Earlier today I was speaking with a new client and she said that she “blogs on purpose”. At first that struck me as a funny way of saying it but then it made me start thinking – How many of us are actually blogging on purpose?
What does “Blogging on Purpose” mean to you?
To me, as a strategic thinker, I do almost everything with a purpose in mind. Blogging is no exception to this rule. When I blog there is purpose in my topic, purpose in my length, purpose in the places I post it. There just seems to be a purpose everywhere!
Blogging on Purpose #1 – Visibility
Although it still shocks me that I enjoy blogging (I really never thought I would) my friends were not phased. They said that they knew I would figure out that it is another way for me to share my opinions. LOL! Yes, I like to voice my opinions.
However, what I feel I am really doing is sharing my knowledge with you. Adding value to your life is the main component of what I consider to be my success in life. By sharing tips, suggestions, and information about things I have learned in business, I can hopefully help you. In return, I get recognized as a leading authority in my field. Not a bad return for my efforts.
Purpose #2 – List Building
Yes, I am actively building a list of email names and addresses. Aren't you? If you are in business one of the most powerful marketing tools available to you is email marketing. I utilize my blog to share information as I mentioned above which I hope will entice my ideal clients and connections to join my email list.
I have an opt-in box on my website where my blogs are, which does offer a really sweet free downloadable ebook, and I also go so far as to include the opt-in box at the end of some blog posts. I can entice people to join my list in other ways using my blog – holding contests, offering teleclasses and sometimes talking about my products and services.
Purpose #3 – SEO
So, what does blogging have to do with SEO? Everything! First, it is great for increasing traffic to your site. You can share your blog posts on social media sites like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook then when someone clicks to read it they are sent to your website to read it – that's traffic.
Second, search engines want to see updated material on your site on a regular basis. What is the easiest way to get new information on your site – blogging! Also, it makes sense that since every blog has its own individual keywords, that would be an additional plus for search engine ranking.
It seems to me that to “blog on purpose” is a good thing! Why randomly blog when you can take the time to do one thing, write a post, and get multiple benefits from it. That is what I call taking action.
Before you go, are you struggling with what to blog about? Ever wonder what keywords to focus on and how to use them? Check out my newest planner – it will tell you how to create different kinds of content, use the perfect keywords and repurpose your content so that you are not always creating content.
Originally posted Sept 2010, Updated July 2019
Thanks for the great reminders of why it’s so beneficial for your business to write blog posts. It makes you want to blog. It’s good that you mentioned the SEO because many bloggers aren’t aware of how much it helps page ranking. I’m always looking for interesting and informative blogs to follow but many times, the blog posts are to few to keep checking back on. That’s why it’s better to blog frequently. And of course when you find ones you like, you can always subscribe to the blog.
Thanks Jeannette – Thanks for commenting. That is probably a whole blog post in itself – the SEO ramifications of blogging. LOL A lot of bloggers don’t realize that with a little keyword research and strategic thinking they can have their website ranking on the first page because of a blog post. Thanks – Michele
I love that term, “blogging on purpose.” I teach that concept to people in the sense of having an overall purpose for your blog (a niche, a vision, a plan). With a purpose, each post fits. You can effectively research and use keywords. You can provide valuable information for your readers, rather than a mish-mash of disjointed stuff. And you can communicate your consistent and targeted message elsewhere online to draw people to your blog who are interested in what you have to say. Great post!
Hey Leanne – You do a great job with that on your site. Thanks, Michele