It’s 2024—do people even read blogs anymore?

The short answer: yes. In fact, recent research shows that more than 409 million people view over 20 billion blog pages (billion... with a b!) each month.

Whether you’re a small business, solopreneur, or a large business, we could all use more traffic on our websites. Blogs on their own can support SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, for your website. When you are regularly updating your website with relevant blog posts, the backend of your site is being updated as well. Google tends to rank new, relevant items in searches, and blogs can support that ranking.

Taking it a step further, if you share your blog post on Pinterest (one of the top platforms to drive traffic directly to your website rather than another social media page) you can gain blog followers, which in turn can mean more customers.

If it’s so great for business, why doesn’t everyone do it?

Time! A lot of small business owners hesitate to take the leap, as a blog can be time consuming. On average, a blog can take around 4 hours to write and post. 4 hours a week on the surface can seem minimal, but in the throes of running a business, many people discover that marketing— particularly blogging— tends to get pushed to the backburner as more urgent work takes up their time.

Blogging seems overwhelming...

There is no doubt that running a blog on top of running a business is not easy. Every brand struggles in different areas, and if you struggle with promoting yourself and your business this can be especially tough. It is not a unique problem, but thankfully we put together some strategies to make the process a little easier.

1.Time Block

Ensuring you make time to get your blog running is key. Setting a calendar appointment with yourself at whatever frequency works for you is a great place to start time blocking for your blog. The only way a blog is written is if you carve out time to do so.

2.Brainstorm

Taking the time to think of all the possible ideas for blog posts ahead of time can save you staring at a blank screen when the writing portion arrives. Utilizing an accessible platform (such as Canva.com or Google Docs) where you can access these notes at any time can also be helpful. You never know where inspiration may strike!

3.Ask Your Customers

If you are stuck with only a few fleshed out ideas for your blog, have no fear. Your customer base is a great resource to find questions they may have, or ways you can add value to your audience by explaining a tricky concept. You are likely an expert in your field, and you know what you do better than anyone else. Some topics might seem too simple for you, but plenty of people don’t know what it takes day-to-day to do what you do.

4.Write in Bulk

If you are able to come up with a multitude of blog topics, it is always a great idea to write as many as possible ahead of time. You can either save these for future use, or publish them on a timer for a later date. This tactic works especially well if your business ebbs and flows with the seasons, where you can really take advantage of “down time” during slower months to work on your marketing strategies.

5.Keep it Consistent

Whatever your schedule allows, be consistent. If you are so overwhelmed with the idea of a blog, perhaps once a quarter is enough to get you started. Monthly is also a great option, and 12 blog posts isn’t a bad goal! Weekly is a little bit more aggressive, but it is the most effective at driving traffic to your website. Don’t bite off more than you can chew, and give yourself grace if you forget to post on time. No one is keeping track, so missing one or two posts is not going to negatively effect you. Consistency boosts you, inconsistency simply does nothing for you.

6.Have Fun!

This is a common theme we recommend to all of our clients, but if you are miserable doing it, the likelihood others will enjoy reading it is slim. We recognize that work does not always have to bring you the warm fuzzies, and that is okay! Sometimes we work hard just for the sake of pushing our business to the next level. Try to make the most of it, and focus in areas of your business that bring you more joy, while automating the things that stress you out. Enjoy the ride of writing a blog, and try not to beat yourself up!

As always, Magpie Marketing is here to help with all your marketing needs.

Schedule a free consultation, whether you just want to work through issues and need an extra brain, or you are interested in hiring out your support!