media update's Aisling McCarthy delves into the role of blogs.

How important is blogging in 2017?

In 2017, a blog is your own piece of property in the vast landscape that is the internet. Having a place to call your own, and use as you see fit, can allow you or your business to illustrate something to your readers about who you, or your brand, are.

Marion K Nowak, the author behind 2016’s best fashion blog (according to the South African Blog Awards), Who Cares, It’s Art, says that having come from a journalism background, she believes blogs to be an important space for people to share their thoughts and opinions, without the restrictions set in place by a publication.

“Today, anyone can be a blogger and it has become a force to be reckoned with. Blogging is important because it allows writers to express their opinions and allows readers to engage on a more personal level.”

For a business, blogging as well as having a social media presence, is of utmost importance, 2017 and beyond. Holly Bekker, a journalist and blogger, said on her website, that a blog is no different from having an email address or a website.

“[A blog] may not be the only way that we can transfer our ideas and opinions to the world, but it’s still how we can present our work in the most personalised and creative way. The best part is, it’s your own content and you run the show.”

Online writer for South African Bloggers, Ayabonga Ngoma tells media update that for companies, a blog is a simple way to create a large impact.

“Blogging has become more important than ever, not just on a personal level but also for businesses. It is generally a low-cost tool that can have a high impact and even generate a stream of income for bloggers and organisations.”

Why you need a blog as your base

If used correctly, a blog can be the foundation of everything else you do online. You can have Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram but your blog is your home base.

Nowak says that blogs are an ideal touch point for consumers to reach you, as it is a far more engaging platform than print, for example.

“Blogs are more interactive and your engagement with your audience is more personal. You can comment on a blog post and have a reply from the writer in seconds. A mail to a magazine editor can get lost in cyberspace and you’re lucky if you’re worthy of a reply.”

Bekker adds that your piece of online real estate is a great way to store all of your content in easily-discoverable folders.

“Your blog is your space … It’s where you can communicate with your readers and content is archived and can be found again (unlike Facebook content, where a month after the fact you can never find anything).”

Ngoma adds that one of the greatest aspects about blogs is the timelessness of them.

“[They] do not expire and are accessible 24/7. So bookmarking can be done and this long-form content can be consumed by the reader as they want.”

Having a space online also allows you to position both you and your business as experts in your respective industry, says blogger David Alexander in an online post.

“A good business blog answers questions your consumers may have. If you create content that gives value to your audience, they will see you as a go-to resource and this can establish you as an industry authority.”

A consistently updated blog on your company’s website also helps to give you a better ranking on Google, allowing you to appear earlier in search rankings, says Ngoma.

“When talking content marketing and SEO, blogs help websites be more visible on search sites if done properly and consistently.”

Alexander adds that blogging aids to humanise your brand and your business.

“An ‘About Us’ page on your website is no match for a regular blog in terms of showing your personality and ideas. Blogging gives readers a better insight into your company, values, employees, ideas, and much more. It’s a place where you get to share your voice and personality, and build up trust with readers.”

The key to successful blogging

Creating a successful blog requires that you reach the right audience. You may be posting stellar content, but if it is not being read, it isn’t worth anything.

Nowak tells media update that the key to finding the right audience is patience.

“Networking is super important and it can take months to get the right audience. Your audience exists somewhere out there and it’s important to post about topics and news that interests you as a blogger.”

Patience, coupled with ensuring you are publishing high-quality content is key, according to Ngoma.

“Establishing followers comes with having great quality content that your readers find that they can't be without. So have subscription lists for regular updates and encourage the sharing of that content. If it is good, the followers will come and bring other followers.”

Along with readers of your blog, having quality content can assist in maintaining your social media presence, Alexander says.

“While it is good to share the content of others, you are just directing more traffic to their site. At some point, you’d want a share of that traffic, too. If you have a blog and share it on your social media platforms, you drive more people to your site. You also win clicks, leads, and visitors when your posts are shared.”

Nowak adds that it is important that the content you share reflects your thoughts and really represents you.

“It’s important to stay true to your own personal style and to always know what is trending and why. We tend to forget that there are people in the world who enjoy the exact same things we do, and those are the people who become your followers and vice versa.”

“What makes a good blogger? Quality content. An online presence and personality. Consistently.” Ngoma concludes.

Want to stay up to date with the latest media news? Subscribe to our newsletter.

Interested in successful South African bloggers? Read more in our article, Delving into the visual diary of photography blogger, Byjono.