Is Blogging a Complete Waste of Time and Money!?

With billions of blogs floating around the Internet, why should a company toss its two cents into the endless sea of digital noise? Will it get found by the right people? Is it worth the time and money and effort?

The answers, of course, are yes. Any business that wants to get found online amid so much web traffic absolutely must publish a unique, quality blog on a regular basis.

Here are the most important do’s and don’ts to help you get the most from your blogging investments:

1) Your voice needs to be heard: You write content because you have two audiences: potential buyers and search engines. In today’s world, where buyers rely on self-service throughout most of the buying process, writing blog content is the only way to address both of those audiences effectively. The article reminds companies that building links is meaningless without content to link to it. Content marketing and SEO are long-haul efforts.

2) Blog content helps to create authority: If it’s written properly, Google will give ranking to your content. Just as important is that people share your content. The power of the web is that when someone sees something they like or find interesting they’ll share it. Blogging is a great opportunity to take advantage of this. Write great content that’s relevant and people will share it — for free.

3) Blogging is not about brand supremacy: It’s not about striving to get found for a set of keywords. For most businesses, the reality is they won’t be successful at that. Say you sell ERP software. What’s the likelihood that you’re going to get found by focusing on keywords and going head-to-head with big brands like Microsoft or NetSuite? Just about zero. That strategy is a waste of time and money for most businesses.

4) You must fill a need: You want to create blog content that targets a specific set of questions that your target buyer has. Do that on a regular basis to stay in front of them.

Still wondering if producing and maintaining a blog is worthwhile? Consider this: It’s one of the best ways to take advantage of opportunities to get found, get links, drive engagement and earn leads. That’s why you should be blogging.