Do I Need a Blog Or A Resource Center On My Website?
We often suggest that our clients have a resource center for articles, videos, podcasts, etc. on their website. And sometimes we get the question, “why can’t we just put that information on our blog?”
The simple answer is you may be able to do that, technically. But it may not be the best place for that type of information because of the way your website visitors look for it. Additionally, your business goals may be better accomplished by a hub for resources that will educate your audiences.
This all depends on the way your users aim to find and consume that information, the goal for the content, and the type of information you’re putting up on your website.
What is a Blog?
A blog is a regularly updated section of your website that’s often written and managed by a small set of authors. It’s also written informally as an editorial or educational piece of content (a blog post). There are variations used for podcasts and videos (vlogs) that allow authors to produce time-based content that engages their audience.
What is a Resource Center?
A resource center or content hub is a centralized section of a website for content aimed to educate, attract, engage, and convert visitors. Resources there may be used by internal team members, sales teams, and marketing teams to push out information to the desired audience. They may also be used to pull in new prospects that seek answers to their questions.
How Are Blogs and Content Hubs Different?
To illustrate the difference, think about the difference between a newspaper and a book.
Newspapers are like blog posts. They are time-based, story-form content released according to a routine and are digested regularly by the audience. They might contain long-form content and information that can be referenced down the line. But they often highlight something that has happened or is happening soon.
In contrast, books are like articles or pieces of content in a resource center. They are much less event-driven and more timeless. They might teach something or present a visual piece of information that readers will find interesting.
Through the power of the web, digital resource pieces can go beyond the confines of a book to be audio, video, or an interactive site.
When Do You Need a Resource Center?
This depends on your industry, business goals, and ability to source or create content. But there are a few simple things to consider. A blog alone may be enough if you are aiming to:
- Keep your audience in the loop on upcoming events
- Recap past happenings
- Write content that has to do with changes in your industry
On the other hand, a content hub is something to consider if you want to compile information with a meaningful variety of topics… AND you are hoping to attract and convert your audience through that content.
Additionally, you should consider how your audience will search for this content. Our resource libraries give visitors the opportunity to navigate through topics, content types, and general searches. This allows your audience to easily find answers to questions they might have about your business.
6 Reasons Why You Should Add a Resource Library
- You need to educate your audience around your products and/or services with content
- You aim to attract a new audience through your website with targeted content topics, likely through SEO or sharing online
- You want to empower your sales team with content that’s easy to find on your website
- You want to ensure you’re converting your audience with gated content offers or downloadables that require an email signup
- You have various types of content (video, whitepaper, webinars, etc) that should be housed somewhere on your website. They may have different “fields” associated with them (i.e. video has duration and an embed link, whitepaper has a download link)
- You want full control in administering this content and organizing it more effectively on your website for people to find
How Do You Know When to Publish a Blog Post?
- If the post is about an upcoming or past event (i.e. your company is going to a tradeshow, won an award, or is featured in a press release)
- If the content is editorial or op-ed and informally communicated (like this blog post)
- If the article is [related to something timely in your industry] (i.e. laws changed impacting your industry or upcoming economic changes impacting your customers)
Content types and where we typically (not always) recommend they go:
Ultimately, you may need both a content hub and a blog. Or one or the other may suit you better. Given the landscape of marketing relying on digital formats, we’ve seen an increase in demand for resource centers. This is [especially true for B2B content strategy and marketing]. A resource library could help you reach your audience with content that contains answers to their main questions.
The differences we’ve outlined above should be helpful for you to decide, but if you ever want to discuss your unique business, feel free to reach out to BNP Engage.
