Should you invest in a blog? Is blogging even still a thing?
Yes and yes. At least that is our opinion and the opinion of marketing and branding experts everywhere. Content marketing is still king. It is still one of the best ways to connect with customers and build credibility in your products or services.
That’s why businesses are investing more than ever on high-value content. In fact, 57% of content marketers report that their budget has increased over last year.
For businesses who are just getting their feet wet in content marketing, a blog is most definitely a great place to start. Consider the benefits:
Blogs build trust
The best blogs are educational and conversational, not promotional. They offer real advice that benefits readers, while subtly pointing them in the direction of products or services.
Because they aren’t pushy and full of sales speak, customers and prospects are more likely to read the posts and see the blog as a trusted source of information. The more they learn from you, the more credibility and trust you gain.
Blogging brings traffic to your website
Your blog gives you a regular opportunity to drive search engine optimization (SEO). Because people are likely to scroll past the first page or two of search results, you want to be ranking as high as possible, so that people find your website.
Every time you include keywords in a post, you boost your chances of ranking higher in Google and other search engines.
Quality posts generate publicity
When you are regularly producing well-written articles that are full of great advice, people spread the word. Other online sources will backlink to your website, and people will share posts via social media.
Your content—and website—can end up in front of people you’d never reach via traditional marketing efforts.
Without a blog, social media is so-so
The goal of social media, for businesses at least, is to engage people and get them talking about your brand. If you don’t have regular blog posts to share with them, what will you share? Promotions? If all you do is promote products, you will quickly drive them away.
Other people’s content? Why would you work so hard to drive potential customers to someone else’s website? Instead, drive people to your website with regularly updated content.
Blogs are less risky than larger, more in-depth content pieces
Whitepapers, ebooks, videos, webinars and other assets are amazing and can be instrumental to a content strategy. That said, they cost more money and time to produce. If they end up being ineffective and don’t drive the results you want, that’s time and money wasted.
Blogs, on the other hand, are relatively easy to set up, maintain and edit. Plus, they offer you the opportunity to test content ideas to see which topics resonate before you develop more expensive assets.
One thing to keep in mind: Even though blogs can be less formal, you still need outstanding writers to develop the content. Badly written posts that don’t benefit the reader and poor grammar and spelling will only damage your brand. If you can’t invest in a professional writer or you don’t have someone with expert writing skills in-house, it’s probably best to hold off until you can hire someone.
Consumers want content
Ultimately, consumers want trusted sources that help them make better, more informed decisions about how they spend their money. You can offer them that by creating a blog on your website, and we can help. Contact us today to learn more.