Over 409 million people view more than 20 billion blog pages each month. Despite these statistics, headlines such as “Is Blogging Dead?” resurface again and again. Why do so many marketers question the value of blogs in today’s marketing communications arsenal? In part, the answer might have to do with changes in how blogs are defined, which blog practices are followed and how this specific tactic fits into a company’s overall marketing strategy.
What Defines a Blog in 2021?
With varied opinions and conflicting research, some experts believe blogging has declined in popularity compared to other types of digital content. KoalaRank’s Arrigo Lupori, however, argues that the confusion lies in language, and that blogging isn’t becoming less popular, but the word “blog” is. According to Lupori, a wide range of terms like blogging, vlogging, digital content or influencer marketing fall under the wider umbrella (and newer concept) of content marketing. “The way blog posts are consumed today is wildly different compared to how they were consumed ten years ago,” Lupori says. “Bloggers have to adapt and create new business models if they want to keep achieving consistent results with their blogs.”
So, while the blog may not look the same as it did 10 years ago, the communication effort is as important as ever. Blogs have evolved into a convergence of varied digital communications formats including text, image, video and audio across multiple platforms. A successful blog integrates with all your company’s marketing initiatives and creates a consistent stream of communication from your brand.
Best Practices in Blogging
The best way to achieve a return on investment on your blogs is to consider the following practices:
- Understand why your readers are reading blogs. To remain relevant, blogs need to fulfill a purpose and engage your target markets. Consider what your target markets need and seek to provide readers with something of value. In a survey conducted by HubSpot asking users why they choose to read blogs, the results showed:
- 33 percent read blogs to learn something new.
- 20 percent read blogs to be entertained.
- 12 percent read blogs to discover news or trends in their industry.
- Nine percent said they’re driven to read blogs for all of the reasons given.
For these reasons, seek to create content that is informative, entertaining or educational, or accomplishes multiple purposes.
- Balance frequency with quality and depth. Because blogs are flexible and shorter in length, it is easier to blog frequently, providing your website with the fresh content that is essential for lead generation and SEO. Remember that consistency is important, so if you decide to blog every week, be sure to stick with that schedule. Further, blog content competes with the many other high-quality posts produced daily. In fact, 38 percent of bloggers say one of their biggest challenges is creating quality content consistently. Bloggers are spending longer on each post every year between ideation, research, interviews, writing and editing. In 2014, bloggers spent only two hours on a blog post before hitting publish. In 2020, the majority of bloggers spent more than six hours on each post. Seek to strike a balance between the frequency of blog content without sacrificing quality.
- Align blog content with your brand and mission. Blogs are an opportunity for organizations to showcase expertise, build rapport and position the company as a leader in your marketplace. Ensure content reflects the mission and vision of your company to remain brand-aligned, boost visibility, attract qualified leads and demonstrate thought leadership. Integrate your blog topics into your overall marketing strategy to leverage the channel for all that it’s worth. If you haven’t developed this strategy yet, that’s a good place to start.
- Distribute across the channels that your target market frequents. Don’t assume that your target audiences will come to your website looking for content. For blogs to reach the right audiences, they must be shared across the channels that connect with your readership. These mediums include email newsletters, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Share blogs with relevant networks, influencers, employees and executives who can reshare. A distribution schedule is a key element to consistently delivering high-quality content to the right audiences at the right time and in the right place.
- Use storytelling to create a connection. Digital messaging bombards readers from every angle and on every device. To build critical and personal connections between brands and buyers, storytelling can bridge the gap between an unfamiliar company and a loyal customer. When it comes down to it, emotion is at the heart of every buying decision. When writing your blogs, use storytelling that taps into feelings to generate enthusiasm, encourage positive purchase decisions and generate more engagement. Connect with your audience through authentic experience. Build and showcase the relationships and memories that lead to the growth of your business.
Yes, Blogs Are Still Worth It
Blogs have been around in some format since the early days of the internet. But just because something is longstanding doesn’t mean it is an easy nut to crack. Lisa Toner, director of content at HubSpot, says it isn’t enough to simply have a blog in today’s digital content world. “You need to consistently create content that is more valuable than your competition’s content. You need to be an SEO expert to get your articles ranking on page one of Google, and you need a distribution strategy to promote your content across all the channels your audience likes to consume content on.”
As one of the most cost-effective marketing tools available, blogging is essential to your company’s success. It’s an opportunity to connect with and understand your audiences, generate content that shows the voice of your business, position your company and its leaders as experts in your industry and capitalize on a tremendous opportunity to create content that will provide long-term digital results.
