Why is Blogging Important for Businesses?

Did you know content is one of the most effective ways today most of the companies are being found on the internet? With the increase in the number of searches happening on search engines like Google and Bing, the companies have started realizing the importance of content distribution. Just having a website is not going to generate any business. Google and other search engine have defined an algorithm in such a way, that, it crawls through the web pages and also, the more active the web pages are, the more chances that your business will be spotted on the internet.

There was a time when companies spent a huge amount on promoting their website through Search Engine Marketing to get noticed. But, today, SEM Ads are executed only if there is a major campaign shout out! Most of the companies are going back in time and giving a lot of importance to SEO.

How would a company choose to distribute content on the internet?

BLOGGING? Yes, brands need to start focussing on generating more content to be found on the internet. The content can be shared in form of blog articles across different social media platforms and help the brand gain visibility. But, before just speeding up to start writing the blog, there are a few things to remember and start off with.

How to strategize a content marketing plan and start blogging?

Step 1: Check if your business has a blog page?

If No, one needs to first create a blog site, having your brand name on the URL. For example: If your brand name is The Marketeers Blog, ensure your blog URL contains your brand name. This is one of the SEO practices too! Best blog sites are: WordPress.com, Medium, Blogger, Tumblr.

Step 2: Create a content plan:

It is always easy to get started, but to be consistent is a major challenge. So, brands should first work creating a content marketing plan. One needs to research on what kind of content is available on the internet referring to your business type, do a competitors research on what kinds of blogs have been posted by them. Based on this, create a monthly or a quarterly plan and start on accumulating blogs so that the blog site is not inactive. The best practice is to post one blog in a week.

Step 3: Analyze the channels to publish your content:

Well, the internet is all about content distribution today in form of articles, images, infographics, videos, and podcasts. There are many content distribution sites where your brand can publish the content and get noticed. Rather than being present everywhere, pick the right platform that would suit your target audience. Lately, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Quora, YouTube, Tumblr, Medium, Slideshare are the most preferred content distribution sites. Finalize on which platform would suit your business and then share your content there!

How do I get started with blogging?

Step 1: How to write the content?

After creating a blog site and a content marketing plan, one needs to get started with content writing. Sometimes, the one who creates the content marketing strategy and the one who creates the content might be two different individuals. So, it is always better to mention certain essential keywords to focus on. This will keep the SEO part intact. Use keyword planner tool and check for the best keywords that would support your blog. Note: Do not practice keyword stuffing though, as it might pull down your webpage’s rank.

Step 2: Check for plagiarism:

The internet is filled with content, and many individuals practice the easy side of copy-pasting content from other sites. It is a big NO NO! Brands should focus on writing curated content, and it is always better to check for plagiarism, as in case of content duplication, your site might be ranked lower.

Step 3: Add Excerpt and Meta Tags:

This is basically for SEO purpose. A small snippet of what your blog is about might help the search engine understand and match the user’s search term. Having the right keyword here might help you in getting more views.

Step 4: Add Images and Videos:

It is always a great practice to add images, infographics, GIFs and videos to your content, as this keeps the engagement level of the content high. Also, add image title and image tags for SEO purposes.

Step 5: Final check:

Ensure to check the content thoroughly without any grammatical errors. There are many English check or language check sites that help in proof-reading the content and provide with suggestions and content change, if necessary.

Step 6: Publish your Blog:

Yes, after the final touch now is the time you can publish your blog!

Step 7: Share it across channels:

After posting the content on your blog page, understand the right time and best day to share your content on social media channels. Be it Medium, Facebook, Quora, Pinterest, YouTube or any other content site, share it where your audience can find you apart from Search Engines.

Step 8: Measure your Blog Views:

The next major step is to analyze, which platform helped you get more users to your blog, if people subscribed to your blog, if people visited your website, if people attempt to purchase if people made a purchase if people shared, liked, commented, etc needs to be evaluated. Be it a positive comment or a negative comment, always ensure to reply to the user than ignoring, because that shows credibility. At the same time, also analyze which day of the week and time of the day helps in getting more views.

So, start slow and see how blogging and content distribution helps your business grow and also helps your brand create a presence in the online world.