Is blogging useful in financial services marketing? My answer to that question is yes – blogging is still relevant!
Blogging started to grow in popularity in the late 1990s when blogs were primarily used as an online diary. Subsequently in the 2000s we saw the explosion of blogging as a way of providing commentary about politics, news and global events. The late 2000s saw the launch of many an influencer career, with some starting off writing blogs and then broadening their channels to include YouTube and then in 2010 Instagram.
Moving to the present day, there is a huge volume of content across multiple channels demanding the attention of clients and prospects. However blogging is still relevant and a useful marketing tactic for a number of reasons.
Driving website traffic
A regularly updated blog can help to attract more attention and drive website visitors, increasing your online presence.
Search engine optimisation
Blogs can assist in search engine optimisation (SEO) through the use of keywords and key phrases that your potential clients may be searching online for, helping your site to rank higher in search results. The more valuable your content, the higher you will appeal in search results.
Demonstrating expertise
By featuring content from a variety of colleagues, across a range of topics, can help to build your reputation as a thought leader and industry authority, building trust with clients.
Sharing content
Relevant, engaging content is likely to be shared more widely by your audience and depending upon the topic may be repurposed in client newsletters, placed articles and press releases. An article about a forthcoming event maybe shared by site visitors, widening the potential audience.
Showing a human side
Some of the blogs that see the greatest engagement feature colleague achievements such as industry award wins, CSR activities or recruitment of new individuals or teams.
Blogging can seem onerous, especially if you have a small team. It always helps to have a content plan, highlighting key dates for the firm, as well as potential award announcements, notable dates or awareness days relevant to your firm that you could produce engaging content for.
In conclusion, blogging is still relevant. If you need any assistance producing an achievable content plan, please get in touch.
