August 1, 2022
Ah, the digital age. The Age of Aquarius. The roaring twenties of the new millennium. We’re living in a time when technology is so fast-paced that not even Marty McFly and Doc Brown could keep up. So, you may be wondering why blogging is important in 2022?
Or should you replace that sucker with a podcast?
And it’s an exciting one because gone are the days of door-knocking or relying on some black ink on a rolled-up piece of newspaper to get the word out about your business. Yet today, with so many online marketing options at our fingertips, it can lead to confusionville, population: you.
So it’s no wonder why so many clever business owners (like you!) are slinging around the question – “should I swap my blog for a podcast?!” And we get it! As a business owner, you’re juggling likes, comments, shares, ridiculous TikTok dances and ever-shifting trends (not to mention the other businessy stuff).
All of which leads you to question why blogging is important. After all, every person and their dog seems to have a podcast. Should you plug in the mic and warm up your vocal cords instead of letting your fingers dance across the keyboard?
Before you let your blog page disappear into oblivion with newspaper ads and the iPod Shuffle, let us share why blogging is important and why it deserves a permanent place on your ever-growing list of priorities.
In the wise (and polite) words of Ringo Starr – no, thank you, please.
While everyone seems to be doing podcasts, the importance of blogging hasn’t faded one iota. Your blogs are standing in the wings, cheering you on while you conquer the mic, with a little tear flowing down their cheeks as they wait patiently to return to the spotlight. (Too dramatic? Sorry. We really love blogs.)
Let’s start with the basics.
Basically, a podcast is a downloadable audio file, most often formed as episodes for a listener’s audio pleasure. Platforms such as Spotify, Apple, and Amazon Music support podcasts, and they come in a range of different flavours, from gossip to true crime and even synopses of your favourite shows (what a time to be alive). Podcasts are created by an individual, business or group of pals, and they’re used to communicate with a captive audience and gain traction, build authority, or maintain relevance.
It’s basically a spoken blog, yo!
Blogs are the OG of the internet. From personal reflections to in-depth essays of information that leave you a master of your chosen intrigue, blogs can vary in style, topic, and content as much as the website owner darn well pleases. Blogs are one of the most effective marketing tools, boosting your website with the potential to make your little biz appear at the very tippy-top of Google. Pretty powerful stuff!
Podcasts |
Blogs |
Spoken | Written |
Attractive to Millennials & Gen Zers | Suited to a wide demographic |
Loved by commuters | Loved by search engines and coffee break scrollers |
Encourage long-term commitment | Great for quick decision-making and ‘getting them over the line’ |
Allow for guest stars and niche interviews | Strengthen your SEO and online authority |
Lengthy production process | Quick to produce (dependent on procrastination) |
Using your blog as a marketing tool may be one of the cleverest decisions you make as an online business owner.
While the world wide web might feel even more packed than when Hendrix played Woodstock, it’s important not to feel discouraged about your little blog that could.
With some smart planning, SEO strategising and a good understanding of keywords, blogging can be just the thing that your website needs to be plucked from the crowd and surfed all the way to the front of the stage. More than making your business stand out like a Zeppelin shirt at Grandma’s tea party, blogging can keep your fans up to date with what’s going on with your business and bring authority to your offering. AKA make people really want what you got.
With good, strategic blogging, you get a double whammy of success by offering juicy content and little tidbits of SEO goodness included to boost your ranking. Internet stardom AND a chance to inform, entertain and delight – what’s not to love?!
Okay, okay, you understand the importance of blogging and you’re clear on the difference between a podcast and a blog.
Still not 100% on why your business needs a blog? Or wondering how to use your blog as a marketing tool in a mic-driven world?
Think of it this way: the more blogs you create, the higher your chances are of dominating that elusive and all-important first page of Google *drool*. Fresh, well-written blogs with images, videos and just the right amount of keywords can boost your rating like nothing else can.
Links are little gold nuggets that can tune up your SEO and make Google work as hard as a drummer’s roadie for your business. Relevant links, backlinks and guest bloggers can bring in potential leads and great conversion rates – giving you more bread and butter!
Emails have been a reliable friend of any business ever since we had Hotmail accounts and the internet took a day to ‘warm up’. While people may be hesitant to sign up for *yet another thing*, your Very Interesting and Very Informative blog may be the thing that earns their commitment.
Work smarter, not harder! While we suggest starting with a blog before diving into the wild and wonderful world of podcasts, if you already have a regular episode and a pop filter, embedding your podcast in your blog can be a great way to get more eyeballs on your website.
Blogs offer a unique opportunity for businesses to teach their fans about their products or services in a way that 100-word product descriptions could only dream of. This can be through case studies, how-to guides or highlighting the perks of your particular *thing*. Ever wished you could fit more into an elevator pitch? Now’s your chance.
It’s no secret that success these days comes in the form of retweets, shares and reposts. Every time you write a blog post, you’re creating content that could spread like wildfire across the many platforms that internet users call home.
Writing blogs might feel like a short-term pain for you (click here for your painkiller), but let us assure you, the long-term gain is worth it. The more blogs you have – we’re talking well-written, in-depth blogs that aren’t too long and aren’t too short – the more industry authority you will have. And nothing is better for your brand (and your bank account) than becoming an industry leader.
Why not do both?!
Flamin’ Hot Tip: You can take your biz from roadie to rock star by giving the fans what they want: choices!
In the marketing biz, we have a phrase we like to throw around – content is king. And ultimately, we will rarely tell you to just chill out on the content creation. If you have a sultry voice and a mic setup that you’ve been dying to make the most of, podcasting can be a rockin’ way to attract a wider audience, establish authority and entertain your people. You can even use your podcast content as a script for your blog, cutting your workload in half.
When it comes down to it, everyone learns differently, and your audience will love you for offering them choices whether they’re a reader or a listener. Give your fans options as to how they want to consume your content, whether it’s through their headphones during their morning commute or on their laptop during cocktail hour, and they’ll repay you with higher conversions, social media shares and a higher level of trust.
Video may have killed the radio star, but podcasts won’t kill your blogs if we have anything to do with it! While we can’t mimic your speaking voice, you’d better believe we can write your content. Let us focus on the words, SEO, tone, voice, style, and pizzazz of your blogs, so you can spend more time in your genius zone.
Jig on over to our blog writing services to explore what we can do to help you on your quest to conquer both mic and screen.
Your friendly, neighbourhood copy tour manager. Here to help ambitious business rock stars like you rock your copy at every stage of your biz road trip.