It’s 2021, and there has never been a better time to start a blog.
Did you know 77% of people who use the Internet regularly read blog posts?
That’s right, more than three-quarters of people on the Internet are consuming blog content daily. That is why entrepreneurs and large corporations alike need to keep producing quality blog content in 2021.
Blogging would be a great skill to learn this year, and there are plenty of online resources available to help you become an amazing blogger.
This post will break down some of the latest blogging statistics and trends that show how lucrative blogging will be in 2021 and beyond.
The 10 reasons why blogging is not dead in 2021
Reason #1: Blogs increase your chances for a good search ranking by 434%
You read that right. You have a 434% better chance at improving search engine rankings by simply adding a blog to your website, according to a study published by Tech Client.
However, you need to provide a variety of high-quality content on your blog to be successful. That means content needs to be expertly written, use the best keywords, have an authoritative tone, and give readers relevant and useful information.
A 2020 study by Growth Badger found that more than one-third of high-earning bloggers who make more than $50,000 per year say the demand for high-quality blog content is higher than ever.
Reason #2: Regular blog posts generate the best possible web traffic
Businesses that publish 16 or more blog posts per month get 3.5 times more web traffic than those that only publish less than four blog posts per month, according to an article by HubSpot.
Many bloggers first starting with blogging tend to get discouraged because they do not see their content performing as well as they would like. That is likely because bloggers are not publishing content on a frequent enough basis.
An Orbit Media study found that 44% of bloggers publish a new blog post only three to six times each month. Posting a few times each month is not nearly frequent enough to generate a consistent following for your blog.
You can work smarter, not harder on your blog.
Just because you need to publish content consistently does not mean you need to devote a ton of time to your blog every week.
One way to help keep your blog manageable is by updating or recycling existing content. About 60% of markets say they will reuse blog content two or three times to maximize web traffic.
Reason #3: Most consumers say blog posts are valuable when they are deciding to make a purchase
A recent study found that 60% of consumers say they use blog posts when deciding to purchase a product or service, according to a post on Oberlo.
Usually, consumers come across blog content when on social media. A study by Social Media Today showed that once consumers read a high-quality and informative blog post about a product or service they were interested in, consumers were much more likely to follow through and make a purchase.
Plus, 46% of people take note of recommendations from bloggers and vloggers, even if they do not have an immediate need for the product or service, according to Statista.
Blogging is a great tool for ecommerce SEO as well.
Reason #4: It takes less than four hours to create a quality blog post, on average
It is possible to produce several quality blog posts in one day. Statistics show that the average blog post takes about 3.5 hours to complete, according to an article by Orbit Media.
Trends show that bloggers spend more time writing and optimizing each blog post per year as the demand for high-quality content continues to grow.
The average word length of a blog post is 1,151 words, though that is not the optimal length for a blog post.
Blog posts should be 2,250 to 2,500 words.
However, blog posts specifically should be in the 2,250 to the 2,500-word range to get the best return on investment, according to a study by Hubspot. That is because longer blog posts give you more opportunities to include digital assets like hyperlinks and images into your content, which help boost your search ranking.
Reason #5: Images and video can make a huge impact on your success
Blogs that incorporate visuals into the text every 75-100 words get double the number of shares than blog posts that do not use images or video.
Experienced bloggers know this. 90% of bloggers say they are sure to include images or videos in their blog posts, according to Orbit Media.
Luckily it is very easy to find high-quality, royalty-free images or videos for your blog posts. You can also use your cell phone or webcam to capture quality images or videos to use in your blog.
Reason #6: People ignore their emails and prefer looking at blog content
If you have ever made an online account with a business, you probably had to share your email address with them. Companies will then send marketing materials and promotions to the email addresses they have on file. The problem with that is that most people usually ignore those emails.
In fact, 61% of Americans say they spend three times more time-consuming blog posts than emails. That means blog posts are more effective at spreading your brand’s message than traditional email newsletters are.
Reason #7: Consistency is the key to effective blogging
Consistently adding new content to your blog will help you develop better skills, keep people interested in your site and boost your search engine rankings.
If you start blogging and notice that your web traffic is still low, you should keep going. Here’s why.
It may take a while for your content to find a good rank in search results and social media algorithms, plus consistency in posting content shows readers that you are an expert in the topic you are writing on.
Consistently posting content is also a great way to improve your chances of gaining new readers. Statistics show that once you publish 21 to 54 blog posts, traffic to your site increases as much as 30%.
Orbit Media reported that bloggers who publish at least one post each day see the best web traffic results compared to most people who just post a few times each month.
How important is consistency in business?
Reason #8: WordPress makes blogging accessible to anyone
WordPress is the most popular content management system on the Internet, with 40% of all websites powered through WordPress, according to W3Techs. If that sounds like a lot of content, that’s because it is a lot. In any given month, 70 million blog posts are published on WordPress.
Bloggers enjoy using WordPress because it gives them a lot of freedom to create the kind of sites they want, instead of being forced to use specific templates. WordPress is also free to start using, so you can learn blogging and then decide if you want to take it to the next level and invest some money into it.
Reason #9: More than half of marketing professionals say they have gotten customers through blogging
Blogging has proven to be a great way to generate new business. A recent survey of marketing professionals found that 57% of marketers gained new customers through their blogging campaigns.
Plus, 53% of marketers say they have made blogging their top content marketing priority in recent years as more and more people consume blog content.
Learn more about content marketing.
Reason #10: Blogging is fun and profitable!
Blogging is an amazing opportunity to explore things you are passionate about and possibly make some money. Perhaps you are a small business owner, or you know a lot about a specific niche or hobby; blogging is a great way to network with other professionals, share your knowledge and possibly generate serious ad revenue.
Once you learn and utilize the right blogging skills, you can earn a solid income through your blog. According to a study by Glassdoor, the average monthly salary for a blogger is $8,000.
Successful blogging is not impossible. It is just a matter of finding the right niche and strategy!
Conclusion
Blogging is not going away any time soon. Trends show that blogging has exploded in popularity. Between 2014 and 2020, the number of bloggers in the United States alone increased by 10 million, according to an analysis by Statista.
What reason made you pursue your blogging career?
Blogging is hard. Those who tell you it isn’t, lie. I’m Jakob, and I’ll help you scale your blog like a startup over at jakobstaudal.com.