Blogging is a crucial cornerstone of internet marketing. It’s the element that builds trust and loyalty for your brand, and without it, you damage your company’s credibility. It’s the way you not only show how much your company knows but also the way you make your target market feel informed and intelligent about your product.
It’s so powerful, in fact, that it’s reshaped the way people make purchasing decisions. People are no longer willing to blindly buy, instead opting to research products extensively before choosing the right one. Blogging is what allows them to do that.
That’s why you need to be doing it effectively.
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Blogging Has A Dramatic Impact
Visceral Concepts has been a huge advocate of blogging for years. We suggest it to all our clients, even brainstorming ideas for topics to help them along the way. Because of the difference, it makes for site traffic, we make sure that they understand how and why.
A good blog doesn’t just build trust. It gets you found, too. Google uses fresh content as a part of its search algorithm, pushing sites that actively blog closer to the top of their rankings. The way they see it, the best sites constantly add new information to their clients.
Blogging Gets A Bad Rap
I often hear from business owners that they feel silly writing a blog. Many still see it as an online diary of sorts, pushing it aside as something that doesn’t belong in their marketing efforts. But that’s a dangerous stance to take. Minimizing the importance of a good blog can hurt your marketing. When you don’t blog, you miss out on major benefits.
While blogging isn’t going to change your business overnight, not blogging will rapidly hurt it.
Blogging By The Numbers
Let’s take a logical approach. There is a world of data to back the importance of blogging and the benefits you gain by actively doing it. Here are 20 statistics that prove what we’ve been saying for a while now.
Blogging Improves Your Search Rankings By 434%
What would you do if your site was never found in a Google search? That would be a bad investment, right? When I said earlier that blogging improved your search rankings, it was a drastic understatement. 434% is a huge improvement and one you can’t afford to miss out on.
43% Of Buyers Consume 3-5 Pieces Of Content Before Buying
Nearly half of your customers aren’t going to buy without fairly extensive research on the product. Who do you want them to get their information from? Considering they’re likely to buy from the company that helped them most, you’re going to want to be sure it’s yours.
94% Of Users Share Content They Think Will Be Useful
Social shares are as good for your company as a direct referral. When your friend refers you to a company, you’re more likely to buy from it. That’s why part of a great content strategy is getting your content shared. If your company regularly produces useful content, people will share it, and your sales will grow.
Daily Blog Posts Get You 5X More Traffic
Compared to sites that don’t blog at all, that’s a 500% increase. What, based on your current conversion rate, could you do with 5X more traffic? That might be enough to change the course your company is on. And, if you’re already doing great, think about what kind of growth you’d explode in to! It’s nothing to ignore!
But if blogging daily is too much, don’t worry.
When You Write 21-54 Blog Posts, Blog Traffic Can Increase By 30%
Yes, there really is a magic number. Blogging improves results with age, so the more you do it, the more results you’ll see. But the biggest jump begins when you get into this magic range. This is proof that patience pays off, so be sure to stay with it.
Blogging Gets You 2X As Much Traffic From Your Email Marketing
Look, all your marketing should work together seamlessly. If it does, adding blogging will boost your other sources as well. But none more than your email. That means more missed opportunities recovered and more previous customers making additional purchases.
1 In 10 Posts See An Increase In Search Traffic Over Time
Compounding is a beautiful feature of search. When a post gets traffic, Google considers it more relevant. Additional comments, shares, and view time boosts that even more. Sometimes, it’s not the content you expect. But if it’s doing well, use it to help you create your new content and see an even bigger surge.
Speaking of compounding…
Compounding Posts Create 38% Of Site Traffic
Even though they only make up 10% of what you produce, the posts that keep bringing the traffic are your most valuable. Because you never know what’s going to be one of the lucky posts, it’s important to pay attention to what works so you can improve your future content.
Quality Blog Content Increases Unique Site Traffic By 7.8X
There’s a keyword here: quality. Producing content for the sake of content puts you behind the curve. However, when you produce content that sets trends, you win. You set yourself far ahead of your competition. Remember, don’t just write content to keep up. Say something unique, offering the kind of helpful information that only you can.
68% Of Consumers Are Likely To Read Blogs From A Company They’re Interested In
This should be an “Ah-Ha!” moment for you if you didn’t already believe in the power of blogging. You see, if a consumer is interested in your company, they’re likely interested in your product. That means that your blog is a critical way to start that buying conversation.
Small Businesses That Blog Bring In 126% More Leads Than Small Businesses That Don’t
Yeah. That many more. I think I’m going to leave you alone to stew on that one for a second.
Blogs Are Rates As The 5th Most Trusted Source For Information Online
If you want to be trusted, this stat should matter to you. People buy from companies they trust, so this is a huge priority if you’re looking to boost sales. Create blog content that informs, advises, and helps your target market make buying decisions. They’ll come to the company they trust.
23% Of Time Spent Online Is Spent On Social Networks And Blogs
Nearly a quarter of the online time. That’s a big chunk of attention that you can only compete for if you have a blog. If your content is interesting, it will be what they spend that time reading.
61% Of Online Buyers Purchase Based On A Blog Recommendation
The information people get and trust in blogs eventually leads to a buy. If this stat doesn’t prove it, I don’t know what will. So, while you can offer to pay a commission to others who recommend you, you make a little more profit by creating your own content to do the same. Combine that with affiliates and your sales spread further.
63% Of Blog Readers Consider Blogs With Multiple Authors More Credible
So, here’s one to consider. You may not have anyone on your team that can write for you besides yourself. If that’s the case, reach out to friends in your industry (or related ones) to write for you. Ask as a favor, offer to swap blog-for-blog, or outright pay them. It’s worth the extra credibility.
Facebook, LinkedIn, And Twitter Shares Boost Blog Credibility Most
Make sure you share your content on the social media sites that most consider “the big three”. Twitter needs a bite-sized sample of your content, Facebook wants to present engaging (maybe even a little polarizing) content and LinkedIn seeks professionalism. Share and be shared, my friend.
Mixing Professional Content With User-Generated Video Boosts Brand Engagement 28%
The key takeaway is that consumers are looking for an experience. Allow your marketing team to produce quality content that engages readers, then back it with a video review or testimonial from your clients. You’re sure to get that boost.
90% Of Consumers Believe That Companies That Create Custom Content Are Interested In Building Good Relationships
If you want a consumer to make you their go-to company, you want to have a solid relationship with them. This is another reason blogging matters. Your customers want to build relationships with your company, too. When that relationship is there, they feel like they’re a part of something. That’s how loyalty is built.
Twitter Users Are 314% More Likely To Comment On Or Leave A Review About Your Blog
That’s engagement, and an increase like that is way too valuable to look beyond. Don’t forget to send that little piece of bite-sized engagement boost out to the microblogging site, otherwise, you’ll miss out on a serious Google rank boost.
Blogging Only Costs Time
Yeah, I saved this for last because that’s where the bottom line belongs. Out-of-pocket expenses are nonexistent when you blog unless you’re paying someone else to do it. Even if you are paying someone, though, the returns that it brings are seriously worth it.
Blog With Vigor
The most important thing you can do when blogging is being consistent. Google is looking for regular, fresh content, and your customers are as well. When you can produce it regularly and often, they’ll be waiting for it, which will increase your site traffic and improve conversions.
If you need help making that blog happen on a regular basis, let us know.
