In the realm of digital marketing, content is the king. One domain where it reins uncontested is the booming blogosphere.
Bloggers are growing in numbers by the day and it is estimated that by 2020, there will be 31.7 million of them in existence. Business blogging is a newcomer to this stage, but it has already come a long way. This practice associated with a higher ROI than traditional marketing activities. Numerous small brands that blog have managed to drive more leads than those that forgo blogging.
But, just posting something every now and then doesn’t cut it. The level of noise is off the charts and jumping on the bandwagon unprepared will not take you far. You have to embrace a strategic approach to blogging, one that revolves around customer engagement and conversions.
Nurturing relationships
Modern consumers have grown leery of paid ads and readily employ tools like ad blockers.
They prefer organic search and genuine interaction with brands to a constant barrage of sales pitches. This is precisely why blogs thrive: they bridge the gap between businesses and consumers, the gap that would otherwise impede meaningful relationships. They are ranked as one of the most trustworthy sources of information online. Hence, they can serve as a launching pad for marketing campaigns that get people talking about you.
Along the similar lines, one study found that 47% of buyers review 3-5 pieces of content prior to contacting a sales representative. This suggests that content plays a vital role in the consumer’s decision-making process. From a standpoint of your business, this means blogging can form an important part of the sales funnel and serve as a natural progression stage in the overall buyer journey. It makes a positive impression on top of the funnel or pushes people closer to the purchase around its middle.
Separating your brand from the rest
So, essentially, a blog gives people solid reasons to visit your website and other forms of digital real estate you may own. And the more visits you achieve, the more potential there is for reservations, bookings, purchases, subscriptions, conversions, etc. Of course, these benefits neither kick in right away nor by some stroke of luck. Standing out is the name of the game, the only way to pierce through the immense noise out there. In other words, you have to uncover your unique brand persona.
The following step is to familiarize yourself with surefire blogging tactics and major trends. For instance, visual content is growing ever more popular and it is basically a mandatory marketing asset in the digital arsenal. Posts with images receive 94% more views and way more likes and shares. They are simply more engaging than plain text. Still, you don’t want to let images and videos distract from the main body. After all, people mainly share articles because they think they can be helpful to others.
So, employ visuals to amplify your message and enhance your visibility.
While at it, you also need to grasp the bigger picture — web design and layout that encompass your posts. They must complement content in the best possible way and facilitate processes of content discovery and interaction. Note that you can outsource web design to trustworthy agencies to get professional-looking results and conserve resources at the same time. It is a sound course of action for businesses that want to ensure their websites are highly-functional, visually-pleasing, and easy-to-navigate.
Going above and beyond
Furthermore, businesses need to realize that publishing content on a daily basis is paramount. The only problem is that it is also a resource-intensive strategy. Most organizations commit to weekly posts, which is still enough to generate leads. As for those who seek to increase the frequency and efficiency, they can rely on smart tactics such as automating content scheduling and posting. Likewise, it is possible to optimize, recycle, and revamp old content to keep the stream going. Your posts will provide value to you and your customers long after publishing.
Another proof that hitting that “publish” button does not mark the end of your efforts is social media promotion. This is a great strategy to interconnect facets of your online presence, attract more traffic, and engage a wider audience. Again, to really earn the place on the user’s screen, you have to offer value. Address problems people face in real life and make their day brighter with lighthearted and entertaining posts. Soak in the feedback to fine-tune your approach on the go.
This is a chance to forge a strong brand identity and show people what you can do for them.
Snatching SEO spoils
Blogging is by no means inexpensive, but don’t forget that the benefits spill over into other areas of the digital universe.
For example, blogging allows you to reap opulent SEO rewards, such as driving quality leads (who are basically ready to close) and improving your ranking. Believe it or not, websites that have a blog enjoy 432% more indexed pages. This is due to the fact that they publish and update handy information on a regular basis. Also, when you create high-quality posts, other websites are prompted to link to them. Each link gives you a nice SEO boost.
So, it’s time to step up your game. Stick to longer articles (1000+) that tend to perform better in search engines than shorter counterparts. Simply put, Google favors content that is in-depth and is packed with value for readers. Another important thing is to make your posts keyword-focused. However, you want to avoid mistakes like keyword overstuffing. Finally, you have to factor in one huge trend — the surge in mobile searches. Optimize your content for smaller screen through responsive design or other tactics.
This will give you a powerful edge in the new, mobile-first era of the internet.
Ahead of the curve
To gain a strong online foothold in the competitive market, small businesses should consider developing a sound blog strategy. It is crucial to set yourself adapt from similar companies right off the bat. Develop a deeper understanding of people wants and needs, as well as their pain points and problems. Make it easy for search engines to index your pages.
Do more than just temporarily sparking interest — use blogging to arrest attention, build trust, and capture imagination. Take consumers on a stellar journey and they will not mind the least that one of the stops requires them to pay for your products/services. In the long run, you should be able to solidify your image, authority, and bottom line. That’s what you call a win-win.
Meaghan Yorke
Meaghan Yorke is a content writer for DesignRush. These days she is all about researching various IT related topics. When she is not working she enjoys dancing classical ballet.