Why Are Brands Still Blogging in 2023? Features, Platforms, and Benefits

It’s hard to believe it’s been over a decade since I wrote Corporate Blogging for Dummies! In that time, I’ve seen a transformation where blogs have become a feature of virtually every content or e-commerce platform. Blogging is still critical as companies require a simple process for quickly publishing articles, news, and building their content library.

Blogging Continues To Dominate Content Marketing

More than ever, consumers and businesses alike are researching their next purchase online. Most of the content we consume today from search engines is from blog posts. Blogging continues to be a powerful and effective content marketing and SEO strategy for companies. Here’s an outstanding collection of blogging statistics from Neal Shaffer:

These statistics emphasize the significance and benefits of blogging in terms of audience reach, website traffic, lead generation, cost-effectiveness, and consumer trust. It highlights the power of blogging as a marketing tool and underscores the value it brings to businesses in driving engagement, conversions, and overall growth.

Key Features Of A Blog

The term weblog was coined in the late 1990s by Jorn Barger, a programmer and writer. He used it to describe a personal online journal where he collected and shared interesting links and information. The term was later shortened to blog by Peter Merholz in 1999. Merholz humorously broke the word into two parts, we blog, on his blog, creating the verb form of the term.

Some of the more popular characteristics of a blog (but not an exhaustive list) are:

These features collectively contribute to a blog’s overall functionality, user experience, and engagement. These features’ availability and customization options can vary depending on the platform used.

What Are The Best Blogging Platforms?

Having the right platform is crucial for success. Whether you’re a personal blogger looking to share your thoughts or a business aiming to connect with your audience, various platforms are available to meet your needs. In this article, we’ll explore the top platforms catering to personal blogging, business-based blogging, and accommodating both.

Personal Blogging Platforms:

Business-Based Blogging Platforms:

Ecommerce-Based Blogging Platforms:

While many e-commerce platforms offer integrations to popular blogging platforms, there are really only a couple that have blogging fully built in as a feature.

Platforms Accommodating Both Personal and Business Blogging:

  1. Wix: Wix is a versatile website builder with blogging features suitable for personal and business blogs. It provides a user-friendly interface and many templates to effectively create and manage your blog.
  2. Weebly: Similar to Wix, Weebly offers a website builder with integrated blogging capabilities. It provides various customization options, making it a flexible platform for individuals and businesses.
  3. Ghost: Ghost is a modern content management system designed specifically for blogging. It is suitable for personal bloggers seeking a lightweight and customizable platform and businesses looking for an elegant blogging solution.

An Integrated Blog Is A Must Today

Having an integrated blog, hosted within the same domain as your website or e-commerce store, offers several advantages over having a separate domain or subdomain for your blog. Here are some key benefits:

  1. Seamless User Experience: With an integrated blog, visitors can access your blog content without leaving your main website or store. This provides a cohesive user experience and keeps users engaged within your brand ecosystem, reducing the likelihood of them navigating away to a different domain.
  2. Branding and Consistency: An integrated blog allows you to maintain consistent branding across your entire website. You can customize the design, layout, and navigation to match your main website, reinforcing your brand identity and providing a unified look and feel.
  3. Improved SEO: Hosting your blog on the same domain as your main website can contribute to better search engine optimization. Search engines tend to view websites with relevant and valuable content as more authoritative. By integrating your blog, you consolidate your content and increase your domain’s overall relevance and SEO potential.
  4. Increased Website Traffic and Engagement: An integrated blog can drive more traffic to your main website or e-commerce store. Blog content can attract organic search traffic, social media referrals, and backlinks from other websites. Keeping visitors within your domain gives you more opportunities to convert them into customers or subscribers.
  5. Streamlined Content Management: Managing an integrated blog is more convenient as you can use a single platform to handle your website and blog content. This simplifies content updates, analytics tracking, and overall website management.
  6. Cross-Promotion and Conversion Opportunities: An integrated blog allows easy cross-promotion of your products or services within your content. You can seamlessly link to relevant product pages or create call-to-action (CTA) elements that drive conversions. This integration enhances lead generation, customer engagement, and sales potential.
  7. Social Proof and Trust: An integrated blog adds credibility and authority to your website. Publishing informative and valuable blog posts can establish you as an expert in your industry, earning the trust and loyalty of your audience. This can increase customer confidence, improve brand reputation, and get you higher conversions.

While having a separate domain or subdomain for your blog may have certain advantages in specific cases, an integrated blog generally provides a more unified and seamless experience, strengthens your brand, enhances SEO, and maximizes engagement and conversion opportunities within your existing website or e-commerce platform.

Choosing the right platform for your blog is crucial to ensure a seamless and enjoyable blogging experience. Whether you’re a personal blogger, a business, or looking for a platform that accommodates both, the above options provide excellent features and flexibility to meet your specific needs. Consider your requirements, customization options, and the nature of your content to make an informed decision that aligns with your blogging goals.

Exit mobile version