Brafton has reported that Americans turn to blogs to keep up with the latest news, and a report from Blog2Print indicates that engaging content should be corporate bloggers' top priority in 2011.
The report, relayed by eMarketer, reveals that nearly half (46 percent) of CMOs at Fortune 1,000 companies attribute engaging content that generates comments as the leading factor to blog success. Since comments were the measure of engagement, CMOs suggest blog posts that foster discussions are the most effective.
CMOs identified daily posting as the second-leading factor to blog success. More than one-quarter (26 percent) of respondents say that indicating their companies are up-to-date with regular posts is key. Notably, informative and educational content was also listed as priority by marketers, with one in 10 citing this type of content as key to success.
Marketers will want to create custom content for their blogs that can be frequently updated and hold consumers’ interest. By offering articles that keep up with the latest industry news, marketers will automatically have fuel for frequent blog posts, and they’ll likely foster conversations about developments in their sector – which leads to another blog benefit.
Eighteen percent of CMOs say a top reason they host corporate blogs is to become a thought leader within their industries, and the benefits of this are far-reaching. For one, consumers are more likely to do business with brands they trust. Plus, at Affiliate Summit West 2011, SEO experts suggest that creating content that establishes a brand as an authority in its field will generate links to a site.
Benefits aside, the main reason CMOs use corporate blogs is because "it’s the cost of doing business today." Indeed, Brafton has reported that marketing blogs are a burgeoning tool among SMBs. Nearly half of companies are expected to blog by 2012.
