Blogging, content marketing - whatever you call it, it's the new buzz in the marketing world, and for good reason. While it's not a silver bullet, as part of a good marketing mix, blogging is becoming an increasingly powerful way to generate leads, build brands and educate consumers. It's also the part of marketing that many businesses choose to do themselves - which means blogs can often be left dormant as people get busy and other tasks take priority.
And no wonder - while we know academically that blogging is important, the impacts of not posting can be intangible. You may lose leads, lower brand engagement and miss opportunities, but when compared to hard deadlines to meet, and real bills to pay, it's easy to see why company blogs so frequently go quiet.
However, with most businesses approaching blogging with the same laissez-faire attitude, making content marketing and writing a real priority in your business can give you a significant edge over even much larger competitors. It's an effective way to cut through the noise of big marketing budgets and build a loyal following of advocates. Here's some statistics to back that up.
Improve Google rankings
With a well-managed blog as a key part of your website, you're more likely to be highly ranked in Google. This is because the regularly updated content creates more for the Google algorithms to review, and most importantly, more content for people to read and share.
This increases your organic search rankings, which is far more valuable than buying AdWords: some research indicates that organic results attract as much as 94% of the total clicks from a Google search.
Blogging alone was named the number one most important tactic for B2B marketing success in 2017.
Improve leads and sales
Content marketing is a demonstrably effective tool for lead generation. 47% of consumers read or watched 3-5 pieces of content before making a purchase. For B2B customers, 80% would rather get information from a series of blogs rather than ads.
It's well known that B2B marketers who use blogs as part of their content marketing mix get more leads than those who don't. Small businesses with blogs generate 126% more leads. So regardless of your business, the numbers agree - an up-to-date blog will generate leads and sales.
Build your brand, breed loyalty
Smart, insightful, original blogs will position your brand as a thought leader, and connect with your audience. Keeping your blog up to date with relevant, educational content will help build deeper relationships with your audience. Share topics that demonstrate your vision and culture, and show you understand your audience's pain points. Statistics confirm the value of blogging in this area.
Get your name out there
When you accept that quality writing should be the status quo, blogging is often a pure numbers game. The more regularly you can share useful and interesting content, the more people will see, read and share it.
The opportunity is waiting. Position blogging as a priority in your business, and you'll immediately see the benefits - reach new audiences, demonstrate your company's expertise, win hearts and minds, generate more leads and sales.
And if there simply is no more time in the week, talk to us about creating and implementing an editorial plan of high-quality targeted content. Get touch with the team at The Selective.