This is a blog… about a blog. Like why even bother throwing a bunch of words into a Word Doc? Who reads this? Why read this?

First of all, it all starts with who’s writing it and where it’s being placed. These questions help us define what type of blog it will be. Is it entertaining? Informational? A long rant?

If you didn’t know yet, Blakely + Company is a full-service advertising agency. We do all of our services in-house. Including blogging. So, this blog is about advertising and why blogs are great for businesses.

Now I explain the how and the why.

Blogs are intended to be written as short pieces that either share, teach, or entertain. In this case, here’s the rest of the 855 words on why blogs play a vital role in boosting your social media marketing plan.

I’ve mentioned that blogs are short, but they’re also typically a lighter read than most magazine and newspaper articles. And novels. In today’s world, we’re all busy enough already. So, why even bother adding blogs to our daily routine? Information is thrown in our faces every day, starting from the moment we get out of bed. It’s on the buses, the billboards, the radio, the ads on the trash bins on the way to Starbucks, in the tweet alerts, and the Facebook Newsfeed when we do our 15-minute morning scroll. It’s everywhere. It’s almost inescapable.

We all have managed to read on-the-go one way or another. If we look at all of these blurbs of information, what do they have in common no matter the placement? They’re short and simple.

So… big deal, right? Our world is buzzing with news constantly, why would a blog have any value?

Blogs serve a purpose, especially if you have a social media marketing plan and own a business and/or site. Sometimes people write just to write and you can tell the difference between “fun” writing and “purposeful” writing. People want to read stories that are intentional. Are they easy to read? Do they spark a reaction?

Blogs are also intended to help social media campaigns by engaging readers and bringing them to a company’s website. Another benefit for having a blog is that they are public, so it’s not hard for all users to post and share on their social media platforms with a click of a button.

According to AdWeek:

To generate inbound marketing opportunities, 53 percent of marketers tout blog content as a top priority, and blogs have been rated the fifth-most-trusted source of accurate online information. Social sharing of your blog content will increase engagement on your company website, in addition to building trust in your social platform as a valuable resource.

94 percent of people who share posts do so because they find them helpful and think others might, too. When you can promote social sharing of your blog posts, the result is increased engagement with not just individual posts, but your entire social media campaign.

Use your position as a social marketer to interact with your customers and encourage them to help you build hype by providing fun, easily shareable content for them to broadcast to their networks. If you use social media in the right ways, it will elevate all your other marketing efforts and improve your return on investment by a hefty margin.

Being human, we all love reading a good story. This is your opportunity to share your voice online.

But until then, how long should this “voice” be? The average blog post is actually difficult to determine. Some say it should be about 1400 words while others say it should be no more than 600 words.

… Huh?

It’s okay. I did some research and scrolling until I came across a site called “CoSchedule” and they had what’s probably the best explanation for blogging:

“Don’t just guess at the best blog content length. Know the best length for every post on your blog.”

I’m sure you’ve read several different types of blogs, so you can understand that each company/writer has their own style and length. Regardless, blogs should never take too long to read. A good short reading is within the 5 to 7-minute range, so don’t let the word count worry you.

Finally, what is your “why”? Are you here to entertain? To post some commentary on an issue? To share a story? Do you need more readers on your website? More content for your Instagram page? Or maybe you want to explain the features and benefits of your product!

I wrote a blog about blogs because we’re an advertising agency that offers blog services. I wanted to share a small blurb on how and why blogging is important. Not everyone understands what a blog’s purpose is. Not everyone knows how beneficial blogs can be when it comes to marketing a business on social media. Think of it as another tool to reach your target audience and gain a better brand awareness!

Whatever needs you and your business has, find the “why” first and then you’ll have a blog post to share.