When blogs first appeared, they were personal diaries or places where people shared their opinions on current affairs. Today, blogs have grown to become a veritable resource on a range of topics including politics, culture, food, and marketing. There are now specialized blogs on every topic under the sun, from mainstream to obscure.
Unfortunately, the idea that blogs are unprofessional soapboxes of sorts still prevails in much of the business sector. Some businesses may not see the benefit of having a blog when they can simply put out press releases. However, a blog functions very differently from press releases and can achieve a much stronger marketing result if done correctly.
The Benefits of Blogging
The modern consumer demands more from brands than before. They want to be informed about a company’s contributions to wider society or its positions on key topics. While the website proper may not be a suitable place to launch into a detailed account about a non-profit community event that your company sponsored, a blog is the perfect place to do so.
In short, a blog is a way for brands to connect to their audience. Brands can publish proof of their brand values or reinforce the narrative of their unique expertise. Social media channels can be too brief. Press releases can be too impersonal. Blogs offer an opportunity for brands to explain their message in engaging detail, supported by images, videos, infographics, and links.
Blogs can be an effective way to drive traffic to your website as well. If your post resonates with your readers, it will be shared widely, expanding your audience range and bringing in 67 percent more leads than before. Business blog content can be repurposed for social media, creating compelling hooks that move social media users to visit your website.
Having a repository of knowledge on your blog helps to establish your authority and credibility. The most successful business blogs address questions that their readers may have. By providing useful information and backing up your claims with tangible value, you show potential customers that your brand is one that they can trust and rely on.
In terms of investment, a blog will cost you near to nothing. You already have a domain and hosting package for your corporate website, which often include free blog engines with professional templates. The only cost could be to hire a blog content creator. However, if you already have a digital marketing team, they could probably take on the blog too.
Lastly, blogs have an important technical contribution to your marketing as well. The more bona fide pages you have on your domain, the higher the possibility that one of them will appear in a Google search result. Blog posts are also essential for SEO (search engine optimization) as they frequently receive backlinks that improve your domain rankings on Google.
How to Do It Right
With so much at stake, businesses must ensure that they plan their blogs correctly. While a well-executed blog can have multiple benefits, an amateurish one can harm your brand image. There are several things to know before starting a blog. The most important of these is that you should develop a blog marketing plan.
First of all, consider your market niche and think about the information that your readers will want. For instance, a fashion company can talk about trending styles and a tech company can give time-saving app tips. Broad topics may get you more views but specialized articles are more likely to attract the customer base that you want.
Then, you need to think about how often you plan to post on your blog. You can post daily or weekly, but consistency is key. Plan your blogging calendar and make sure that you stick to it. Many brands hire blog content creators to write posts for their blogs. To add variety to your blog, you can also have guest posts or feature interviews.
Once you have your posting plan set up, it is time to think about integrated marketing. Link to your blog posts on social media and install plugins on your blog to allow readers to share your posts. Your blog posts should include a call to action that promotes your products or services. It can also encourage readers to sign up for an email contact list.
An empty blog looks bad. Prepopulate your blog with at least ten posts before launching it to give a sense of activity. Make certain that all the generic text and images have been converted to your company branding to maintain a coherent, professional image. Use categories and tags to organize your posts and improve SEO.
Brand blogs are powerful marketing vehicles. They build trust and loyalty with customers and bring in new leads each day. While blogging is often overshadowed by social media as a marketing tool, its benefits remain significant. If your business does not have a blog yet, it is time to set one up and show your expertise to the world.