It seems numerous social media outlets and the Internet are the proven “go-to” and reliable news source for most, but which sources are actually here to stay? There’s one online strategy that can benefit many companies and give them something they strive for – an edge.
Blogging.
There are myths that could cloud someone’s perception of a company blog.
“Blogging will never last in today’s world,” – “It’s just a fad,” or “blogging isn’t actually legitimate content.”
The truth is, they’re just myths.
Section Editor for HubSpot.com’s Marketing Blog, Ginny Soskey, pointed out in her piece, 7 Deadly Blogging Myths: Busted, “Blogging’s been around for decades … and it’s not going away anytime soon. Why? It’s not just a cushy job that only super successful, Fortune 500 companies can employ. Blogs can drive actual business: According to a HubSpot study, B2B companies that blog only 1-2X per month generate 70% more leads than those who don’t blog.”
Shannon Mallon of blogworld.com suggests that blogging is the future.
Why blogging is the future
Blogging provides businesses, especially smaller ones, with an opportunity – an opportunity to portray some authentic and genuine attributes for their audience to see. That authenticity vibe creates a voice for companies that give them ‘that edge’ and viral recognition they may be looking for.
In Mallon’s post, Why Blogs Are the Future for 2014 and How to Prepare Your Blog for the New Year, she recalls a few solid characteristics that blogging possesses…
- Blogging provides relevance.
- It gives businesses the chance for them to show-off their work, accomplishments, discoveries, and services they have to offer.
- It gives businesses a genuine voice to gain the strong attention of their publics.
- It is a useful tool for updating your audience with news.
According to Content Marketing Institute’s 2014 Report for B2B content marketers, “62% of marketers still see blogging as an effective content strategy.” Think about it, with everyone trying to become more visible on search engines, blogging is a great approach to meeting that goal. Blogs help generate that web-traffic you’ve been striving for. It’s a great strategy for companies that are looking to improve their SEO.
Although, people don’t like to read as much in-depth content, people still actually do read, which gives blogging an even bigger advantage. A blog is the perfect system to relay any information to viewers with the perfect amount of content that won’t shy them away, and will have them looking forward to viewing more posts in the future.
How blogging can be beneficial
Now that you have a blog, there are certain strategies you should be looking to use for the future that will benefit your company. Mallon made some suggestions on how to better prepare your blog for the future.
Here are four of Mallon’s suggestions that I’ve elaborated on:
- Social Media: As referenced before, social media is a go-to source for any content, so posting your blog to social media is a top priority. Sharing content over Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, readers, etc. is more than likely where you will build your viewership and other connections. Blogging and social media go hand in hand.
- Blog like you talk: Who wouldn’t take interest or want to do business with someone who writes how they talk. Having that “voice” apparent in content opens up new doors. It sets the tone for a company – and creates a positive image. People are always looking for something they can personally relate to and appreciate.
- Benefit the reader: Offer something in your content that will have your audience coming back – useful tips, personal experiences, building off breaking news and analyzing it, plus testimonies are some key things to think about including in a blog.
- Having specific publics in mind: The goal is to build relevant viewership, with targeted publics. Before publishing your post, realize who you are trying to attract and connect with. Once your blog is live, create social content that incorporates relative hashtags and keywords. Maybe you mention another product or company, tag them and give them a shout out.
Blogging provides businesses with an opportunity that can set themselves apart from competitors, by offering something unique. With the overwhelming amount of content being posted online, how much of it actually provides a genuine voice like a blog can?
Blogging is here to stay.