Adding a blog to your website takes work, but it can pay multiple dividends.
By Craig Irons
I recently spent some time with an outdated edition of a book on blogging published in 2010. (It may or may not have had the words “For Dummies” in the title.) I mention the publication year because I was struck by the authors’ (Susannah Gardner and Shane Birley) description of the blogging stereotypes of the day.
“The blogosphere has absolutely no requirement that you must write your blog while wearing your pajamas. Also, you’re allowed to use a spellchecker.”
“I talk to a lot of people … [who] have the impression that all blogs are written by navel-gazing cranks with an axe to grind or by 12-year-old girls.”
Yes, there was apparently a time when blogs were largely the domain of those who wrote stream-of-consciousness online diaries or manifestos. And these folks also had little concern for correct spelling, capitalization, or punctuation. (There was also a time when the term “blogosphere” was probably more commonly used than it is today.) These bloggers are still out there, though the teenage girls have likely moved on to TikTok or Instagram while the pandemic made blogging in one’s pajamas acceptable.
Over time, the business world began recognizing the value of the blog as an incredibly flexible platform. A blog can support marketing, enhance brand building, and make it possible to speak directly to customers. As a result, blogs have become a ubiquitous feature of many business websites.
Even more important is that people really do read blogs. According to a study by HubSpot, 60 percent of people read at least one blog a week.
I would bet you are among them. After all, what are you doing right now?
To Blog or Not to Blog?
But what about your business? Do you really need a blog on your website? I suggest there are at least five reasons why an on-site blog makes sense.
It’s an easy way to add new content
It’s been speculated that Google, when delivering search results, gives more weight to sites that feature fresh content. Every time you add a post to your blog, you add fresh content to your site.
In fact, think of blogging as a way to continually update your site. And the best part is you don’t have to go through the time and effort you initially invested in getting the rest of your website content just right.
You can position yourself as a thought leader
Writing blogs that you publish to your site can position your company—or yourself or your company’s other leaders—as trusted experts. Whatever your business—concrete, professional services, robotics, office equipment—your audiences need information and have problems to solve. Your blog can help them by filling those information holes and offering solutions. In the process, they’re more likely to think of you first when they’re in the market for what you sell.
You can go deep on topics
You only have so much real estate on your website. Between your value proposition, your mission and values, your offerings, your customer testimonials, and your contact information you’ll never have enough space to talk about everything. You’ll also never be able to cover topics in as much detail as you’d like.
A blog affords you that opportunity.
Want to talk about the three biggest problems in your industry and how to tackle them? That would make a perfect blog topic! And you can write hundreds of words about it.
A blog allows you to address specific segments
Having a blog also enables you to pinpoint and address various market segments. For instance, you may mention on your site that your solutions are a great fit for the construction industry. But on your blog you can talk specifically about topics of interest to residential construction companies. You can then turn around and write blogs that address the commercial construction sector.
And if your company pivots to serving business in other industries you can tee up blogs that reflect your business’ new direction—and any new market segments you want to go after.
You can provide helpful information to your readers
It’s okay for your onsite blog to be self-serving and to (subtly) position your company and its offerings in a favorable light.
But never forget your audience and why they may choose to read your blog. You need to give them information they will find useful and that helps them solve problems. (This is the function of content marketing, and a blog is a great way to engage in this invaluable marketing practice). Not matter how well-written your blog is, if you aren’t providing value to your target audience, you aren’t going to be successful in growing that audience or teeing up potential customers.
Having a Blog on Your Website Is Worth the Effort
While there are numerous payoffs to having a blog on your website, creating and publishing a blog does require planning and effort.
From a technical standpoint, your web manager or digital team should be able to add a blog to your existing site without too much effort.
On the content side, if you understand your target audience, know what you want to blog about, can write compelling copy, and have a sound strategy for how you will get your blog in front of readers, there’s nothing stopping you from getting started. But remember, to build an audience you need to commit to creating new blog entries on an ongoing basis.
Even given the effort required, a blog is not only a great addition to your website, but an important tool that can benefit you and your business in multiple ways.
Need help launching or creating content for a blog? Irons Strategic Content has years of experience with B2B blogs. We have the expertise to work with you to formulate and execute on a blogging strategy that meets your business needs. Contact us today at info@ironsstrategiccontent.com.
Craig Irons is President and Lead Content Creator for Irons Strategic Content.