{"id":217,"date":"2023-08-25T13:51:54","date_gmt":"2023-08-25T13:51:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bellmarketingsolutions.com\/index.php\/2023\/08\/25\/whats-a-blog-why-you-need-one\/"},"modified":"2023-08-25T13:51:54","modified_gmt":"2023-08-25T13:51:54","slug":"whats-a-blog-why-you-need-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bellmarketingsolutions.com\/index.php\/2023\/08\/25\/whats-a-blog-why-you-need-one\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s a Blog & Why You Need One"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n \"marketer <\/a>\n<\/div>\n

Even if you\u2018re not sure what a blog is, you\u2019ve no doubt come across one at some point in time. Perhaps you\u2018ve stumbled across a blog when you\u2019ve searched \u201chealthy dinner recipes\u201d. In fact, if you’re reading this, guess what? You’re on a blog. <\/em>(Very meta, I know.)<\/p>\n

Even if you\u2018re not sure what a blog is, you\u2019ve no doubt come across one at some point in time. Perhaps you\u2018ve stumbled across a blog when you\u2019ve searched \u201chealthy dinner recipes\u201d. In fact, if you’re reading this, guess what? You’re on a blog. <\/em>(Very meta, I know.)<\/p>\n

If your business doesn’t have a blog, you might want to reconsider \u2014 B2B marketers who use blogs receive 67% more leads<\/a> than those who do not, and blogs have been rated the 5th most trusted source<\/a> for accurate online information.<\/p>\n

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At its most basic, blogs can help you develop an online presence, prove yourself an expert in an industry, and attract more quality leads to all<\/em> pages of your site.If you’re contemplating creating a blog<\/a> for your business, or simply want to know what one is, keep reading.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

A brief history \u2014 in 1994, Swarthmore College student Justin Hall is credited with the creation of the first blog, Links.net. At the time, however, it wasn’t considered a blog \u2026 just a personal homepage.<\/p>\n

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In 1997, Jorn Barger, blogger for Robot Wisdom, coined the term \u201cweblog\u201d<\/a>, which was meant to describe his process for \u201clogging the web\u201d as he surfed the internet. The term \u201cweblog\u201d was shortened to \u201cblog\u201d in 1999, by programmer Peter Merholz.<\/p>\n

In the early stages, a blog was a personal web log or journal in which someone could share information or their opinion on a variety of topics. The information was posted reverse chronologically, so the most recent post would appear first.<\/p>\n

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Nowadays, a blog is a regularly updated website or web page, and can either be used for personal use or to fulfill a business need.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

For instance, HubSpot blogs about various topics concerning marketing, sales, and service because HubSpot sells<\/em> products related to those three subjects \u2014 so, more than likely, the type of readers HubSpot\u2018s blog attracts are going to be similar to HubSpot\u2019s core buyer persona<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Alternatively, a woman named Kiki started a personal travel blog, called The Blonde Abroad<\/a>, to document her travel experiences and provide readers with helpful tips and travel recommendations. Her blog doesn’t serve a larger company, but it does help her create a personal brand.<\/p>\n

If a personal blog is successful enough, the writer can also make money off of it via sponsorships or advertisements. Take a look at 5 Strategies to Monetize a Blog<\/a> to learn more.<\/p>\n

What is a blog post?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A blog post is an individual web page on your website that dives into a particular sub-topic of your blog.<\/p>\n

For instance, let’s say you start a fashion blog on your retail website. One blog post might be titled, \u201cThe Best Fall Shoes for 2023\u201d. The post ties back to your overall blog topic<\/a> as a whole (fashion), but it also addresses a very particular sub-topic (fall shoes).<\/p>\n

Blog posts allow you to rank on search engines for a variety of keywords. In the above example, your blog post could enable your business to rank on Google for \u201cfall shoes\u201d. When someone searches for fall shoes and comes across your blog post, they have access to the rest of your company’s website. They might click \u201cProducts\u201d after they read your post, and take a look at the clothing items your company sells.<\/p>\n

A blog post links back to your overall blog site. For instance, right now, you’re on blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/what-is-a-blog. The \u201cwhat-is-a-blog\u201d section of the URL<\/a> is tied back to \/marketing\/, which is the blog as a whole.<\/p>\n

Blog vs. Website<\/h2>\n

A blog is typically a section of your business’s website \u2014 but, unlike the rest of your website, you need to update the blog section frequently by adding new posts. Additionally, your blog is a tool that allows you to engage more with an audience, either by analyzing how many readers share your blog posts on social, or by allowing readers to comment on your individual posts. In this way, a blog is more like a two-way conversation than the rest of your website. However, a blog can also be an entire website, and often is, if the blog is for personal use alone \u2014 for instance, a travel blog.<\/p>\n

There are plenty of benefits to blogging \u2014 it helps drive traffic to your website, it enables you to better convert that traffic into leads, it allows your business to establish authority in an industry, and it continues to help your business grow and attract new customers months and even years after publication.<\/p>\n

To learn more about the benefits of blogging, check out Why Blog? The Benefits of Blogging for Business and Marketing<\/a>. Alternatively, if you’re starting at the beginning and anxious about your first post, read How to Write a Blog Post: A Step-by-Step Guide [+ Free Blog Post Templates]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What is the difference between a wiki and a blog?<\/h3>\n

A wiki is a collaborative space where anyone who visits the site can edit, share, or publish content \u2014 Wikipedia is one of the most popular examples of this. On the other hand, there is typically only one person, or a team of people, with admin permissions to edit, share, or publish to a blog. Website visitors who come across the blog can potentially leave comments at the bottom of the blog post, but they cannot publish to the site or edit the posted material.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

1. To help your company rank on search engines.<\/h3>\n

Typically, a business will use a blog to help the business’s website rank on search engines. You can absolutely employ SEO tactics, or use paid ads, to help your company homepage rank on page one of Google \u2014 but a more effective, long-term solution is blogging.<\/p>\n

To consider how your company can rank on search engines via a blog, we\u2018ll start with an example \u2014 let\u2019s say you work for a web design start-up with very little online presence.<\/p>\n

You decide to spend the first year writing and posting regular blog content that strongly relates to web design. Over time, your traffic increases and other companies link to your site for information regarding web design. When this happens, Google recognizes your company as a legitimate<\/em> source for web design information. Eventually (with a lot of trial and error), your blog posts begin ranking on page one of Google for terms like \u201cweb design\u201d, \u201cwebsite builder\u201d, and \u201ce-commerce website\u201d.<\/p>\n

Then, one day, you search \u201cweb design companies in X city\u201d and find your company is now on page one. This is likely due, in large part, to your consistent blogging efforts.<\/p>\n

Take a look at How HubSpot Uses Blogging to Rank #1 on Google<\/a> to learn more about specific strategies you can implement to rank on search engines.<\/p>\n

2. To share information about a given topic and become an expert in an industry.<\/h3>\n

In 2006, Boston-native Matt Kepnes quit his job and began traveling the world. He documented his travels in his now infamous blog, NomadicMatt.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

After about a year, thanks to tireless blogging efforts and SEO strategies that enabled him to rank on Google, he began pulling in $60,000<\/a>. Matt also created e-books, and used sponsorships and affiliate marketing to make money. Additionally, he wrote a New York Times best-seller, \u201cHow to Travel the World on $50 a Day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, Matt’s blog attracts 1.5 million visitors a month and grosses about $750,000 a year<\/a> \u2014 and he’s become a well-known expert in the travel space.<\/p>\n

If you want to become known as an expert in a topic that interests you, from fashion to blogging to fitness, you can \u2014 and, oftentimes, it starts with a blog.<\/p>\n

3. To attract visitors to your site, and turn those visitors into leads.<\/h3>\n

There\u2018s only so much traffic you can get from the homepage or About Us page of your company\u2019s website. Of course, those pages are critical for leads who are already interested in your products \u2014 but they often won\u2018t attract traffic from top-of-the-funnel. That\u2019s where your blog comes into play.<\/p>\n

Your blog can be a general resource to help your website visitors even before those visitors are ready to purchase from you. For instance, let\u2018s say you sell products for e-commerce stores. You might attract some e-commerce owners who are already searching online for your products, but in most cases, the e-commerce owner isn\u2019t going to be ready to buy right out of the gate.<\/p>\n

Alternatively, if you begin blogging about tips to help the retail owner who is just starting out \u2014 like \u201cHow to start a retail website\u201d, or \u201cBenefits of e-commerce vs. physical store\u201d \u2014 you\u2018ll slowly attract an audience who enjoys your content and finds it useful. Then, when those site visitors\u2019 e-commerce stores begin growing (thanks, in part, to your blog), they’ll already know about your brand and already trust it as a helpful source. That’s <\/em>when they’ll check out your product pages.<\/p>\n

4. To cultivate an online community and engage with an audience.<\/h3>\n

At the very least, you might create a blog to engage with an online community of readers with similar interests. Maybe you start a food blog and ask readers to share their own recipes with you.<\/p>\n

Alternatively, perhaps you start a blog that focuses on DIY projects. You post the fun, DIY projects you’ve completed in your own home, and you ask your readers to share their own DIY tips in exchange.<\/p>\n

Why You Need a Blog<\/h2>\n

For businesses, a blog is a valuable tool to have in your marketing strategy. It\u2019s a great way to get the word out about your brand and build rapport with your audience and potential customers.<\/p>\n

Use it to provide your audience with useful industry-related information, share company news, and product updates. Blog content is also easy to repurpose for email marketing needs and across social channels. Without one, you\u2019re missing out on opportunities to promote your brand.<\/p>\n

Creating engaging blog content may seem like a heavy lift at first. Luckily there are free tools like HubSpot\u2019s AI Content Writer<\/a> to help you write better content faster.<\/p>\n

1. Choose your target audience.<\/h3>\n

When you’re starting your own blog<\/a>, it\u2018s important to think of your target audience. Who are you creating the blog for? And who do you want reading your blog posts? Before you can get started, you have to consider the niche you\u2019re writing about and what topics you’ll cover and why.<\/p>\n

Brainstorming your target audience is similar to creating a buyer persona<\/a> for your company. Plus, this will give you an idea on what kind of content you want to produce.<\/p>\n

2. Brainstorm content ideas frequently based on your market segment.<\/h3>\n

Once you\u2018ve started a blog, you\u2019ll want to churn out high-quality, consistent content<\/a> on a regular basis. This isn’t always easy. Creating content is a time-consuming task. You want to ensure your content is something your readers would be interested in and hopefully can help with your SEO \u2014 more on that in a minute.<\/p>\n

To begin brainstorming content, consider what your competitors are doing. Look for gaps in their content that you can fulfill. Additionally, you should also do SEO research to verify that users are searching for and interested in the topic you want to write about. Tools like SEMrush<\/a>, Google Keyword Planner<\/a>, and Answer The Public <\/a>can help.<\/p>\n

You’ll want to brainstorm content frequently so you always have ideas that you can execute.<\/p>\n

3. Research and review a content management system (CMS).<\/h3>\n

In order to create your blog, you’ll most likely use a CMS. A CMS is a tool you can use to design, manage, and publish on your website. You\u2019ve probably heard of examples like WordPress or Wix.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t have a website yet, you\u2019ll want to choose a CMS that has the ability to host a blog. If you already have a site, check if it has blogging options built in. If not, you may need to find a CMS that integrates with your site or choose an entirely new CMS altogether.<\/p>\n

There are tons of options in the CMS world, including HubSpot. (You can try out our CMS here.<\/a>)<\/p>\n

HubSpot\u2019s free blog maker<\/a> provides everything you need, including free hosting and security tools. It\u2019s easy to get started, with hundreds of free themes to choose from, and a simple visual editor.<\/p>\n

4. Create a blog strategy and editorial calendar.<\/h3>\n

Just like creating a business, you can’t create a blog without a strategy<\/a> in mind. Your strategy should answer questions like:<\/p>\n