To blog or not to blog

In the world of fast paced social media, you could be forgiven for thinking that blogging is out-dated. Almost everyone, from your grandmother to your potential business partner, is on Facebook – and anybody who is anybody is tweeting on a daily basis (including Presidents and Prime Ministers) Social media is now so dominant that the Modern Language Association have published guidelines for how to reference tweets in an academic paper.

Nevertheless, blogging still has its part to play, not least because the popularity of these social media platforms is also one of its disadvantages. Facebook is extremely overcrowded and, while paid ads can make a difference, beating the algorithm and rising to the top of news feeds is a constant struggle. This is before you even consider the jungle that is Twitter, where getting a tweet noticed requires split second timing.People  are also reluctant to interact with long form text on these platforms and almost all algorithms have a propensity to favour images and videos.

So, if you want to share original content, particularly in long form, blogging is almost always your best option

For businesses, a blog serves as both a platform for original content and a series of continuous demonstrations of the value you bring. Potential customers are more likely to trust a business which engages with its audience directly through blogging. A blog can also keep established customers abreast of new information and developments in the service. Add to this the changes coming with GDPR making email marketing more difficult and a blog becomes a vital part of your communication toolkit. Not only does it increase your visibility in the marketplace, but also keeps existing customers engaged.

For individuals, blogs are a great way to share your personal journey, and build your personal brand. This beats social media because, for a start, your blog posts are more easily found using a search engine. That means someone under similar circumstances to you is more likely to discover your story online. Your blogs are hosted on one place unique to you, which makes it much easier for followers to find and read similar posts. You can still share blog entries on social media to raise awareness , but blogs are still a better platform for sharing your stories.

For charities and non-profits, blogging is an inexpensive way to increase interest in your cause and feature case-studies and success stories. Encouraging volunteers from the people you’ve helped to write guest blogs can also serve to drive up engagement. Their friends are more likely to read and share something if it’s written by someone they know. In addition, blog hosting is usually free, with potential for adding a fully fledged websites and custom email domains at reasonable rates.

Finally, if you’re writing about something with which you’re familiar, the whole process is easy! To write a good blog you don’t need to be a professional writer or a journalist. You just have to be enthusiastic about the topic and write from the heart.

That’s what I do!