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These 5 Data-Driven Reasons Decisively Prove the Benefits of Blogging Benjamin Brandall
In light of a recent study from IZEA commissioned by Halverson Group which revealed that the lifespan of a blog post is 24 times longer than first thought, it’s time to re-evaluate the other reasons why not blogging is a mistake in the current marketing climate. Contradictory data floods businesses daily. It’s understandable some need hard facts to justify the investment in a blog. That’s just good business sense. Yet, researchers bury vital statistics in 60-page white papers which don’t always reach the audiences that need them. Thanks to several new studies, the benefits of blogging are out in the open. Here’s a compilation of recent findings showing the contrasting success of companies that blog versus those that don’t.
Blogging increases indexed page count by 434%
The above data was obtained from HubSpot, who looked at data from 1,531 HubSpot customers (mostly small- and medium-sized businesses). 795 of the businesses in the sample blogged, 736 didn’t. Data on the Y axis is the average number of indexed pages. Without a blog, it’s tougher to get on the first page of Google for your target keywords. For example, let’s say you sell software for sales and marketing teams. Your product page can only do so much to link your product to its market because you want to keep the copy simple. You can mention how your software is great for marketers on the product page, but it’s more obvious to Google if you have pages of relevant content on your domain. By indexing more pages, you hit more target keywords and reach more people. To optimize this, you need to come up with a content plan for targeting your ideal customers, then rank for the terms these people are searching. This is one of the main benefits of blogging. Additionally, Google favors sites that update on a regular basis . While blogging helps you target keywords prospects will be searching for, it also boosts domain authority. There are only so many times you can update your Product or About Us page…
B2B marketers with blogs generate 67% more leads
The above data was reported by InsideView and formatted into this infographic by SocialMediaB2B. When you blog, you educate your target market about your product and its uses and create demand. No one is going to know they should use project management software if they don’t know it exists. By talking about it, you raise awareness and link your product to a solution. Blogging is a proven method of generating passive leads for your sales team. It happens in the evening when you’re not even working anymore. It can happen at any time. Quality blog content generates a steady stream of leads for your business without the hassle of outbound marketing. Groove found their blog subscribers were worth 3.6 times more than average readers and twice as likely to become paying customers. Why? Because more customers learn about the value of companies through articles.
70% of consumers learn about companies through articles, not ads
The above data was gathered by IonInteractive. Unless you work in advertising or marketing, you won’t enjoy reading ads. As time goes on, potential customers get sick of being the targets of campaigns. Thanks to ad blockers, it’s also likely you’ll win more customers by being useful — not intrusive. Searchers have grown a resilience to paid ads. Around 85% ignore them. While banner ads have proven to be a strong strategy in the past, the CTR fell from 9% to 0.2% between 2000 and 2012. Today’s audiences want to feel protected against wasting their time. They want value for free and education on why they should bother with you. These stats explain why more companies are opting to spend money on native advertising , and why content marketing is still booming.
“A recent joint study by The Content Council and AdAge indicates that the percentage of executives that have a “strong” or “extremely strong” commitment to content marketing (40%) has more than doubled in the last two years and is expected to nearly double in the next two. By 2017 it’s anticipated that content marketing will account for one-third of overall marketing budgets” — Publishing Executive
Total blog post impressions reach 99% only after 2 years
The above data was taken from a Halverson Group study commissioned by IZEA entitled Lifespan of a Blog Post. Great news for evergreen content. A new study reveals that the lifespan of a blog post is 24 times longer than we thought. While most impressions come within the first few days of publication, over 20% roll in well after the one-year mark. Old content has authority in the eyes of Google. It’s detected as relevant for a long time because people still click it in the search results for the keyword it ranks for and don’t bounce straight away. According to HubSpot, around 1 in 10 of their posts become’Compounding’ – a term for content that drives traffic and conversions well after publication. Evergreen content is a powerful way to stay relevant, and if your page has built authority over time there’s a chance it will climb ranks as it ages.
Blog ROI is measurable
There are plenty of theories on how to calculate blog return-on-investment (ROI). Jay Baer suggests calculating the cost and upkeep then subtracting it from your blog’s monthly recurring revenue. Here’s the process he uses. 1. How many staff hours does it take per month to write, edit, track, manage the blog? 2. What do those hours cost the company in salary? 3. What do those hours cost the company in overhead and benefits?
4. What does the blog cost in design and technology fees? 5. What does the blog cost in hosting, maintenance, and app fees? 6. What revenue-oriented behaviors does the blog create? 7. How many revenue-oriented actions are created? 8. What is the value of each behavior? 9. What is the total value of the behaviors? Revenue – Investment / Investment (expressed as a percentage) = Blog ROI Using this method, Baer calculated the ROI of his blog, Convince & Convert as 179%. Thanks to Google Analytics goals, business owners can easily calculate the ROI for their blog by tracking the amount of traffic that comes in through the blog then makes a purchase. Here’s how to set the system up automatically so you can have Analytics work out your blog ROI from now on.
Anyone can take advantage of the benefits of blogging Anyone can start a blog and rank in search results. This has two major implications for businesses from the perspective of competition. 1. Combining authority with content marketing allows big businesses to stay relevant 2. Startups with a solid content marketing strategy are able to outrank much larger and more established businesses Depending on whether you do or don’t have a blog, this could be good or bad news. The takeaway from the data in this post is that if your company is not blogging, it’s losing money and customers to the competition who are.