Blogs can be invaluable to your brand or business. We wouldn’t have a blog if it wasn’t worth it. From the way they give you the opportunity to up your SEO game to providing a steady library of content that you can reuse for social media posts, a well done blog for a small business or brand can end up being more powerful than you might think possible.
“At its most basic, a blog can help you develop an online presence, prove yourself an expert in an industry, and attract more quality leads to all pages of your site,” states Caroline Forsey, manager of Hubspot’s Marketing Blog.
It can be reassuring to know that blogging isn’t about to go anywhere either, and there are stats to back that claim up. Around 409 million internet users read up to 20 billion blog pages each month. And that number has increased by 12% over the last 5 years so we know that the interest in blogs has done anything BUT slow down. What’s more, it has been shown that in the United States people tend to read blogs 3X more than they do emails.
Even if you don’t fancy yourself as a big writer, then you may be happy to hear that you can still keep up a blog. Blogs are more than just lengthy blocks of text, especially today. We’ll give you the details on why blogging is well worth your time and how to make your blogging efforts more than worth your while.
Why bother with creating a blog?
The entire world seems to be all about video content or podcasting lately so you may be wondering if a blog is a good investment of your time and creativity. We get the concern. And, if it is done right, it 100% is worth it. Here are some reasons why:
- Your blog can be a fantastic way for your ideal audience to get to know what you’re about. Rather than learning about you through ads or social media posts, blogs give you the opportunity to dig into the things you are about. Longer, story-form content is what is usually used in blogs which allows you to better show your voice, your ideas, and your values.
- Blogging isn’t just about words. When we say “longer story-form content” we are talking about content that is longer than a Facebook or Instagram post. But this doesn’t mean you have to stick to just words. You can enjoy putting together a blog that uses pictures, and even emojis or videos. Since you aren’t trying to match an algorithm, you can really enjoy making your blog exactly what matches your vibe.
- You are creating a reusable library of content that can be adjusted to work on multiple platforms. We’ve said it before and we will say it again. When you make content, use it to its maximum. You don’t have to use every sentence in each blog. But you can take chosen pull quotes, bullet points, or even a full paragraph and use it in social media posts, email content and more. Make your content work for you!
- Blogging is (usually) free. This is likely great news to anyone on a budget. Paying for ads or even paying to boost social posts can really add up. But a blog is free in a majority of cases thanks to platforms like WordPress, Wix, and others. When you use SEO practices to optimize your blog content, you are going to be able to pull in clients, fans, and customers for free.
- Blogs have a way of benefiting you today, tomorrow, and 10 years down the road. Starting the day that your blog post goes live, it is going to be drawing people to your website. Unlike the rapid decline in interaction that a social media post might see, blog posts can see continuous views and interactions for years thanks to the use of SEO.
What is SEO?
We want to take a moment to explain this term if you aren’t familiar with it.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. Essentially, SEO allows you to pick and use certain keywords in your blog to make it searchable. This allows Google (or Bing) bring up your blog post and website when people search for your chosen term. SEO is one of the best ways to draw people to your content organically.
How to make an effective blog that still reflects your brand
Blogging really can fit into almost any mold you want it to. This is why it is advisable to have a blog for a small business, brand, and even bands. On WordPress alone, over 409 million people view more than 20 billion pages each month. With that many people looking for something good to read, now is the time to make sure some of those people end up on your blog.
You want to be able to hit that sweet spot between meeting SEO guidelines well and making sure the heart and soul of what you do shine through authentically. Here are some tips and blogging tactics to help you get there.
- Stick to subjects that fit you. Starting a blog doesn’t mean you need to force yourself to write about anything that doesn’t fit your brand or business. Find what works for you. For example, a band can write about their inspiration for their latest album or share their favorite stories from a recent show. For a small business that sells alternative items, maybe you can offer tips to style your products or offer a guide for putting together a killer outfit for thrashing in a mosh pit. Maybe your skin care brand can write about how to take care of hands calloused by hours working on the guitar. Find what interests you and promotes what you do and the words will often come more easily.
- Create a strategy to help yourself stay consistent. The one somewhat tricky thing about using SEO is that the more consistently you post, the more likely you are to be more visible when people search for your chosen term (alternative goth jewelry, for example). You are a busy person so don’t try to commit to more than you can handle. Create a strategy that allows you to produce content consistently but doesn’t burn you out. Even writing a post once a month can make a difference. Don’t be afraid to change things up too–after a while you can always adjust to a more data-based content strategy to make your blog that much more effective.
- Don’t force yourself to write more (or less) than you feel comfortable with. You don’t need to cut yourself off early or force yourself to add extra words to reach a certain length. Write authentically and clearly, tell your story, and, if that story is only 300 words with one really sick photo to prove it’s true, that’s alright!
- Try a few different styles of writing to start to help you find your voice. When you start writing and keeping up a blog, you may not know exactly how you want to approach it. Do you want to be funny? Informative? Educational? Technical? Mystical? It takes time to find your voice. Give yourself a little room to try out some different subjects and styles before you post anything to find what matches you most authentically.
- Remember photography! People are far more likely to read blogs with a good photo or two in it. Bolster your blog posts with relatable photos and even video clips if you feel like it. The blog kept up by La Carmina is the perfect example of photography and storytelling coming together in a great way.
- Look around for ideas, inspiration, and guidance. One of the best ways to figure out what you want to do with your blog is to see how other people handle theirs. Take notes of what you like and don’t like and let that give you a place to kick things off. You can even start with the blog you are reading right now.
Keeping a blog on your website may not be the first thing on your radar. That doesn’t mean you should write it off! Consider the payoffs we’ve listed above and see if maybe it might be time to add your thoughts and stories to the internet in a new way. Our team can help you create a blog that is both effective and true to what you are all about.
Contact RM Creative Services by sending a message to info@rachaelmattice.com or visiting our Contact page. Our team will help amplify the real “you” that is behind your brand, band, or business.
Written by Brianna Fries, a California-based writer, editor, bookworm, and mother of two. You can discover more of her work at briwritesthings.com.