Getting noticed online can be a challenge. The digital space is becoming more competitive by the day, both in search engines and on social media. So, to attract visitors to your website, you need to find a way to stand out and deliver value. And that’s a big part of why blogging is important. 

Of course, this isn’t a new concept (not by a long shot). Chances are you’ve been encouraged to start producing blogs many times. But if you haven’t done it yet, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to bring in more leads and increase conversions.  

What the Data Says about the Value of Blogging

If you don’t have a blog on your site, it’s probably because you’re unconvinced that it’s worth the time and effort. In that case, get ready to change your mind.   

Here are just a few statistics that demonstrate the value of blogging: 

• Roughly 70% of marketers are actively investing in content marketing. (Source: HubSpot)
• More than 56% of marketers who use blogging say it’s an effective tactic. (Source: HubSpot) 
• Websites with blogs have 55% more visitors, 97% more inbound links, and 434% more indexed pages than websites without blogs (Source: HubSpot).
• Approximately 68.5% of marketers and business owners surveyed say blogs add credibility to a website. (Source: Social Media Writing)
• Of all internet users, about 77% read blogs. (Source: OptinMonster)

Of course, these numbers don’t explain why blogging is important. So, let’s take a deeper dive into what blogging can actually do for your business.

Why Blogging Is Important

Ultimately, blogging is a critical component of any content marketing strategy. Blogs play a crucial role in virtually every step of the customer journey. That includes building brand awareness, nurturing leads, and converting those leads into customers.  

Here’s how…

1. Blogs Drive Traffic to Your Website

Your website is the hub of your digital marketing. It’s your virtual showroom and the place where you conduct your online business. So, anything that drives visitors to your website will help your business grow.

This is where blogs come in and why blogging is important. Creating high-quality content optimized for search engines and geared toward your target audience will nudge potential customers to your site. The more traffic you receive, the greater your authority and the better your rankings. 

Here are some crucial elements that increase the likelihood of your blogs ranking well in search:

• Topics that are relevant to your target audience
• Well-written, original, and engaging content that interests your readers 

• Content that helps readers achieve a goal
• Images, graphics, and embedded videos to engage readers further 
• Good formatting with headings and subheadings to help readers find information easily
• References to facts that show your information is accurate and reliable 
• Internal and external links to give readers additional information
• Share buttons that allow readers to spread the content wide

2. Blogs Bring in Leads and Drive Conversions

One of the top reasons blogging is so important as a digital marketing tool is that it drives leads and increases conversions. 

Example:

1. An individual types in a question or problem they have in Google. 
2. They see an article from your website in the results. 
3. They click on your link based on the title and meta description. 
4. They read the blog and find it valuable.
5. They click on the CTA and take the next step.  

Of course, this is the ideal scenario. But it does demonstrate a clear path someone could take in engaging with your brand and eventually becoming a customer.   

Internal links and CTAs (calls to action) convince visitors to remain on your website longer, increasing opportunities for engagement. Plus, they are another way of showing search engines that your site has useful information, helping it rank higher in results.

By creating great blogs that feature relevant CTAs, you can move leads to the next stage on the road to conversion.

For example, depending on a blog’s subject matter, you can include a CTA for readers to sign up to get the following: 

• An infographic for reference
• A free e-book on the same subject as the post
• A free or discounted subscription
• A free audit or consultation

When visitors provide their contact information in exchange for something else of value related to your blog, it shows genuine interest and allows you to market directly to them. 

3. Blogs Position Your Brand as an Industry Authority

Another reason why blogging is important is that it allows you to build your reputation as an authority in your area of expertise. Writing regular blogs with reliable and useful information will raise your company profile and improve the way people perceive your brand. 

• You’ll be able to attract more visitors to your website as your blogs rank higher in search, with more people subscribing to your blog and sharing your content.
• You’ll be able to increase conversions since people want to do business with brands that demonstrate they are respected in the industry.
• You’ll be able to grow your business network by becoming a sought-after guest speaker at industry events and on podcasts. 

A reputation is built over time, so it’s vital to publish regularly. You will develop a stronger brand, improve recognition, and establish authority by blogging consistently.

4. Blogs Develop Better Customer Relationships

Blogs provide value to customers between sales and encourage them to stay loyal to your brand. By blogging regularly and notifying your email subscribers and social media followers, your brand will remain fresh in your customers’ minds.  

But your blogs must be interesting to them, or they will likely send your emails to the spam box! 

To avoid this, you need to find out as much about their interests as possible. So, analyze the customer data to learn about their purchases and shopping habits. 

Here are some examples of how customer-focused blogs can help improve and maintain good relationships with clients: 

• Providing tips on how to use a product they’ve already purchased
• Answering common questions or even complaints about products 
• Offering information on the benefits of an upgrade to a product or service
• Keeping subscribers informed about new updates to look forward to

Blogging is important because it also shows that you value customers beyond just making a sale. 

5. Blogs Help with Inbound Marketing

Another reason why blogging is important is that it helps with inbound marketing. After all, inbound marketing is about creating valuable, problem-solving content to build strong relationships with leads and customers. This relies on strategies that focus marketing on consumer needs. 

Blogs are also a great way to get feedback from customers. You can simply add a form at the end of the blog asking readers for their questions, concerns, and ideas. This will show you value their opinions and are committed to improving your offerings for a better customer experience. Responding to complaints and suggestions will further nurture loyalty. 

6. Blogs Provide Content for Social Media

Creating quality blogs is a commitment because you need to do extensive research, and compelling writing takes time. But you can get more value from your blogs by reusing the content for other parts of your content marketing strategy. 

For example, you can break them up into smaller posts for social media. This is much easier when you’ve already organized your blog into meaningful self-contained sections with headings and subheadings. 

By splintering a blog, you can create captions and other content for informative and entertaining posts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms. You can also use the blog content for video scripts and podcast talking points.

When you repurpose your blogs for social media, the content reaches a wider audience, attracts more website visitors, and encourages more engagement with your brand. As a bonus, you can spend less time thinking up original posts because the content is already available.

Takeaway

Blogs are essential to your content marketing strategy because they have the potential to engage people throughout the customer journey. Great content drives traffic to your website, allowing you to build relationships with prospects. 

Creating helpful, informative blogs can encourage leads to convert to paying customers. But it doesn’t stop there! Blogging also nurtures customer relationships and turns your customers into brand advocates. 

So, you now understand why blogging is important as a cornerstone of an effective content strategy. 

What’s next?

Well, you can’t just start a blog and assume it will get a lot of traffic right away. It can take a while to begin ranking in search. Plus, writing blogs to engage your audience and appease search engines requires a solid understanding of customer needs and specialized practice. At Viral Solutions, we have marketers, copywriters, and designers who can ensure your blogs get traction and earn you conversions. Start with a free audit to get the insight you need on your marketing as a whole.