Is blogging still relevant? The numbers certainly say so.
There
are 70 million new posts each month, and 42% of
the web is built on WordPress alone. As a result, blogging is still a prominent
part of an online marketing strategy.
In
fact, in a recent survey, out of all the content marketing modes out there,
such as videos, infographics, ebooks, and online events, 90% of businesses used
blogs to help market their brands within the last 12 months.
But,
how are they accomplishing this with the overload of content on the internet?
Well,
they can achieve this with the right strategy and by focusing on the priorities
surrounding blogging, such as SEO, and taking time to understand their
customers, which we’ll discuss in a bit.
But
if you’re getting into SEO or have been a content marketer, you may wonder if
it’s still worth building out blog strategies or spending time outsourcing
blogs. Well, it is.
Even
though social media has become an essential part of content strategy, that doesn’t
mean blogs have been left in the dust.
Blogging
brings in more traffic and can help build brand awareness and authority. And
those leads and traffic turn into customers and help create an audience.
But
making influential blogs that meet your company’s objectives is another topic.
So,
while they are important, it’s crucial you take time to create an effective
strategy that engages and grows your audience and entices people back to your
brand’s website.
Why Is Blogging Still
Relevant?
Now,
let’s learn why blogging is essential for brands and the strategies top brands
use to ensure their blogs are influential in the ever-evolving age of online
marketing.
1.
Blogging Builds Loyalty And Trust
As
mentioned, blogs help build loyalty and trust. But how?
Providing
advice and reliable information that consumers can use will establish authority
on the topics you discuss.
Blogs
are a great way to slowly nurture your audience and prove your expertise when
it comes to your industry and product line.
An
essential part of improving content is the E-A-T concept, which stands for expertise,
authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.
While
it’s not a ranking factor, Google shares that E-A-T is essential to its
algorithm and how it analyzes and recognizes content.
This
means your content needs accurate, informative, and helpful information
throughout the content and site.
2.
Blogging Increases Visibility
The
next part of building great content is making sure it is search engine
optimized. Blogs that answer the questions consumers are asking about in your
industry are helpful for SEO.
Additionally,
incorporating keywords throughout your captivating and unique headings and
subheadings, as well as your well-researched unique content, is a sure-fire way
to help increase visibility.
Internal linking is another way to increase
visibility. Link building throughout other pages, blogs, and product pages on
your site can help build brand visibility, awareness, and authority.
It’s
also important to look at the length of the blogs that are comparable to the topic
you are discussing to ensure you’re fully covering the topic and meeting the
length that will help you rank on search engine results pages (SERPs).
Images
are another great way to enhance your content and visibility, which we’ll talk
more about later. Now, let’s get into brand awareness.
3.
Blogging Creates Brand Awareness
New
and original content can make your brand more prominent amongst the rest of
your competitors.
When
they are searching for answers to their questions or want to learn something
more, your brand is at the top of SERPs, giving them the information they need.
The
more you invest in blog strategy, the more potential you have to grow brand
awareness not only for SERPs but through shares across social media.
4.
Blogging Generates New Leads
If
consumers like your content, they will likely want more.
It’s
an excellent way to get new leads by having them subscribe to your email listing.
This
way, it’s less intrusive than having them like an ad that prompts them to sign
up for an email listing to get a coupon.
While
this can be a great tactic for leads, blogs help build a connection before
asking for their information.
If
they choose to read through your content on your site, they already like your
content and want to learn more. There’s more of a relationship with your brand
through the unique, helpful content.
You
can then incorporate the subscription opt-in pop-up at the end of the blog or
when they scroll, so they can quickly enter their information and keep reading.
5.
Blogging Drives Engagement
One
of the goals for most content marketers is to continue building relationships
with new and existing customers.
Blogs
provide more shareable content than just your products or service posts for
consumers to share with others across social media.
It’s
a great way to educate customers, provide tips or how-tos, and create more
connections with your brand.
Over
time, slowly reminding consumers of your brand through your content can help
convert readers to long-term customers.
In
addition, blogs can add interesting points to the customer journey and offer
different opportunities to share your content.
Finally,
it engages consumers with topics they are already interested in or want to
learn about, creating more excitement for engagement.
6.
Blogging Allows You To Understand Customer’s Needs
Generally,
consumers don’t have ample amount of time to read blogs, so it’s important to
find what will resonate with them to keep them on the page.
Trying
to put yourself in the customer’s shoes and answer their queries is what blogs
are made for and can benefit both you and the customer.
This
way, you have taken the time to further research and understand your target
market, and they get the information they need.
Blogs
also offer an inviting space to leave reviews and feedback. You can find great
areas for improvement and new ideas for blog engagement.
For
example, maybe someone left a question, and that question creates a great topic
for another blog post.
It
is excellent for future inspiration, connecting with customers, and
understanding their needs.
What Is The Future Of
Blogging?
Blogging
has undergone quite a transformation over the years in the strategies to
optimize it and the best practices to engage with readers.
Google Trends shows that
content marketing and blogging merge at some point, although the focus is now
shifting to content as a whole.
Simply
inputting keywords and what you think Google wants to hear isn’t enough.
All
content needs to be expertly crafted and well thought out.
So
now, let’s dive into how you can reinvigorate your blog content to ensure it’s
hitting the mark.
How Can You Adapt To The
Changing Times?
When
it comes to blogs, the baseline to focus on is quality over quantity.
Don’t
produce blogs just to produce them because you think it might help with your
brand’s visibility.
Search
engines have evolved just like blogs have and are better at evaluating content.
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