Blogging is one of those online marketing concepts that at first blush seems like it ought to be at the top of your “Let’s Give it a Go” list.
Then, the saner side of your brain clears its throat.
Because you soon realize starting a blog is a lot like getting a puppy: it’s cute, it’s adorable—and it takes more of your time, energy, and patience than you ever imagined.
“One and done” won’t cut it: You’ll need to publish “early and often” to gain real marketing traction from blogging. Think marathon, not sprint.
So, why bother?
Because it can eventually pay off in a big way. You can see that desired traction building momentum as your posts percolate through the Web. And after months and months of effort, your blog is “suddenly” an overnight success!
How will you know? Here are 5 indicators that your blog has become rocket fuel for your online marketing.
Emerging Expert Status
Blogs aren’t typically direct sales pitches to target audiences—but they are a way to make a business more attractive.
That can happen when you publish high-quality, informative content that showcases your business knowledge and expertise. With your blog posts, you’re able to position your company as an “industry leader,” which builds credibility and trust among your audience.
Because of the great content you’re publishing, people might begin to associate you with the products or services you offer. You may start getting tags in social media, or see links to your posts on other sites. And maybe, you’ll begin getting contacts saying, “I saw your post on the web—I’d like to know more about you.”
Growing Brand Awareness
Branding isn’t just for national companies—it’s just as vital for small and mid-level businesses. And, it’s not that complicated a concept either: Branding is what makes your business unique and different from your competitors and attractive to buyers.
The content you publish on your blog not only informs, entertains, or inspires your audience, it also emphasizes what makes you stand out from everyone else—i.e. your brand. Hitting those notes about your brand values consistently will help you make a more memorable impact on your target audience.
Increased Website Traffic
Your website is the nerve center of your online marketing—but only if people come to visit. You can pay to get them there with targeted ads or boosted social media posts. Or, you can also attract traffic organically with fresh and relevant content.
Consistent blog content has the potential of building an audience that in turn attracts more visitors to your site. Coupled with search engine optimization (SEO), you could see your traffic numbers increase, along with your sales leads.
Higher Search Rankings
Let’s go a little deeper on optimizing your posts for search. Although the foundation for SEO is including relevant search keywords, meta descriptions and tags, there’s one more element related to the kind and amount of content you publish.
The major search engines—Bing, Duck-Duck-Go, and, of course, Google—all use bots called crawlers to browse the web for relevant content related to a particular search term. What they find helps determine what pages come in at the top of a search engine results page (SERP).
One thing crawlers like is original content…lots of it.
The more original content you provide on a consistent basis, the friendlier the search engine’s algorithm could be to your site. Thus, regular search-optimized content could bring you higher up on SERP pages, leading to (drum roll) more organic traffic for your site.
More Audience Engagement
A good company has sales—but a great company has loyal customers. To gain them you’ll need something more than excellent products or services: you’ll also need to form a deep connection with your target audience.
Blogs are a great platform for fostering communication between a company and its audience. Readers aren’t consigned to being content consumers only—they can also participate by leaving comments, sharing posts, and interacting directly with your company.
If you’re conscientious about your blog, not only in publishing great content but also in interacting with your audience, it can go a long way toward building a following around your brand.
•••••
A well-planned, well-maintained blog could be a versatile tool in your overall marketing approach. It’s not a standalone, but works best when coordinated with the rest of your online and offline marketing.
In many ways, though, it can carry its own weight—potentially to add even more oomph to your company’s growth.
David Webster is a copywriter and consultant who creates online marketing content for clients.
You can learn more about David’s services at webstercreative.com
