At the time of this writing, search engines are still more likely to arrive at a relevant blog post of yours than almost any other content medium, such as a video or podcast.
Small businesses can certainly benefit from blogging. The question is, why do you want to blog?
There are primarily two reasons to blog: for authority, or for platform.
What’s the difference?
Authority Blogging
When your goal with a blog is simply to demonstrate that you have knowledge of a topic, you are authority blogging. Many service-based business and other local businesses will benefit greatly from this, because it’s not very stressful and doesn’t take much effort.
When you blog strictly for authority’s sake, you’re not beholden to a specific schedule or a specific amount of content; rather, you simply need to enough to help your potential buyers feel confident you know your stuff.
Here are some practical benefits:
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No need to display the date a post was written
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No real need to display the author of the post (unless the business owner or some other important player is the one who should be demonstrating authority)
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No need to plan out content months at a time and promote heavily on social media
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with any of the above. You could still do all of those things!
The point is that authority blogging does not require it. It merely requires that content lives on your site that demonstrates your authority.
(In case you were wondering, this site features an authority blog.)
Platform Blogging
On the other hand, platform blogging demands more time, attention, and promotion. When you blog for the purpose of building a platform (that is, you’re trying to become known on a larger scale as an authority figure) there are certain expectations that follow, such as:
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You’ll need to show up consistently—same time, same place, every week (if not more frequently)
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You’ll want to plan content according to a calendar so you’re always promoting the right thing at the right time
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You’ll need to promote this content across a wide variety of social platforms
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You’ll want to develop relationships with other influencers in a similar industry in order to get further distribution of your content
Certainly, there’s nothing wrong with platform blogging; I have certain clients that must do these things in order to accomplish their goals.
The main thing is choosing what’s right for you.
Here’s a good rule of thumb, though there are definitely exceptions:
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If you’re a service-based business that closes new business primarily via referrals and local relationships, an authority blog will probably suffice.
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If you depend on your content to bring you new leads and/or mostly work with clients remotely, you’ll probably want to consider platform blogging.
Still stuck? We can help you not only decide what route to take, but we can walk alongside you in this process to help plan and even implement a blogging strategy.
To your growth!
— Steve
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