Original content that has the “They ask, you answer” concept at its core is what leads your buyers to you.
Blogging is part of that, because it’s your platform and opportunity to build trust and credibility with them so that they come ready to buy from you, educated, informed and willing.
But if you’re not putting that content directly onto your website, and instead you’re relying on a separate platform like Blogger and Tumblr, you’re doing yourself, and your audience a disservice… and here’s why:
Two platforms means you’ve got double the marketing to do
Sometimes you might be restricted by what you can do with your website, for instance with integrations or adding content, and as a result you could be in a position where you don’t have a blog section on your website.
In that situation, you’re first instinct would likely be “oh it’s ok, I’ll just set up a blog elsewhere”, but that will inevitably create more work for you.
Think about it: If you’ve got two platforms, you’ve got double the marketing to do. You’ll be marketing your website, but also your blogging platform. It’s like having a second brand, where you’re essentially creating twice as much work.
That might work to begin with, but we all know accountants get busy, especially when it comes to marketing, so if you’ve got to double your marketing efforts, it’ll undoubtedly peter out much faster.
Two platforms will compromise the customer experience
If you thought the work was hard for you, how do you think your audience will feel? Two platforms will be confusing for them.
Let’s say for example they’ve come to your website, and then they want to go read an article you’ve written. That takes them off your website. Then you might mention a service in the article, which sends them back to your website.
It’s confusing for them, and therefore the experience is not as good as it could be. And when they’re confused, you’re planting seeds of distrust in the back of their minds.
More importantly, it creates brand confusion for them. It’s very unlikely that this blog page would look the same as your website page. It’s a different domain, a different tone, and messaging.
Two platforms jeopardises your website’s SEO rankings
Search Engine Optimisation is ultimately about domain authority, otherwise known as how high you rank in Google for certain phrases.
The way Google’s algorithms work nowadays is based all around content creation. The more content you’re writing, the higher the domain authority and therefore the higher you rank.
So if you’re using a separate platform for your blog articles, you’re in a catch-22 situation. The more you write on that platform, the higher it’ll rank, but at the expense of your own website.
That’s because Google knows if sites are connected, so if you’ve got 2 platforms with similar brands and names, with one publishing more content than the other, that second platform is going to suffer.
That’ll mean your site will fall in the rankings, which could cause more problems for you later down the line when you’re trying to appear in searches for your area, and so on.
Evaluate your website platform, and whether you need to switch to something else
So what do you do about it? You’re desperate to write content and get the answers out there to your audience, but you need the write platform to do it.
It comes back to the platform you’re using. WordPress and Rocketspark are great and have a built-in blog feature built-in.
But if you’re not using those, evaluate what platform you’re using:
- Does this website address who we are, who we serve, what their issues are and how we solve them?
- Is it clear what we want them to do when they come to the site?
- Does my website allow for integrations? (Can you connect the likes of MailChimp, Infusionsoft or whichever CRM you’re using?)
If you’re ready to switch platforms, then do your research. Ask yourself what you want your website to do:
- Do you want to have forms for downloadable guides that feed into your CRM?
- Do you want a e-commerce section to sell swag, or for your audience to purchase training?
- Do you want to be able to update your SEO on the fly?
All of these questions will help influence which platform is right for you. We always recommend WordPress or Rocketspark, especially if you answered “Yes” to all of the above!
But if you’re in a position where you can’t switch straight away, or you’re working in-house and need to get buy-in first, here are some things you can do in the meantime:
- Start writing anyway: Get all the content into a Google doc, so that you’re ready once the platform switches. There’s nothing to stop you from writing your amazing content and getting it ready for your eventual new website launch!
- Create a personal brand site: Rocketspark can do this easily. If you’re an employee, confirm it’s OK with the firm that you do this. If you’re an owner, remember that this is a foray into personal branding (i.e. two brands). It’s not a bad thing in this case, but it’s something to be aware of.
- Write articles on LinkedIn: LinkedIn posts are like your own personal blog, and is one of the few places you can upload duplicate content from your site, and vice versa, meaning you can copy the content onto your own/new website afterwards.
- Book a website workshop: Sometimes, getting an expert opinion is far more valuable, especially if you’re consider a major website project of any kind. A website workshop with us allows you to review where your site is currently at and what you really need. Feedback, strategy, discussion, questions – it all helps you arrive at a decision of what to do with your website going forward.
Ultimately it comes back to your clients, and the experience they have. Your goal is to position yourself as the most trusted expert, and if your experience creates anything less than that, you’re ultimately losing that trust and the willingness of the audience to buy from you.
Instead, craft an experience that they’ll remember. Fill it with the answers they’re searching, have the information they need, in the right places, and they’ll be lining up ready to do business with you!