Is blogging still relevant in 2023?
5 reasons why every business owner needs a blog
Wondering whether business blogging is still relevant in 2023?
The short answer is – YES!
Just the other day, a close business owner friend exclaimed “Blogging feels dated to me – like 2010s. Everyone is talking about social media content now. So blogging feels like old news…My brain thinks blogging is only relevant to those who have SEO requirements to meet.”
While I know her opinions are shared by many other business owners out there – it’s actually far from the truth.
Please remember this key bit of information:
One blog = a core piece of content that can be repurposed in many ways for your business.
In other words – blogs act as springboards for your content marketing strategy.
I’m pretty sure you’ve heard about content marketing? If not, it’s basically the organic strategy that builds your visibility in the online word. That involves consistently showing up and sharing valuable content to build that ‘know, like, and trust factor’.
And writing a monthly or fortnightly blog for your business gives you a fantastic starting point!
Let’s delve into 5 reasons why you need to blog in 2023:
Provides great content for socials
When my clients request blogging services from us, I always recommend an upgrade to a blog and social media package.
Because simply uploading a well-written blog to a website – and hoping Google finds it and spreads the love – seems like a waste of time and money to me.
I’d much rather know I’m supporting my clients to repurpose that valuable information by providing 5 social media posts (with graphics created in Canva). They can then schedule those posts across 5 days, 5 weeks, or even 5 months if the subject matter is evergreen. (Meaning the content isn’t time sensitive and likely to be relevant well into the future.)
A decent-sized blog (like 1,500 words or so) has the potential to become approximately 15 social media posts, reels, and stories. Possibly more!
How do I do it?
Simply search for the gold nuggets of advice from within your blog. These nuggets could be featured in a couple of sentences or paragraphs.
You then turn them into standalone written or video posts.
If the key points don’t make sense on their own, you might need to tweak the content slightly. Otherwise, you can extract content straight from the blog.
Just remember to add a link to the published article at the end, encouraging the reader to check out the full version to find out more.
What does this mean for my business?
If you always find yourself struggling to come up with content to share on socials, this is a game-changer! You’ve already put in the effort (and money if outsourced) into writing a blog – so you know the posts extracted will be of a high-quality.
It’s a much better practice than (illegally) throwing together a post while sitting in traffic – after the sudden realisation you haven’t posted in a while.
You can be a lot more proactive this way and schedule content in advance. Yes, you can create ad hoc posts as well. But having these blog-derived posts scheduled offers the peace of mind that content will continue to appear in your newsfeed throughout the month.
Gives you a reason to email your distribution list
If you thought email marketing – like blogging – was dead as well, I’m here to remind you it’s not!
I’ve personally experienced the following situations:
- ‘Old’ clients reaching out to me after months (or years) for a new project after receiving my monthly newsletter.
- Long time followers joining my workshops or webinars after hearing about these events in an email.
- A subscriber telling me they barely open my emails, but I remain top-of-mind because my name regularly pops up in their inbox.
- A fellow business owner telling me they love my ‘email energy’ and to keep up the great work.
Oh – and I have a low unsubscribe rate as well.
So when it comes to blogging, I highly recommend sharing extracts and links in emails. Because writing articles isn’t just a Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) exercise.
My key piece of advice? Don’t just write blogs for those ‘cold’ potential customers who stumble across your words after a quick Google search.
You need to also write for your ‘warm’ existing audience – the current and past clients who already love you. This includes the potential customers who have downloaded your ‘thing’ in the past or attended one of your free (or paid) webinars and workshops.
I think many business owners forget about writing for these ‘warm’ people. But writing blogs and sharing them via emails provides the opportunity to continually remind them of your expertise. And ensure you remain top-of-mind as the go-to person in your industry.
How do I do it?
There are a couple of ways to share your blogs in an email.
- Mention the blog in your e-newsletter – among a mix of business/service/product highlights and updates, recommended tools, and special offers.
- Create a standalone email that focuses on your latest blog. You could include the first couple of paragraphs, followed by a link to read more on your website.
What does this mean for my business?
Sharing your blogs via emails gives you a reason to reach out to your audience – for non-salesy purposes. And people will appreciate it. They won’t unsubscribe if you continue to provide value.
If you haven’t sent out any emails to your database in a long time, this strategy provides a great excuse to reach out again and reconnect!
Enhances your SEO
As mentioned earlier, blogs are well-known for enhancing your SEO.
Everyone still uses Google. And ‘Googling’ and ‘Google it’ are familiar terms that have become part of our everyday language.
I’m about to share a glass-shattering piece of information. (Fans of ‘How I met your mother’ will get that reference…)
When you do a Google search – what do you usually see in the results?
The answer is – blog articles.
Yes, of course you see the sponsored links and occasional links to ‘Services’ pages. But in most cases, you’re seeing blogs. Because search engines, like Google, love ‘em.
Because published blogs = fresh website content. And that means the information is more likely to be up-to-date and relevant.
As a result, this type of content is given a mighty push up the rankings. Search engines want to deliver the best possible information – so people keep coming back to conduct more searches.
While it’s hard to suss out Google’s algorithm (which is constantly changing anyway), you have a chance to appear among these searches if you’re writing content that provides solutions to pain points.
And remember pain points = what people are searching for.
In other words, keyword phrases.
(You might be familiar with that term…I’ll write another blog on that topic soon.)
How do I do it?
When you write a blog, make sure you have one key pain point/keyword phrase in mind. Feature it in your headings and in the body of your text.
Just make sure you don’t repeat the same words too often. That’s called ‘keyword stuffing’ and Google will catch you out. (Humans hate it too). Find ways to say the same thing in different ways. This also helps you to be discovered in searches – as every person is different. And unlikely to search the exact same keyword phrase.
Ensure you’ve set up the backend of the blog as well – with the keyword phrase and meta description added.
Label your images with the keyword phrase too. This makes them searchable in Google images.
What does this mean for my business?
If someone finds your blog in a Google search and clicks the link, it means traffic to your website.
And if they’re feeling inspired after reading your fabulous blog, they’re likely to hang out on your website a little longer (hello engagement!) and click around.
And then possibly make contact with you or download your ‘thing’. So make sure you’ve included a call to action (CTA).
Provides scripts for YouTube, podcast, and webinar content
Everyone consumes information differently.
Personally, I’m not a fan of watching educational videos online – but my husband loves them.
And while I enjoy reading, I also appreciate podcasts and learning new things while out for a run or doing the dishes. (Or when trying to tune out children immersed in screaming matches…)
I also sign up for the odd webinar. (And occasionally show up…:P)
And every business owner has a preference for the type of content they enjoy creating.
Maybe blogging isn’t your thing – or your target market’s thing. That’s okay.
But if you plan to make YouTube videos, podcasts, and webinars a part of your overall content marketing strategy, they all have one thing in common: You usually need some form of script or detailed plan of what you’re going to say!
So setting aside the time to write a blog (or pay someone else) is extremely worthwhile to ensure you don’t go off on random tangents when hitting the record button or opening the Zoom room.
The written script also enables assistive technologies to support the hearing or vision impaired. In addition, it works well for those who prefer to skim read content to quickly find the most relevant information.
How do I do it?
Basically, write a blog. The structure will be very similar with headings, sub-headings, definitions, benefits, tips etc.
You can then read it out as a script. The trick is to sound like you’re not reading it though…which can be a challenge! I recommend reading through the content a bunch of times before hitting record so you’re very familiar with it. Or writing the blog/script in its entirety and then creating a summarised version that forces you to be more conversational.
Then publish the blog beneath the video on YouTube. And insert a link to the video on your blog page. This covers all bases.
What does this mean for my business?
You end up with at least two great pieces of content – a blog and a podcast. Or a blog and a video.
Or a blog and a webinar.
OR – you might even repurpose your blog into all three. #Winning!
By uploading the content to various channels, you extend your reach to potential clients. And people will appreciate the different channels available to consume the same valuable information.
Worried about duplication? Don’t be! If someone reads your blog and later chooses to tune into your podcast or webinar on the same topic, the key messages will be further lodged in their brain. And you’ll remind them that you’re the go-to person for the subject.
Provides a great starting point for your first (or next) book
Almost everyone I talk to in the business world has either written a book (or several!) or they’re keen to write one.
Well, if you start blogging regularly – and maintain focus on the same or similar pain points in each one – you could eventually turn that content into a book.
It could be an eBook (providing the opportunity to build your mailing list) or an actual published, grab-it-off-the-shelf book that you’re extremely proud of.
Think of it this way – one blog = one chapter in a book. Or at least part of a chapter, depending on how long it is!
If you’ve always wanted to write a book, you don’t need to see blogging and book writing as two separate exercises. What if you could combine them into one consistent activity each week? (Or even each day if you’re super committed!)
How do I do it?
Think about the overarching theme of your book. What are the pain points of your target market (aka potential readers) and the solutions, knowledge, and past experiences you can bring to the table?
Map out the sections and chapters of your book. And then break these into bite-sized chunks – aka blog articles.
Then write a blog every week or every two weeks. (The Blogging Bootcamp can help keep you accountable if you need it!) It comes down to when you want to be published and working backwards from there.
The whole book writing process suddenly feels less overwhelming, huh?
What does this mean for my business?
When you’re a published author, you score heaps of points on the Authority Meter. And it gives you a springboard for professional speaking opportunities – including onstage events, networking groups, and as a valuable podcast guest.
Books are fantastic for building that know, like, and trust factor. If someone fully immerses themselves into your world of knowledge and experience, they’re even likely to commit to your big ticket events, programs, and courses. (I know this is the case for me!)
If you can slowly build that game-changing book via consistent blogging, you come out as a winner. You’ll feel a fantastic sense of achievement and also have lots of great content to share in the published and SEO space.
Still think blogging isn’t relevant?
If you’ve read through this blog and still not convinced, I’d love to hear your thoughts by commenting below or popping me an email.
Otherwise, let’s make 2023 the year you create a strong blogging strategy for your business!
If the idea of writing an engaging, SEO-friendly blog (that’s structured nicely) freaks you out, or if you struggle with consistency and need some accountability, The Blogging Bootcamp would be the perfect solution. As a combined ‘do-at-your-own pace’ course and membership, you’ll quickly learn how to write and repurpose blogs to build more leads for your business.
Find out more and join here – www.thebloggingbootcamp.com.au
