Is blogging headed for intensive care?
Even worse, do we invoke the R-word?
Is blogging still relevant in a social marketplace of increasingly image-centric, highly mobile consumers, constantly juggling different tools and platforms and, perhaps most importantly, very short on time?
When social media turned the tables on traditional media, leveraging low-cost blog frameworks to create alternative news vehicles, many proclaimed the press release dead.
The press release is still alive and well, though most companies now realize news announcements aren’t going to generate instant headlines or immediate media response.
Truth be told, they never really did. Press releases remain an important vehicle for freely and fairly delivering (read: no exclusives or insider advantage) official company news content, now with a potent SEO kick.
Though the frequency and focus of blog posts may be adjusted and tweaked to accommodate evolving business objectives and consumer preferences, veterans concur that blogging is still a vital marketing strategy that can be integrated with other social media networks.
It’s not an either-or business decision.
10 key recommendations and points to consider for your business blogging roadmap
1. Reaffirm the objectives of your business blog
It’s a marketing tool and an SEO magnet. But how do you want your blog to contribute to your marketing plan?
- Is it driving traffic?
- Is it driving conversions?
- Is it helping brand awareness?
It could very easily be all of the above.
Too many businesses have blogs simply because their competitors do or because they heard they should. This results in stale blogs with no brand identity or voice.
Understanding your why’s will motivate your team and help you adjust your blogging strategy to what is important to your bottom line.
There’s no reason why you can’t integrate your content with major social networks, resulting in highly fluid digital partnerships.
2. Get feedback
Query business colleagues and fellow professionals. You will be surprised by the input and generosity.
The “pay it forward” philosophy has knocked down many traditional competitive barriers. Blogger forums are perfect for getting professional feedback and ideas.
Tap the knowledge base in LinkedIn business groups. When it comes to social media business tools and strategies, there aren’t many secrets.
But also ask your customers! What will they find helpful on your blog? Customer-centric blogging is the way to go. This is what Google has been telling us for years!
Keep an eye on your branded search too! Use your blog to rank for brand-driven queries and control that sentiment better!
3. Get help
If you don’t have time, hire a content consultant or a designer/coder to help with the writing, editing, site add-ons, or a complete makeover. Even teen entrepreneurs offer amazingly cost-effective, high-quality, off-the-shelf solutions and services.
You don’t have to hire a team of CSS/PHP programmers. Low-cost expertise nowadays is in your time zone.
Plus, the future may be pointing to frictionless blog frameworks requiring no coding.
4. Your blog is what you own
Blogs are highly portable and customizable. Your blog is also your asset that will not be taken away from you regardless of changing social media posting rules or the political climate.
Making your blog the center of your content and social media marketing means solidifying your online presence.
If you are considering closing down your business blog and moving to Facebook, get a second opinion.
5. Focus your content better
Take a lesson from Journalism 101, where students are taught that the history of World War II can be written in three sentences. The digital attention span is measured with micrometers. Keeping your articles shorter may be your blogging sweet spot.
Bloggers who are cutting back on output volume are suggesting focused content and niche audiences, i.e. market segmentation.
Make your articles focused, intent-driven, and helpful. No fluff.
It will also help you make business blogging more doable and budget-friendly.
Organizing your upcoming topics also helps maintain an active and effective blog. Try building your calendar around upcoming holidays and observations:
6. It is – and will be – all about quality and authenticity
Blogs generate leads and increase company exposure, especially for smaller businesses looking to expand market awareness.
No matter how you slice it, quality content and a site demonstrating your company is a serious player trumps cold calling any day of the week.
7. Authenticity never fails
Quality is very subjective. You can create rubrics for your writers to follow, have high writing quality standards, and pay a lot of money for each article.
But it may still be not enough.
What many people don’t realize is that what works is authenticity.
Whether it is being authentic in your effort to be helpful or showing the true culture of your company – people love and follow authentic brands. In the AI world, where we often deal and communicate with machines, real human touch will win every time.
Whatever you do, be genuinely serious about being useful and helpful. You cannot fake authenticity.
8. More control
When all is said and done, a blog reflects your company’s brand. You control the text, the images, the audio, and the video.
You can blog 140 characters or 1,400 words. You don’t have to be like everybody else or match your blueprint to the status quo. Your blog is your digital business card that you fully control, unlike any other marketing channel.
9. Make it your community-building tool
Your company blog can be a vehicle for nurturing loyal communities who opt-in to email lists and special content offerings.
It’s a means of developing more personalized relationships with customers and followers via content that may not fit the framework of Facebook or X.
Spotlight your customers, share company news, and reward your most loyal brand ambassadors. You make your own rules here.
10. Blogging rules were meant to be broken
Has blogging lost its luster? In some way, yes. However, digital marketing has changed a lot throughout its short history. It’s more about changing the ways you do things than quitting.
Recommended Reading
How to Transform Visitors into Buyers through Holistic SEO
5 Proven Traffic Generation Steps Every Small Business Owner Should Take
What’s your take on business blogging?
Are you still blogging?
If so, more or less frequently?
Let’s chat in the comments!
Header Image: Pixabay
This is such great, sensible advice. I’m glad to see you weigh in on it because it’s definitely a questions we all need to ask ourselves occasionally — which of our online assets make sense and serve us well and which ones don’t. It makes good sense to me to continue to have your own piece of online real estate.
Ann, thanks for this excellent contribution to the debate about business blogs. I still blog, sporadically. I’m feeling more inspired again, now.