Are blogs still relevant? Aren’t there more important things you could be focusing your efforts into?
The simple answer is:
Blogs are just as important now as they were 5 or 10 years ago.
Sure, other digital marketing strategies may bring in more immediate short-term results (such as Facebook Ads or Google Ads), and some people may not read long-form written content at all. But we are playing the long game here.
Here are five reasons why you should update your blog on a regular basis (or add one to your website if you haven’t already!)
You “own” your blog and website
It’s important to diversify your digital marketing efforts (whether it’s using social media, paid advertising, SEO, website, blog, funnels, email, podcasts, webinars, or other content). Because if one of these goes down for whatever reason, you still have the other channels to keep your business afloat! Any of the social media platforms could go down at any time, which you have zero control over. It’s what we call “rented” space on the interwebs. But with a blog, you have 100% control of that space!
Important for SEO
Search engine optimisation remains one of the most powerful digital marketing strategies.
The basic gist of SEO is: A regularly updated blog on your website, that utilises appropriate phrases or keywords, will help your website rank higher in the search engine algorithms, like Google. This means that people searching for your products or services online are more likely to come across your website if it’s more visible in the search engines (especially if it’s on the first page of results).
Display your expertise
Writing blog posts that convey your expertise can build trust with your audience. For example, if you offer a professional service (perhaps you are a counsellor, or real estate agent, or a mortgage broker) visitors to your website will want to know that you know what you’re talking about! A blog is a great way to illustrate this.
Educate your audience
Not only will website visitors be assessing your expertise, but they will also appreciate being educated and informed on the topics that they care about. By helping them learn and giving them value, you’ll help build that relationship as they go through their buyer journey.
Shareable on other channels
By writing regular blog posts, you can share these in your social media and email channels. You can also repurpose these blogs and create “snacks” of content using tips or main points from throughout the blog. This means you increase the longevity of the content and get the most out of the hard work you put in to writing it in the first place!