Blogging has become an essential part of my business, and it’s one of my most favourite tasks. In fact, I don’t actually consider it to be a work task because I enjoy the process of it so much. As someone who is not a big fan of social media, my blog is where I focus most of my energy and time for marketing my services and connecting with my audience. I’ve truthfully seen significant results for my business through blogging that other platforms struggle to deliver.
Nonetheless, “Is blogging dead?” tends to be one of the most frequently asked questions in the entrepreneurial world. As business owners, there are unlimited ways to put ourselves out there, and choosing the right platform(s) to grow our businesses is crucial.
“Is it worth spending the time and energy it takes to blog when no one seems to read blogs anymore?”
With the tremendous growth of podcasts, Instagram Stories, and FB live videos, audio and video forms of messaging seem to be people’s ideal way to take in new information. Trust me, I love a good podcast too! Yet this doesn’t shake my confidence in blogging. If you’re feeling a little discouraged about your blog or if you’re unsure about whether or not blogging is still relevant, keep reading! I’m going to share 7 reasons why I blog consistently and why you might want to too!
1. Blogging allows me to connect with my audience
While there are so many different ways to connect and engage with my audience, blogging is the winner when it comes to building a true loyal following. Not all of my Instagram followers are true fans of my business, but all of my blog followers (the ones who keep coming back week after week to read new content) are my people! Seeing the numbers on Google Analytics is so much more satisfying than my Instagram follower count, which doesn’t truly reflect my business’ growth.
My blog also helps me understand my audience better in terms of who they are and what they are looking for. It allows them to get to know me better too!
2. Blogging positions me as an expert in my field
The best way I can prove my expertise and build credibility is by showcasing my knowledge and experience. I’m not talking about my ‘About & Services’ page or a few testimonials (although those are super helpful too)–I’m talking about going deeper. My blog can function as a place to store all my work in one place and prove my skills in a tangible way. It allows me to dive deeper into specific topics that are helpful for my readers. It establishes credibility for my brand, which can lead to more opportunities with bigger brands, and also builds trust with potential clients and helps them become familiar with me and what I offer.
3. Blogging provides free marketing for my business
By writing high-quality content, my blog works as a portfolio to show potential clients that I am the solution to their problems. What is even better is that the people who read blogs are often more ready to buy items and fill out inquiry forms. This is because these people read blogs for three main reasons: they want to be educated, they want to be inspired, and they want to be connected. If people see your content as helpful in some way for their current struggles, they will see value in you and decide to invest in your products before you even have to ask.
4. Blogs have a long lifespan
Please tell me I’m not the only one who is THIS close to giving up on Instagram because of the algorithms! It can be extremely frustrating to try to get Instagram posts seen, let alone getting likes and shares.
While I think Instagram is an amazing way to connect, and I do love the app, I just can’t rely on it to serve my audience for a long period of time. As Jenna Kutcher said, the average lifespan of an Instagram post is fairly short — less than 48 hours — but a high-quality blog post has the opportunity to attract new people even if it’s five years old. Work smarter instead of harder by creating content that will serve people for a longer period of time and that you can refer people back to year after year.
5. Blogging allows me to seal the deal FAST!
Gone are the days where I felt like I had to try really hard to get a client to say yes! One of my recent new clients told me during one of our initial calls: “I actually had been following your blog for a couple of months before I reached out to you.”
That’s literally music to my ears! While I love how my clients have found me through various different ways, I’ve noticed that the people who have found me through reading my blog and inquired about my services had eventually become my clients! My inquiry calls with potential clients often feel effortless because trust has already been developed.
The same thing happened to me when I decided to hire my business coach — Val of Val Marlene Creatives. I fell in love with her blog and I reached out to her to ask for more information about her coaching services. It’s important to note that I was 99.999% sure I’d say yes before we’d even hopped on our call!
6. Blogging makes me a more disciplined person
I’m not a disciplined person by nature. My husband Mitch is, but I’m more flexible when it comes to sticking to my goals. On one hand, this is a good thing because I allow myself to receive grace when I don’t follow my plans to the T. However, disciplined blog writing has allowed me to experience benefits which I wouldn’t be able to otherwise. By committing to blogging consistently, I have developed a habit that I truly love. Now, when I think of other habits I’d like to develop, such as bible reading and spending quality time with God, I remind myself to look at the bigger picture — what are the benefits of reading my bible regularly? This way I’m not looking at this habit as a task, but instead as something with a deeper purpose and immense benefits.
7. Blogging allows me to be creative
This is probably one of my favourite reasons to blog! Blogging pushes me to be creative with my content. I love that I have total control and freedom in what I create. There are definitely times when I hit a wall and can’t think of anything to write about (you can read more about it in this blog post: How My Perspective On Blogging Has Changed), but what I’ve been noticing is that the more I blog, the more ideas I have.
What are you thoughts on blogging? Are you new to the blogging world and ready to grow a successful blog? Or are you feeling discouraged from your past experiences blogging? Let’s keep the conversation going – share your comments below!
Talk soon, friend!
Cynthia
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