Why Blogging Needs to Be a Part of Your Digital Strategy

Isn’t it a great feeling when you find a website that has exactly the information you’re looking for? Suddenly, you trust a website filled with valuable content and add it to your repertoire of great resources to return to.

A website consistently refreshed with current, relevant, and compelling content regardless of industry will perform better than a static website.

Sharing topical and useful information helps interested people find you. Thought-provoking content encourages interaction and helps you engage in a meaningful way with customers, leads, and prospects while driving valuable traffic to your site.

The Importance of Blogging in Digital Marketing 

Blogging has become the norm for a reason: it works. Blogs let people quickly get relevant and specific information that fits their interests, particularly when trying to identify or narrow down choices. According to Google, searches with "best" or "right now" grew by over 125% in the last two years, while "where to buy" + "near me" mobile searches grew by over 200% in the same period. 

When you consistently post content consumers want and need, such as these and more top keyword search topics, your business benefits in multiple ways, including higher rankings in search results. Let's look at why blogging can help you reach your content marketing strategy goals. 

Blogging Drives Online Traffic  

Regular blogging invites search engine crawlers to visit, and using search engine optimization (SEO) helps them find you. With relevant keywords, search engines will rank your content, increasing the likelihood that searchers will find your website. More importantly, it portrays your site as more relevant and active, ranking you higher in results pages. If you have doubts about how impactful SEO and updated content on your website are, consider HubSpot's experience: they refreshed and optimized their older content to drive a 106% increase in organic search views.  

Blogging Generates Leads  

Another benefit of having a blog is enhanced lead generation. You can easily convert web traffic to leads by leveraging lead magnets in blogs that attract a lot of interest. They are most commonly free offers or information that require the visitor to enter their email address. Calls to action, gated content, and content sharing can also be used as lead magnets.  

Blogging Creates Credibility and Authority  

Blogging in digital marketing is a critical and often overlooked part of an overall business strategy. Blogging can increase brand perception, materially impacting its reputation. Providing thought leadership, industry insights, or statistical evidence increases your brand authority. Prospects will review content before reaching out.  

Blogging Establishes Consumer Trust   

Trustworthiness has a material impact on conversions. In the Edelman Trust Barometer 2019 Special Report: In Brands We Trust, 81% of respondents listed brand trust in the top five buying considerations.  Blogging not only helps you improve your brand recognition but allows you to build customer loyalty. Writing with the consumer's point of view in mind helps you engage their interest by addressing their concerns and showing that you understand their pain points. 

One of the ways to portray credibility within your blog content is with testimonials, reviews, trust icons, social media comments, or statistics. These are social proof and are predicated on the normative behaviors of most people that expect corresponding results from actions similar to others. Create more interest, engagement, and relatability through storytelling or revealing the surprising ways your products or services helped your customers. 

Blogging Builds Brand Identity  

Strengthening your brand identity is another of the many benefits of having a blog. Frequently refreshed content connects brands and consumers through storytelling. Using your unique brand voice and personalizing your content is core to your marketing strategy and vital for achieving your content marketing strategy goals. It lends authenticity and credibility to your messages. 

Use your blogs to reveal something about the authors of your brand. Consumers are more socially conscious now than ever and want to know more about the real people behind the brand. What motivates them to work for your brand? What are the values and missions of the company, and how do they resonate with the people that drive it? 

Find Out How Blogging Can Benefit Your Business 

Whether you have never blogged or have let your content strategy get stale, there is no time like the present to optimize and refresh your site. In The CMO Survey February 2022 edition, companies are allocating 57% of their marketing budgets to digital marketing in 2022 and increasing that by 16% in the following year. Blogging is an essential and effective component of a digital marketing strategy. 

McClatchy is a respected leader in attracting, engaging, and influencing audiences. With a comprehensive suite of digital advertising solutions and teams of highly experienced professionals, McClatchy helps businesses boost brand awareness, increase lead generation, and spike revenue.