Blogs Are Dead? 8 Reasons Why Blogs Are More Relevant Than Ever Before
If you type “blogs are dead” (the exact phrase) into Google you’ll get more than 87,000 results back.
In a lot of cases, the points that are being made are quite valid, especially in relation to the use of social media channels to engage in an ongoing conversation with people who matter to you.
However, to say blogs are dead is incredibly short-sighted.
When I take you through the reasons why blogs are relevant now and will remain so well into the future, I want you to focus more on the ‘blogging mentality’ as opposed to just the physical product.
The blogging mentality refers to the ability to create longer form content to generate more meaningful engagement. This is important because not everything can be communicated in a filtered image (Instagram) or a 140 character update (Twitter).
Here are 10 reasons why blogging and the blogging mentality continue to play a central role in online marketing activity.
1. Google loves blogs
Google exists because individuals, businesses and media outlets publish content. This is then searched for the people due to our insatiable thirst for information. Google helps us find this content more easily and sells ads on the back of our searching. Simple.
So it’s no surprise that Google rewards people for regularly publishing content by making their websites more visible (if it is done in the right way).
In the case of Kamber, my newly launched content marketing and social media agency, I want to attract as many people as I can to my website to encourage them to find out more about the products and services we offer. The Kamber Blog, which is attached to the Kamber website, is a key part of that and consistently publishing quality content will continually remind Google that Kamber.com.au exists.
2. ‘Blogs’ can be featured anywhere
While it makes sense from an SEO perspective to publish blog posts on your owned web properties, they can also have a great impact on ‘traditional’ social media channels.
The reason for this is that sometimes people want a more in-depth content experience.
High profile individuals can use this tactic and generate some terrific engagement as a result as these two examples from Kobe Bryant and Joe Hachem show you.
This is an example of the “blogging mentality” at work.
3. Blogs are an investment in the properties you ‘truly’ own
One of the most popular “blogs are dead” arguments is that social media has made them redundant.
This is a really interesting sub-topic and can be analysed from a variety of angles.
On one hand, it can be argued that the explosion of social media has made blogs even more relevant as content can be shared by advocates which boosts readership.
On the other, there is so much more noise out there and it’s contained on the popular platforms which makes standing out a more challenging proposition.
However, it is hard to argue with the fact that the major platforms are furthering their own interests using your content.
Investing in your own channels with your own content is one of the most sound strategies you can adopt.
4. Static websites don’t bring people back or attract new visitors
Websites without blogs also suffer from not giving people enough reason to come back and visit regularly.
Why is this important?
It does depend on the life stage of your business, but blogs are a powerful way to encourage repeat visits which can help people (and prospects) develop a stronger connection with the people behind your business.
Blog posts may also bring visitors to your site that may not have discovered you otherwise.
The first step in securing new customers is first making them aware of your existence.
5. The blogging mentality helps you create content that works elsewhere
Ask any successful blogger about the content they create and I guarantee they’ll tell you that they understand what content people crave the most within their niche.
This ability comes from listening to feedback and sifting through analytics to understand what works and what doesn’t.
The ‘blogger mentality’ can then be applied in other areas including video or image-based content.
In fact, not having the ‘blogger mentality’ within your organisation (or housed within the agencies you work with), can lead to the creation of content that may not perform well across the social web.
6. Blogs encourage collaboration
One of the best ways to develop relationships within your niche is to invite relevant people to guest post on your blog.
This provides your blog community with access to a different point of view and potentially a new audience who follow the activity of the guest blogger.
It also may provide you with a chance to post on that person’s or organisation’s blog which can drive traffic back to you.
Without a blog, it makes it much more difficult to create mutually beneficial situations like these.
7. Blogs can increase influence within your niche
One of the biggest problems with just having a presence on the major social networks is that you tend to create less original content of significance and curate more content from 3rd party sources.
But, original content, especially in the form of blog posts, can provide individuals and businesses with the chance to drive new conversations as opposed to just participating in existing ones.
When you can develop content that drives new conversations this can help position you as an authority, which increases trust and consideration.
8. Communities can be developed around blogs
A blog can be a catalyst in creating a community around a topic which can develop new relationships and solidify existing ones.
This is a really powerful reason for having a blog and enables knowledge sharing which may help improve the way your organisation does business.
A great example of an individual who has developed a vibrant community around his blog is Mark Schaefer. His {grow} blog is always packed full of comments from people have interacted with Mark and his content over a sustained period of time.
Where to from here?
For some individuals and organisations, blogging can seem like a daunting thing to implement. And, in some cases, they’re just not practical.
However, the ‘blogging mentality’ is something that can make an impact in business of all shapes and sizes. As outlines above, even just having someone within your marketing and communications team who has some experience in the blogging space, they can help develop content solutions that can cut through the noise.
Disclosure: Joe Hachem is a Kamber client.
Kamber is a specialist content marketing and social media agency based in Australia.
We help clients behave in ways that make them valued online participants which is the best way to tie content marketing and social media into your operational and commercial objectives.
You can follow Kamber on Twitter via @KamberCo or join our Facebook community to access more analysis and insights from our team.