Do blogs still work?
It’s a valid question to ask yourself, in today’s digital world where Video is King and trending Reels rule the social media space.
So, what are blogs these days? If videos are King, then are blogs Queen in today’s information/entertainment age?
Or have blogs been relegated to an even lower status – like a Duke, Knight, or even a lowly squire? Maybe they have been thrown into the Tower at this point, or are merely an epithet, whose glory days have passed….
Ok – I’ll admit that this past weekend I spent more hours than I should have binging Game of Thrones-styled movies but at least you know that this blog is not AI generated….
Blogs are not dead; They continue to be a viable tool in your marketing toolbox if you are willing to evolve with the times and shape this tool to meet the ever-changing consumer habits and behaviors.
Here are some data points to consider:
- According to HubSpot’s State of Marketing 2023 report, blogs continue to rank in the top three forms of media for content marketing strategies – with videos still ranking #1. https://www.hubspot.com/state-of-marketing (approx. 50% for videos vs. about 30% for blogs)
- Of the 1.7 billion websites on the internet, a whopping 600 million of them are blogs. https://masterblogging.com/is-blogging-still-worth-it/
- WordPress.com – just one of the Content Management Systems (CMS) out there – has 409 million readers, generating over 20 billion page views per month (Id.)
- Google processes over 5 billion searches per day and organic search produces 23% of all site visits! https://www.oberlo.com/blog/google-search-statistics
What does all this data tell us?
Although consumers are certainly watching videos, they are still going to the internet for information. They are still performing searches for answers to their questions and reading blogs that come up in their searches. However, because the online space is glutted with loads of blogs, it is important to make sure your blog content is the most relevant, so it is picked up by the search engine algorithms; It needs to squarely answer the questions your potential clients have and contain the key terms they are using when they perform searches.
For law firms, this is a golden opportunity. The likelihood is that you have no interest in writing personal essay-styled blogs – that no one is searching for anyway. But you are an expert in your field. You have answers to the burning questions your potential clients are asking and searching for. You know what they should say or do after an accident. You know how they should handle a nosy insurance adjuster. You know what they should do and not do after they’ve been hurt or injured on the job, or in the Walmart parking lot.
So, the good news is that you don’t have to be a trendy influencer or a born entertainer. You don’t have to be a best-selling author like Stephen King, James Patterson or J.K. Rowling…
You have the special knowledge that your potential clients need.
You have the answers to the questions they are asking. When they are in a crisis mode – you are the expert that can help them.
Leverage blogs to give your prospects the straightforward answers they are searching for.
Here are some more tips to bear in mind when integrating blogs into your firm’s Marketing efforts:
- Leverage keyword search data – and create blogs that utilize these keywords in the title and body of your blogs.
- Keep your blogs short and written at a 6th-grade, easily understood level.
- Add visuals, infographics, or even a video into your blogs.
- Repurpose your blogs into short vlogs – across all relevant social media platforms.
- Remember that you are not your ideal client – so take your message to the platforms that your potential clients are using – both the older generation, on Facebook, and the younger generation on Instagram Reels and TikTok.
- To increase your reach to new prospects when repurposing your blogs to short videos online for Reels and such – keep those platforms’ algorithms in mind, and leverage a few trending hashtags, relevant captions, and trending music when you can.
- Try to put yourself in your potential client’s shoes – Think about the concerns they have after an accident, the questions they are asking, and the misconceptions they have that you can address in your blogs.
- Post your blogs on your website and push them out in relevant ways on all the top social media platforms. Add links, graphics, and videos for added interest.
- Use AI to make the first draft of your blog writing quicker and easier – and then fine-tune it, adding your personal touch, and making sure the content is accurate and aligns with the laws in your particular state.
While Videos are still “King” and continue to amass the largest online content engagement numbers, blogs are still relevant, and a continued player in the battle for consumer engagement. If you want to connect with new prospects, and sign more cases, then keep writing blogs, but do so in accordance with today’s algorithms and ever-evolving consumer behavior.
Want more strategies to help you make your firm a dominating force in your market? Then join PILMMA’s Gold Membership or Mastermind Groups!
