4 Reasons Blogging is Better for Business than Twitter
What am I, crazy?
Am I suggesting that you stop with the 140-character thing and get back to writing articles? Don’t world communications revolve around Twitter?
To answer the first question, there was a Waylon Jennings song some years back titled, “I’ve always been crazy, it keeps me from going insane.” Enough said on that one.
Now the other two: It’s true that the general public in entranced by Twitter and its usefulness in smack talk about famous people and bringing down nasty political regimes. But it’s not the strongest platform if you’re serious about establishing authority and relevancy – two factors Google includes in the search engine results page (SERP) equation.
Your blog is the real foundation for your content and social media strategy. Here are 4 reasons why:
1) Twitter is popular because it is easy and immediate. As for its relevance – well, a 3rd grader could do it. Blogging takes time, thought, research, and planning, and if done correctly, requires that you continue over long periods of time, with consistent frequency.
2) Old articles are valuable and often read years later because they rank well in the SERPs for the keywords on which they are built, and add to your authority. Old Tweets… well, forget it, because everyone else will.
3) Most blogging platforms give you some form of analytics – you’ll see just how many people are reading your posts, which posts garner the most interest, and a host of other factors that can help you build stronger relationships and more business.
4) As Adam Singer of Future Buzz says, “Everyone on Twitter is looking for the next big thing to link to. Wouldn’t you rather be that big thing instead of merely another person pointing at it?”
Think about blogs and tweets in terms of food: A tweet is a snack. But your customers want a full-course meal. They want to be engaged, they want something interesting enough to satisfy their hunger. You simply cannot give them that in 140 characters.
The Take Away:
Blog first, then tweet. Write your very best content – content that proves you know your stuff, content that compels the reader to engage, to think, to act – then tweet the link, and include it in your next e-newsletter (you do have one, don’t you?). Do it consistently and over time you will see results.
Yeah – Crazy like a fox.
Thanks for sharing this great article Linda. I shared this post with readers on my Facebook page. It really is true that a blog is one of the best forms of advertisement and an opportunity to show that you are an expert in what your discussion is about. Not only will your articles still show up in search results long after it was posted, but it’s a great FREE form of getting your name out there.