By In addition to social networks, corporate blogs are increasingly establishing themselves as powerful marketing instruments to increase the digital visibility of company websites. However, a higher Google ranking is not the only benefit of a company blog.
Learn from this article:
- What exactly is a corporate blog?
- Why are corporate blogs such a powerful marketing tool?
- Why does my blog need an SEO strategy?
- Bonus: 6 tips for a successful blog strategy.
Definition: what is a corporate blog?
A corporate blog is defined as a blog of a company or a company. Unlike in an online magazine, the articles are often personal and not so focused on individual topics.
The corporate blog is understood as a marketing and communication tool with the aim of generating attention, visibility and leads as well as promoting communication with customers, interested parties or even your own employees.
Read the following sections about the goals of corporate blogs.
Reason # 1: A corporate blog strengthens the brand image
A familiar brand arouses positive associations and strengthens customer loyalty. Well-known companies remind themselves with an interesting blog. For new, as yet unknown companies, it is a unique opportunity to be discovered.
Example: The initially unknown online marketplace for handmade Etsy was able to steadily increase its market share in the USA thanks to its successful corporate blog. The posts range from recipes and decoration ideas to shopping tips.
The Swedish furniture store IKEA is known worldwide, but it still runs its own blog. In it, employees write about the ideas behind the products and projects in the areas of environment and development aid. This is how IKEA positions itself as an ecological, responsible company.
Reason # 2: A corporate blog builds a direct line to customers
In the era of social networks, customers want to interact with companies. A corporate blog is a great way to do this. Inspired by the articles, readers can communicate their thoughts openly.
If they feel addressed directly, they act as multipliers. They share interesting posts and help promote your brand. Particularly controversial posts are often commented on.
The organic supermarket chain Whole Food Markets, for example, knows how to build a lively community on its corporate blog. Well-known food bloggers regularly speak to her . The posts get a lot of followers this way.
Reason # 3: A corporate blog arouses emotions
Even with a high level of awareness, technology companies and industrial companies are often perceived as sterile. With a corporate blog, they become more tangible and emotional for a wide audience.
The US chemical company Celanese is a good example . In their corporate blog, employees report on personal topics such as work-life balance, inclusion and family life. The posts are very popular and give the company a human face.
Corporate blogs with a refreshing style are also written by GE. The US group presents its products as interesting stories. Even dry topics such as the use of artificial intelligence in wind turbines can be read quickly and are understandable even for laypeople.
Reason # 4: A corporate blog builds an expert reputation
Successful corporate blogs not only tell exciting anecdotes, but also offer visitors added value. In this way, the companies establish themselves as experts in their business field.
No dry product descriptions are required, but competent advice and Do It Yourself instructions – great content makes the difference here. A Google survey shows that 10 percent of our daily information needs consist of in-depth facts in a particular area.
The Bigelow Tea Company, for example, has set up its corporate blog around its main product, tea. Teas, types of drink, recipes and even beauty treatments are explained to the reader. This is how the company strengthens its reputation as a tea expert.
Reason # 5: A corporate blog creates a social hub
As a business, you most likely have a Facebook page or an Instagram account. To get followers, you need high quality content on a regular basis . Your blog posts are key to this.
Long posts are often overlooked in social networks. In your corporate blog, on the other hand, you have the option of telling longer stories that are then shared.
Reason # 6: A corporate blog generates inbound links and more traffic
SEO optimization isn’t everything, but you shouldn’t neglect this aspect either. Corporate blogs with a good structure are linked more often. High-quality links in turn increase the ranking and organic traffic .
You can then redirect visitors with targeted calls-to-action. Would you like to win them over to a newsletter? People are more willing to do so if they are not bombarded with clumsy advertising, but lured by an interesting article.
Reason # 7: A corporate blog offers employees a platform
With a corporate blog you not only get outside attention, but also strengthen the cohesion in your company . The employees who write articles see themselves as the mouthpiece of your company.
Reporting on your daily work and your successes increases your self-esteem. For outsiders it is a unique opportunity to get to know work realities that otherwise would not make it into the media.
Reason # 8: A corporate blog generates intelligent advertising
Classic types of advertising such as banners and ads in social networks have an average click rate of less than one percent. As a business, you have to invest a lot of money to get exposure this way.
With a corporate blog you can advertise your products without it being noticed. If your writers have mastered the art of storytelling , posting a post is far more efficient than search engine advertising or online media listings. Build an effective sales funnel !
Why also rely on SEO?
Blogging is no longer something that is done on the side and without the appropriate expertise. A blog without a content strategy will go under on the Internet.
In a 2018 study, Sistrix examined the most successful corporate blogs in German-speaking countries. Some facts from this study:
- 76 percent of corporate blogs have below-average performance in terms of SEO.
- Most of these sub-par corporate blogs don’t even have 8% of their rankings in the top 10.
- Most blogs have weaknesses in the content format as well as in the internal links.
Experienced SEO experts first analyze your target group and then create a strategy based on this. In order for blog articles that are to be found for popular search terms to really rank on Google, SEO experts must consider the following, among other things:
- Search terms: Which keywords need to be covered so that Google can understand the relevance of the topic?
- Search intention: What is the search intention and what type of content can rank for the corresponding search term?
- Competition: How is the competition positioned and for which search terms can I realistically rank and for which not?
- Strategy: Do I first pursue a long-tail keyword strategy or can I jump straight into the lucrative keywords?
- Backlinks: Which link building strategy do I pursue and which backlinks are really really in the respective niche?
If you want your corporate blog to be really read and understood as a successful marketing tool, you should have your blog run by experts.
Building a successful corporate blog
As you now know, the corporate blog is a great marketing tool that you can use to win over your target group. Also, you know that an SEO strategy is essential for the blog to be visible in the first place and attracting new visitors.
But how do I build a successful corporate blog?
A successful corporate blog is primarily characterized by a healthy content mix. So you shouldn’t just publish static news about your company;
For example, a corporate blog can consist of these types of posts:
- Experience reports from trainees or employees
- Video diaries on everyday life in the company
- SEO-optimized posts within the industry / niche
( Yello, for example, runs a very successful blog and writes on topics such as e-mobility, 5G, solar technology and more. ) - Presentation of new products / services
Your corporate blog should therefore be strategically structured, underpin your expert status, provide insights into your company and be designed to gain successive visibility.
6 quick tips for your blog strategy
We give you 6 tips on how to create a successful and visible corporate blog:
- Tip # 1: Define the goals of your blog ( brand awareness , lead acquisition, expert status …) and align the blog strategy with them.
- Tip # 2: Define your target group and align your content with them.
- Tip # 3: Rely on quality instead of quantity. The average content on the first Google page is 1,890 words.
- Tip # 4: Pay attention to the search intention and check which content is really expected for which search term.
- Tip # 5: Put the strategy of your corporate blog in the hands of content experts to create a visible blog with tangible added value.
Conclusion
A corporate blog with high-quality content costs time and resources. You won’t get a million followers overnight either. Still, you should stay tuned to reap the long-term benefits:
- Strong brand image
- Relationship with the customer
- Arouse emotions
- Prove expertise
- Create a social hub
- Increase traffic & push SEO
- Provide a platform for employees
- Advertise intelligently
A good structure is essential for corporate blogs. Your readers want meaningful teasers, exciting, emotional stories and content that stand out from the crowd. This gives you a good chance of achieving the top rankings with your blog.
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