Why blogging matters right now.

I used to say I think in terms of tweets. I can’t do long-form content consumption, my brain just doesn’t work that way.?TLDR is big with me.

But lately...

I notice people wanting more in the content. The caption isn't enough. People want better storytelling. And longer content is being written. And even, I, famous for “can someone give me the Cliff’s notes version of this?” have been reading longer pieces… trying to learn more.?

So, for a time blogging wasn’t necessarily en vogue and small businesses weren’t really paying a lot of mind to the practice. But there are three reasons why we have always said blogging is a necessary part of your marketing mix and is directly tied to your social strategy. Those reasons are:?

1. Blogging allows new content to be published on your website. This tells Google and other search engines you matter, that you have fresh content and your website isn’t stagnant. If you create an editorial calendar then you’ll be consistent in your cadence and that can only help!?
2. Having a new blogpost means you have a new page on your website. Which by definition means you have a new place to link from your social channels. The last thing you want is to link over and over and over to the home page or the “contact us!” page. Linking to different parts of your website also supports your SEO.?
3. A blog is YOURS. As much as we’d love to show you all the content we create and share on social, social is what we call “rented land.” That is, you don’t own it. You might own the photo or the video, but the place you published it? Not yours. Which means it could be fair game for someone else to use. And… if something happens to Instagram, for instance, your entire persona and potentially your entire business is gone. So put it where you own it. Keep a blog on your website so that it’s always under your roof. And use social to drive your audience to your website to read it.?

You can also repurpose blogs and use them in a new form on LinkedIn as an article (tip: I do this!). You can also repurpose the topic of that blogpost in a weekly newsletter to your mailing list (another tip: I also do this!).?Make a video about that topic! The list goes on.

Say what you want to say in long-form content. Continue to prove your expertise in a blogpost you wrote (or you outsourced to a company like us to ghost-blog it for you – yes, you still own that content).?

So get blogging. Raise yourself to the level of expert with your words.