B2B marketing is all about showing your prospects how your product or service will help them solve a problem. Whether you’re a SaaS company or your customers are other businesses, you need to prove your value by educating your prospects about the industry problem you solve, the challenges your customers face, and the value your product or service brings to the table and do so in a way that reinforces your brand as the go-to authority.
With such variety in available platforms and such a focus on video platforms and social media, many content creators are left wondering whether blogging is still a worthwhile investment.
Is Blogging Still Relevant in 2022?
According to research done by the Content Marketing Institute in partnership with MarketingProfs and ON24, when asked about their top methods of content distribution over the last 12 months, 90% of content marketers said their organization’s website was their primary distribution channel, with 76% of marketers mentioning blogging as another top channel.
Further research shows that when it comes to customer acquisition and lead generation, 67% of marketers say they gain more leads by blogging than those who don’t.
So, despite the ever-present buzz around new digital platforms and the latest social media trends, the tried-and-true practice of blogging is still a powerful way to build a brand and drive revenue. As marketing continues to evolve, it’s become even more critical for B2B marketers to leverage their blog to build a strong, consistent brand and establish themselves as the go-to authority in their industry.
Why Your B2B Content Strategy Should Include Blogging
With all the content marketing noise around you, it can feel like you need a bullhorn to be heard. This is especially true given that, as of 2021, out of the 1.8 billion active websites online, more than 600 million are blogs that are publishing an average of 8.28 million posts a day.
The good news? By creating and publishing educational, professional blog posts regularly, you’re showcasing your knowledge and expertise to a broader audience, but you’re also building a strong reputation for your brand and reinforcing your position within your niche.
With an average of 77% of internet users saying they read blogs regularly, and B2B buyers stating that they read between 3 to 5 blogs before they even consider engaging with a sales agent, it’s clear that a strong blog is an integral part of any content marketing strategy.
7 B2B Blogging Best Practices to Help You See Results
Approximately 77% of B2B organizations state they actively invest in their content marketing strategy. With 74% of them reporting that their primary focus was to improve the value of their content, it’s crucial to have a strong blog strategy in place.
Whether your company is just starting its blog or looking to give your existing blog a glow-up, you’ll want to consider these seven best practices to help you get the results you’re after.
1. Invest in Keyword Research
Keyword research is one of the most underutilized yet essential parts of a blog content strategy. Keywords are words or phrases related to the topic of your content and help drive traffic from search engines. They can help increase your placement within search engine results when used correctly.
The ultimate goal is to try and get your content on the first page of the search results since 75% of searchers never scroll past the first page of results. While 21% of searchers will click on more than one search result, it’s the first five organic (not paid results) in the SERPs that account for the most clicks (approximately 68%).
Keyword research will help you decide which keywords to use in your content to help ensure that you’re reaching the right audience.
2. Start Implementing Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
With the right keywords, you can also use SEO to help improve your search ranking and draw a larger audience to your content. This can be particularly effective for long-form content since it’ll allow you to build more in-depth content around a single keyword, increasing the amount of time your content appears in the search results.
3. Customize the User Experience
A vital component of a winning B2B blog strategy is making sure that your content is delivered to provide a better user experience for your audience. This can use visuals to help break up content, ensure that your content is easily scannable, or even use an adaptive content hub that tailors your content to specific readers.
With 56% of B2B CMOs stating that their focus over the next two years is improving the customer experience, it’s clear that a strong emphasis on the user experience is critical to your success.
4. Prioritize Quality Content over Quantity
The adage of quality over quantity couldn’t be more accurate for your blog strategy. While it’s essential to produce a consistent supply of high-quality content, it’s just as necessary to avoid the trap of trying to publish too much content.
Rather than spreading yourself too thin and publishing far more content than you have time to produce, try and find a balance where you’re consistently posting high-quality content that helps take your strategy to the next level.
5. Stay Consistent
Consistency is critical – not only in how often you post, but also in how you present your brand. This means staying committed to a regular publishing schedule and ensuring that your content is aligned with the brand voice you’ve created. This helps ensure that your audience knows what to expect from you and creates a sense of trust and reliability, which helps build your authority and generate a more significant amount of engagement.
6. Don’t Neglect Your Meta Information
Having strong meta information is a crucial part of any successful blog strategy. When it comes to your blog, meta-information refers to the title, description, and tags that you include. These elements help determine how your content is categorized and displayed in search results. When used appropriately, they can help draw a larger audience to your content and ensure it is more readily discovered.
7. Monitor the Right Metrics and Make Changes When Necessary
Finally, one of the best ways to give your blog a glow-up is not necessarily something you may think of – regularly monitoring vital key performance indicators (KPIs).
When it comes to your blog, this refers to the metrics that indicate your content’s overall quality and effectiveness. This can include the number of visitors, page views per visit, the amount of time spent on your blog, and the level of engagement you’re generating with your content.
Once you determine what “successful” numbers look like, you’ll have a benchmark to compare new and existing content to. This will allow you to adjust old content to make it more relevant and give you a framework to change new content that will increase its impact.
Need Help Growing Your Blogging Strategy?
Establishing a successful B2B blog takes time and commitment, but the rewards are well worth it. By developing a strategy that focuses on creating a high-quality user experience, prioritizing quality over quantity, and staying consistent, you’ll be well on your way to building a blog that helps generate a more significant amount of engagement, increase your brand awareness, and ultimately drive more sales.
Whether you’re looking for a few answers to questions or you’re looking for help building a blogging strategy that nets real results, I can help. Contact me today to learn more.
