Why and How to Create a Blog
Posted by Dechay Watts
When we say “social media,” many people have visions of Facebook posts and Twitter updates, with the occasional image of LinkedIn breaking into the scene. Yes, these are three of the top social media tactics in use today, but what about a blog?
Believe it or not, a business blog is part of the social media family too and comes with its own set of perks. Social media marketing can include any mode of connecting through conversation and blogs are one of the best ways to get a conversation going. In fact, here are 19 reasons why your business should be blogging.
Why no love for the blog?
Blogs are especially useful to discuss topics that businesses are passionate about. Take green living as an example. People are continually looking for resources to learn more about how to live organically without harming the environment. Yet, according to a new Natural Products Marketing Benchmark Report from Pure Branding only 28% of the natural products industry are using a blog in their marketing tactics. The same report shows that Facebook is used by 63% of the industry while 42% embrace Twitter.
We often hear from companies who join Facebook and Twitter for 3 reasons; “everyone does it,” it’s affordable, and "it's easy to set up." Social media may seem like a quick fix for finding customers that speak your language, but it is also an easy way to get in over your head quickly. After a social media profile is set up, the questions begin:
- What do I say?
- How often should I post?
- How do I monitor?
- Where do I find fans and followers?
- How do I make the time?
Getting started in any social media requires some forethought to lessen the chance of falling victim to "empty profile syndrom." So if you're going to use social media as a content marketing tactic, consider starting with a blog. If you need a bit more inspiration, here are a few stats from Hubspot to consider:
- 90% of consumers read blogs.
- Over 70% of consumers read more than five blogs.
- 100% of businesses surveyed that blog more than once per day received customers directly from their blog.
- Businesses that blog are 4x more likely to be found on the web.
- Businesses with blogs get 55% more traffic on average.
5 Steps for Setting Up a Blog
Setting up a blog can be as simple or complex as you want it to be. The down and dirty 5 essential steps are:
- Choose a domain name
- Decide on a platform (Worpress, Hubpsot, Blogger, etc.)
- Incorporate a design
- Create an editorial calendar
- Develop content for blog post
Blogs not only allow you to create a community for your customers, they serve as a central resource for your content marketing efforts. When you are ready to create the content, check out these 5 sources for blog inspiration to get started.
Does your business have a blog? Why are why not? Please leave us a comment about your biggest blogging success or challenge.