Creating a blog can be a satisfying personal experience or even a gateway into another career. Either way, there are several reasons to start.
July
1, 2021
5 min read
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
The internet is swarming with content. Everyone everywhere is sharing TikToks, articles, Instagram posts, podcasts, Facebook status updates and more. At a time when everyone seems to have something to say — and you may feel everything is saturated as a result — it’s actually never been more important to put pen to paper and stake your claim on the Internet. The written word still carries immense weight, and there’s much to be shared and created that can have a real impact on your career.
Although some think blogs went out with Tumblr in 2010, blogging continues to be a frontrunning form of online content and communication. It’s not so much the blogging of the latest recipes you’ve tried and where your latest workout outfit was from (you’ll definitely find plenty of that online) — but rather, blogging about trying new digital marketing strategies, your best practices for boosting team morale, or even sharing honest and heartfelt stories about how you got your business up and running. Here are five key reasons why you should start blogging or writing online this year — and how it can help.
1. Blogging boosts SEO
Content marketing has boomed in recent years as digital marketing experts have noticed the power of keywords in SEO (search engine optimization). Think about it this way: Perhaps you’re a personal development coach who specializes in mental toughness; the more keywords around mental toughness that are on your website, the better. This means that blogging about how you got started in the field, three quick tips to achieving more mental toughness today, and your personal definition of mental toughness are all helping your website in Google’s search results.
That keyword of “mental toughness” is now flagged, meaning your ideal client — someone who is interested in learning more about strengthening their mental toughness — can find you more easily. You’re toward the top of search results for anyone ready to invest in a coach, and your placement in Google search results gives you an extra air of credibility.
Related: How to Establish a Viable Long-Term SEO Strategy
2. Your thoughts can turn to mentions in bigger publications
Whenever you put your thoughts, experiments, research and results out there in written form, they have the capacity to spread like wildfire. Many contributors to top tier publications or sites with a lot of eyeballs incorporate other perspectives into their articles. Imagine that a contributor is working on an article for a top publication about how to test if a new applicant will be a cultural fit, and you have a blog post all about how you personally test new applicants with your own team culture. If they find your post (SEO keywords will help you with this!), they’re likely to quote you and link your blog in their article.
This means more clicks, more exposure, more engagement and more credibility. Getting your name out there and being able to say “mentioned in this publication” denotes to customers, clients and your wider community that you have something of value to say. It all matters.
3. Demonstrate expertise for key stakeholders like customers, investors and partners
Blogging can take on a domino effect. If one of your articles gets picked up or is shared on Twitter by someone because it resonated with them or offered an interesting perspective, this resonance can create credibility around your name and your opinion.
This credibility can be monumental and spiral quickly into a bigger career. If you don’t have your eye on tremendous fame and fortune, that’s totally OK. Some of the best thought leaders simply contribute to new concepts and terms in their field, which can land your blog posts in the curriculum of college classes or help you build a name for yourself and what you do in the world.
Related: What Exactly Is Thought Leadership?
4. Build a following and turn readers into customers
Whether your goal is 100 or one million followers, community matters in today’s day and age. Having a large email list, a big following, or a significant number of monthly blog viewers can count toward some major cash. One way this can occur is via book deals. Nowadays, publishers give book deal priority to authors with substantial influence because they know the book will sell itself. If it’s been on your to-do list to write a book and sell it to a major publisher, start writing! This will work as your portfolio, and over time, you’ll build a consistent fanbase of readers.
Of course, it’s worth mentioning that even driving blog traffic can convert to actual dollars. Bringing in cookies and pop-up ads on your blog — even in minimal amounts — can add up over time, especially if one of your blog posts goes viral or does significantly well.
Blogging doesn’t have to become your main career or full-time job. Rather, prioritizing blogging as a weekly, one-hour fun task, then promoting on your website, is an easy way to tap into some major career potential and make a mark on your field.
loading…