outdoor business. Don’t lose out on this opportunity to bring in business, retain existing customers, and build up your relationship with your community. Implementing quality blogging means you’ll spend less on pay-per-click advertising and have more to offer the existing customers you already have. Remember, acquiring a new customer is, on average, 5x more expensive than maintaining an existing customer. Blogging helps you retain a relationship with your loyal customers. And it attracts new customers at the same time. Talk about a win-win.
If you’re not sure how to get started, hiring a professional copywriter might be just what your outdoor business needs.
Looking for a trusted copywriter that lives and breathes the outdoor community?