You can still get great return from a blog.
I think one of the biggest opportunities is for local businesses with blogs.
Newspapers are struggling. Even local radio is struggling. People still want local information and they are starting to starve for sources. Local businesses can fill the void and not bombard their audience with ads.
Let’s say you’re a local business and want to blog. You’re going to commit to 3-5 posts per week. Maybe you even have someone on the team to write the content. You’re going to answer questions that your target audience is asking and also document what you’re doing and turn that into blog content.
Don’t overlook the promotion.
Here are a few tips for promoting your blog content that should work for the coming decade…
1. Snippets
I’m a big fan of snippets.
Basically, you write a post. You publish it. You can share the title and the link on social media. You can do the same in email. You can wait for the SEO traffic to come in.
That’s all fine.
But these platforms increasingly put a preference on showing content that is native to their site. That keeps their users on their platforms.
You can lean into that and give it to them with snippets. You take 2-3 pieces from your blog post and post them on a platform like Facebook or LinkedIn or Twitter. Just post them natively with no links. They’re meant to be consumed on the platforms.
It doesn’t take much extra effort. It can grow your engagement off your blog, which can lead to indirect traffic to your blog. More people learn about your brand. More people seek out more of your content and they find your entire blog and start diving in.
Sharing links on social media is an uphill battle. Sharing native snippets from your posts can work really well.
2. Guesting
Think of the actor that goes on late night TV to talk for a segment. They are trying to build awareness for their new film. They’re going where the audience is and tapping into that audience. They’re usually doing about 90% entertainment with stories or bits. Then they can talk about their film for the other 10%.
It works. It’s been working for decades. It will continue to work.
You can do the same for your local blog.
Identify as many areas of interest for your local community: blogs, podcasts, social media, etc. See what type of content they’re producing. See what guests they have. Look at the format and content. Then pitch them your ideas for coming on and being a guest.
For example, a local mechanic can write a series of blog posts on DIY oil changes for cars. Publish it on the blog. Then go to the local radio, TV and newspaper and see if you can talk about the process. The call to action is for the person to see even more info on the blog.
3. Email
Email continues to be incredibly popular. The last stat I saw had it around 90% of internet users have an active email address. That means they have one and use it at least once a month.
That may change a bit, but what actually seems to be happening is that as people spend a little more time on social media, the inbox is getting a little less spammy and noisy. Your messages can stand out. Especially if you have people that opt-in to your regular emails.
You can start with something simple like a Tip Of The Week series. You write 3 blog posts a week. Then take a snippet from one and share it with the email.
4. Texting
Texting is starting to grow in the marketing world. You obviously want permission. It’s tough to earn someone’s trust with something as private as their text messages. So respect that. But you can start a text service. You could do tip of the day or deal of the week or something like that.
You can use the same snippet strategy to use the blog content you’re already creating.
5. Print
That’s right: Print.
Local newspapers are struggling. They still have some demand, but they can’t find the business model to sell their subscriptions. You can fill in by offering to have them print your blog posts. They often are open to this model especially since it can be a free source of content.
It can take a little effort, but it’s worth reaching out. Show them your blog and the type of content you’re creating. See if they’d be open to a weekly column with tips for the local community.
It’s a great way to get more eyeballs on each of your blog posts.
Conclusion
Promotion is a big part of blogging. These are some of the timeless strategies that should continue to work in the coming years. Some new channels will likely pop up, but you can usually take these strategies and apply them to those channels. Especially the snippet strategy. It’s win for all the parties involved including the platform.