Content Marketing Fundamentals: 8 Ways Your Brand Benefits from Blogging

You know how the right words can open the doors to new opportunities? Content marketing offers that power to launch your brand to new heights. All you’ve got to do is find the right approach.

You need to think of smart tactics to leverage blogging in your favor – ways that work perfectly for your line of business. We’re here to help with that.

Below, we’ll uncover eight compelling benefits that blogging can have for your brand. We’ll explore how each aspect can contribute to a stronger, more engaging online presence. The insights here are designed to be immediately useful and easy to implement, so let’s get to it.

1. Make Blogging a Major Marketing Channel

Think of blogging as a smart investment where your efforts continue to pay dividends long after your initial work.

Unlike paid advertising, which stops generating returns the moment you stop funding, a well-crafted blog post will continue to attract and engage audiences.

Here’s how to maximize this benefit:

1. Producing valuable pieces.
   These are posts that are highly relevant for your readers, drawing in massive traffic. For instance, comprehensive guides and white papers are likely to attract more readers than brief, fluffy posts.
2. Discovering your compounding posts.
   A recent study reveals that one in ten blog posts are compounding – posts responsible for about 38% of all blog traffic. This highlights the potential of blogs to become an invaluable, self-sustaining asset in your marketing toolkit. To capitalize on this, analyze which posts perform best over time and create similar but unique content to build a library of compounding posts.
   
3. Integrating with other marketing efforts.
   Integrate your blogging with other marketing channels. Use blog posts to support your social media, email marketing, or even offline campaigns. This cross-channel synergy not only broadens your reach but also provides a consistent voice across all platforms, reinforcing your brand’s message.
4. Monitor and adjust.
   Regularly review your blog’s performance. Use analytics to understand which posts are resonating with your audience and why. This data-driven approach allows you to refine your strategy continually, ensuring that your blogging efforts are aligned with your audience’s interests and needs.

Position blogging as a key marketing channel and your brand will reap continuous benefits, establishing you as a go-to resource in your industry.

2. Boost Your Brand in Search Rankings

Blogging can be the best way to get as high as possible on Google. All you need to do is master some sophisticated SEO tactics to stand out in the crowded online space.

Here’s how to go beyond the basic SEO practices:

1. Embrace rich, relevant content.
   Focus on creating content that’s both rich in quality and relevant to your audience. Search engines love content that answers questions, solves problems, and adds value.
2. Utilize long-tail keywords.
   Integrate keywords that are more specific and often less competitive than generic keywords. For instance, instead of using “running shoes,” opt for “women’s trail running shoes for beginners.” This precision helps you attract a more targeted audience and improves your chances of ranking higher in search results.
   
3. Leverage latent semantic indexing (LSI).
   These are terms related to your main keywords but aren’t direct synonyms. For example, if your primary keyword is “digital marketing,” LSI keywords could include “online advertising,” “SEO,” or “content strategy.”
   
4. Optimize for featured snippets.
   Aim to get your content in Google’s featured snippets. These are the highlighted boxes you see at the top of many search results. To do this, structure your content with clear, concise answers to common questions, use bullet points, and include high-quality, relevant images.

Implement these advanced SEO tactics and you’ll improve your search engine rankings while enhancing user engagement and establishing a stronger, more authoritative online presence. It’s a win-win that can yield significant long-term benefits for your brand.

3. Nurture Leads With Evergreen Content 

72% of marketers reveal that content marketing can increase engagement and the number of leads.

Evergreen content, by its nature, is particularly potent in this regard. It’s content that doesn’t expire or become outdated, offering enduring value to your audience.

Here’s how to excel with evergreen content:

1. Identify timeless topics.
   Focus on subjects that have a consistent level of interest. This could be how-to guides, comprehensive FAQs, or in-depth explorations of fundamental concepts in your industry.
2. Regularly update.
   Keep your evergreen content accurate and relevant. Periodic updates not only refresh the material but also signal to search engines that your content is continuously maintained, which can improve SEO rankings.
3. Promote across platforms.
   Distribute your evergreen content across multiple channels. Regular promotion, especially on social media, can continuously drive new traffic to these posts.

Aura, an Amazon repricer software, exemplifies this approach perfectly. Their ultimate guide on real arbitrage on Amazon is a prime example of evergreen content. It targets a specific, ongoing interest, providing comprehensive guidance for those aspiring to enter this profession.

By addressing a topic with a lasting appeal, Aura ensures that this article remains a relevant and valuable resource, continually attracting new readers interested in this career path.

Emulate this strategy and your brand can similarly utilize evergreen content to nurture leads. That way, you can build a base of content that works tirelessly to engage and educate your audience over time.

4. Show That You Take Product Development Seriously

Being transparent about your product development process is how you show your audience that you’re committed to innovation and customer satisfaction.

This approach allows you to significantly boost your brand’s credibility. It shows that you’re dedicated to constantly improving your product and valuing customer input, which is essential in building lasting customer relationships.

Here’s the blueprint for building trust through transparency:

1. Share development milestones.
   Regularly update your audience about the progress and milestones in your product development. This keeps them engaged and creates a sense of anticipation.
2. Explain the “why” behind changes.
   Don’t just announce new features or updates. Explain the reasoning behind these changes. This helps your audience understand the value and thought process behind your decisions.
3. Solicit feedback.
   Use your blog as a platform to ask for feedback on new features or potential improvements. This provides valuable insights and makes your customers feel valued and involved.
4. Provide behind-the-scenes insights.
   Share stories about the challenges and successes in your product development journey. This humanizes your brand and creates a deeper connection with your audience.

Mailchimp, an esteemed email marketing platform, excels in this area. They frequently publish detailed updates about their product developments. For instance, a recent post about incorporating generative AI into their platform demonstrates their commitment to innovation.

This update is a message to their current and potential customers that they’re continuously evolving to meet their needs. By doing so, Mailchimp keeps their user base informed and reinforces their position as a forward-thinking leader in their industry.

5. Help Customers Choose Their Ideal Product

Guiding customers to their ideal product through informative content is a strategy that’s great for enhancing user experience. It also positions your brand as a helpful and reliable source.

By offering detailed and relevant information, you can assist customers in making informed decisions that align with their needs and preferences.

Here’s how to use your blog to guide customer choices:

1. Create comprehensive guides.
   Develop content that covers various aspects of your products or services. These guides should educate your audience about features, benefits, and uses, helping them understand what best suits their needs.
2. Use comparison content.
   Provide comparisons between different products or services you offer. This helps customers understand the differences and similarities, making it easier for them to choose what’s best for them.
3. Incorporate customer reviews and testimonials.
   This real-world feedback can significantly influence the decision-making process of potential customers.
4. Be transparent and informative.
   Ensure your content is upfront about the advantages and limitations of your products. Honesty builds trust and helps customers make choices they’re happy with in the long run.

Transparent Labs, a sports nutrition supplements brand, sets a stellar example with their blog. Their pre-workout guide on ingredients and supplements comprehensively covers many of their products available for fitness enthusiasts.

The post isn’t an information dump, though. It’s carefully crafted to educate readers about their choices. Throughout the guide, Transparent Labs’ products are naturally mentioned, allowing readers to understand which options might suit their specific fitness goals.

This approach demonstrates how to subtly guide customers towards products that meet their individual needs. In other words, it allows your blog to move prospects down your sales funnel.

6. Differentiate Your Product From Competitors

In a market crowded with alternatives, standing out can make all the difference for your sales strategy performance.

Blogging offers an excellent platform to highlight what makes your product unique and why it’s a better choice. The key is to focus on providing value and information rather than just selling.

Here’s how to highlight your product’s unique aspects:

1. Focus on unique features.
   Identify and emphasize the features that set your product apart from competitors. Be specific about how these features provide additional value to the customer.
2. Share the story behind your product.
   Describe what inspired its creation, the challenges you overcame, and the unique approach you’ve taken. This narrative can resonate with your audience and create a personal connection.
3. Provide detailed comparisons.
   Show the differences between your products and competitors’. Be objective and fact-based, focusing on comparisons in features, benefits, and pricing.
4. Educate your audience.
   Use your blog to educate readers about the nuances of your industry. A well-informed customer is more likely to appreciate the unique value your product offers.

A great example here is Medical Alert Buyer’s Guide, a website reviewing medical alert systems. They have a post that outlines reasons why customers might want to reconsider purchasing a competitor’s product.

The post is carefully crafted to remain unbiased, presenting arguments based on facts and features rather than subjective opinions. Simultaneously, it highlights why their product is a superior alternative.

This approach of providing objective, comparative information helps customers make informed decisions while subtly positioning their product as the preferred choice.

7. Make Your Brand Relatable

Blogging is an ideal platform to humanize your brand, share your story, and give your audience a peek behind the curtains.

This approach can transform your brand from a faceless object into a character that your audience feels connected to and trusts.

Here are some strategies to humanize your brand:

1. Tell your brand story.
   Share the journey of how your brand came to be. This could include the challenges you faced, the milestones you achieved, and the vision that drives you. A compelling story can create an emotional connection with your audience.
2. Introduce your team.
   Let your audience meet the people behind your products or services. Feature posts about team members, their roles, and their experiences. This puts a human face to your brand and builds trust.
3. Give behind-the-scenes insight.
   Share what happens behind the scenes at your company. This could be about how you create your products, the values that guide your business decisions, or how you tackle day-to-day challenges. This transparency can make your brand more relatable and trustworthy.
4. Highlight community involvement.
   Showcase your involvement in community projects or charitable causes. This demonstrates your brand’s values and helps build a deeper connection with like-minded individuals in your audience.

Kickstarter, a popular crowdfunding platform, exemplifies this approach beautifully. One of their content pieces includes a story about the birth of their brand. It’s a tale that dives into the history of their inception, sharing the inspirations and aspirations that led to their creation.

By opening up about their beginnings and what drives them, Kickstarter makes their brand more relatable and appealing to their audience.

8. Generate Credibility for Your Business

In terms of marketing, credibility is currency. For businesses, establishing trust through your blog can significantly impact your brand’s reputation and authority.

The key thing here is showing your audience that you’re not just another player in the market but a knowledgeable and reliable source in your industry.

Here’s how to build credibility through blogging:

1. Announce awards and recognitions.
   If your business has received any accolades, share this news on your blog. This showcases your achievements but also serves as a testament to your commitment to excellence.
2. Collaborate with thought leaders.
   Invite industry experts to guest post on your blog or participate in podcasts and interviews. Their insights add depth to your content and associate your brand with leadership.
3. Showcase scientific competence.
   When relevant, back up your claims or product benefits with scientific evidence. Referencing research and studies adds a layer of credibility and shows that your brand values accuracy and truth.
4. Stand confidently beside the competition.
   Don’t shy away from creating content that places your brand alongside competitors. Offer fair comparisons that highlight your strengths. This demonstrates confidence in your brand’s value proposition and respects the intelligence of your readers to make informed decisions.

Smash, an SEO agency, provides an excellent example of this strategy with their “10 Best B2B SEO Agencies to Grow Your Business” blog post.

By confidently discussing their own offer next to its competition, Smash positions itself as a knowledgeable and secure player in the industry.

This approach allows the brand to illuminate their strengths and showcase their confidence in standing out in a competitive landscape. That enhances their credibility and helps the brand establish authority in their field.

9. Generate Income with Affiliate Partnerships

Affiliate marketing through your blog can be a lucrative way to generate additional income while adding value to your readers.

By partnering with other companies to promote their products or services, you can earn a commission for each sale model through your referral.

Here’s how to score big though affiliate partnerships:

1. Choose relevant partnerships.
   Select affiliate partners that offer products or services relevant to your audience’s interests and needs. This alignment ensures that your recommendations feel natural and genuinely useful, rather than forced or out of place.
2. Be transparent with your audience.
   Clearly disclose your affiliate relationships. Transparency builds trust with your readers and is also a legal requirement in many jurisdictions. A simple disclaimer stating that you may receive a commission for purchases made through your links is sufficient.
3. Provide value with your content.
   Don’t just list products or services. Offer insightful content that educates your audience about the choices. For example, product reviews, how-to guides, and comparison articles can help readers make informed decisions while providing you with an opportunity to incorporate affiliate links naturally.

A great example of a brand leveraging affiliate marketing is Startup Resources, a repository of tools for startup growth. They feature a post on the best Amazon repricer tools.

However, this content isn’t just a list of random tools. It’s a valuable resource for their target audience, offering insights into how each tool can benefit an Amazon seller.

By carefully selecting affiliate products that resonate with your readers’ interests and presenting them in an informative blog post, your brand can generate referral income while adding real value to your audience.

Final Thoughts

The key to success in this realm is not just in starting but in continually striving to do more.

Each blog post is a stepping stone towards building a stronger brand presence, deeper customer relationships, and a more authoritative voice in your industry.

The journey doesn’t end with publishing a few posts. Your job is to consistently push the boundaries, explore new ideas, and adapt to the evolving digital landscape.

Embrace the ride, and you’ll find that the rewards are well worth the effort.