Before joining the Hanapin Marketing team, I wondered why PPC Hero blog posts were published on a daily basis. I always found the posts to be relevant, but it seemed like content oversaturation. Was there really enough PPC content to post every day? Since beginning at Hanapin, I’ve found that answer to enthusiastically be “yes,” but more importantly, I’ve come to understand the benefits to the industry, our team, and our clients of posting each day.
It’s About More Than Content
Unlike other companies, writing for PPC Hero is part of the job description at Hanapin. We hold our authors accountable for 2 – 3 posts a month and expect that they will write quality content that elicits knowledge sharing and conversation within the community. I mention this fact because of the two most common blogging concerns I hear and how they shape our rationale for daily blogging. These concerns are:
- I’m too busy to blog.
- I don’t know what I should write about.
The problem with these concerns is that they prohibit learning. Though we create blog posts for others to read, the act of writing a post helps the author gain knowledge about a particular subject. Especially in the paid search industry where change is constant, staying up to date on the latest features and trends is crucial.
By blogging every day, each author has 2 – 3 chances a month to write about a new feature, client experience, or other interesting occurrence. Authors can take a break from the day-to-day client activity to focus on their own education since writing a well-constructed and informative post forces the author to research the subject. Not only will the author be better informed, but this knowledge can also be used in client accounts. Ultimately, we always want to be bringing new ideas to our clients and blogging is one way to accomplish this task.
In addition to learning, authors are constantly practicing their writing skills, which is a huge benefit. I’ve gone on record that I believe writing is the number one skill that will help your career. Blogging on a consistent basis allows authors to improve their writing skills. More effective writing can then be seen in other formats, such as:
- Emails
- Process documents
- Presentations
By blogging every day, our authors are continuously gaining knowledge of the paid search landscape while practicing effective writing. It’s a win-win for our blog audience and clients alike.
The Business Side
Our other core reason for blogging each day is the more traditional goal: to create sales opportunities. Hanapin’s tagline is “The PPC Agency of Experts,” and what better way to show that expertise than through daily knowledge sharing? We, of course, want to educate the industry, but we also want to show potential clients our deep understanding of paid search.
To that end, we have 5 different types of content:
News & Reactions – These pieces are short news articles that are written when features are released and are accompanied a short time later with reaction posts. For example, a news article would be Bing Ads rolling out Shopping campaigns while the reaction piece would go in-depth about what this feature means to advertisers.
Basic PPC – Posts geared toward PPC pros with less than two years of experience that focus on elementary ideas and explanations.
Advanced PPC – Posts meant for PPC pros with at least two years of experience that challenge the reader to think differently. For example, a basic post may cover how to create a pivot table while an advanced post would look at unique ways pivot tables can help you manage your account.
Case Studies – Posts that tell a story from problem to solution. These posts can include data, but can also be stories about client relation issues that were resolved. We want to give readers who are in the same situations potential solutions.
Our Position – Thought pieces that showcase our industry expertise and forward thinking. These blog posts are similar to traditional newspaper editorials.
All of these content types are geared toward PPC pros that manage accounts on a daily basis, however, the case study and position pieces are written more for decision makers. We want to highlight our tactical knowledge while showcasing that we understand the business side of paid search.
SEO
Tying into the business side is our ability to rank well organically for search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. SEO is something we pay close attention to because we want to garner new visitors who have not heard of PPC Hero. Due to our longevity in the paid search industry, we see a fair amount of direct and referral traffic, however, these are primarily people who know who we are. We want to continue accruing those visitors who are experiencing PPC Hero for the first time.
Beyond optimized page titles, enticing meta descriptions, and clean code, organic efforts come down to great content. Our general rule of thumb is that we want you to take at least one or two points from our posts that you can test and/or incorporate into your daily routine. It may be something as small as adding a column to your report or a larger idea such as testing a new client status document. Whatever the case, we don’t just write to write. Our intention is that every piece of content that is published will be beneficial.
Connecting Everything
Circling back to my initial question about having enough content to post on a daily basis, we’ve come to realize that blogging each day serves many purposes. It helps authors improve their analytical, research, and writing skills while producing worthwhile content for the community. That’s why it’s so important to look beyond the surface of a blog strategy and determine all potential benefits.
