Is Blogging Dead? 7 Ways to Grow a Content-Based Brand in 2022 (2023)

Is blogging dead?

Or is it alive and well?

A 2020 HubSpot study found that 40% of people don’t read blogs.

That’s convincing-ish for the “dead” argument. 💀 BUT –

Consider this:

Another study found that 80% of ALL online traffic – every person on the web – reads a blog at some point.

Even more importantly, blogging is one of the most powerful ways to build a business for the long-term.

So, the answer is…

Blogging is ALIVE and relevant. ☀

That begs the question: Why are people asking “Is blogging dead?” in the first place?

Once upon the internet, “blogging” meant keeping an online diary or journal. People blogged about their lives, thoughts, and opinions.

It was casual. You could start a blog on Blogger or Livejournal or Xanga in a few clicks. You’d share your posts with your friends, and that was about it.

It was a different world.

Today, casual blogging like that has indeed gone by the wayside. Very few people do it anymore, because essentially everyone started micro-blogging on social media, instead.

Casual blogging is gone, but what has replaced it with a vengeance?

Business blogging. 💪

From influencers to small businesses to giant brands, business blogging is an essential way to grow trust, grow an audience, bring in traffic and leads, and even bring in more sales.

In today’s guide and video, we’ll get deeper into why blogging ISN’T dead – and show you 7 ways to use blogging to grow your brand. Let’s dive in.

Is Blogging Dead? NO. Watch Me Explain Why

Why Blogging Is More Alive Than Ever (And Growing)

I can totally see how the myth that blogging is dead got started.

Let’s return to that HubSpot study I mentioned earlier. It found 40% of all people never read a single blog.

Source: HubSpot

Then, total marketing pandemonium ensued. (Not quite… but that headline-grabbing stat made some people panic at the thought that blogging could be or would be dead.)

But before you dump that domain you bought for your brilliant content-based business idea, know this about that study:

It found that 60% of people DO read blogs. 😍

So, why is blogging still relevant in 2022?

Because if you dig a little bit deeper, you’ll discover 80% of all online traffic interacts with a blog in some way.

The internet is full of people looking for your unique services to help solve their unique problems — which means the potential to “make money blogging” is bigger now than ever before.

Blogging Isn’t Dead — It Evolved

As you can see, “Is blogging dead?” isn’t really the right question to be asking.

The better question is, “What has blogging become?”

Blogging isn’t dead — it has simply evolved into something bigger than itself.

It’s part of a larger picture, one called content marketing. (This is what has replaced the “blogging” of yesteryear.)

In a REALLY simplified nutshell — your Google ranking is more often than not directly related to your marketing efforts. And the content marketing ROI on this is bonkers (spoiler: it’s super low-cost and insanely effective long-term).

Source: Demand Metric

And you’ll need to reframe your thinking about the point of blogging for revenue…

Because today, you won’t just make money from blogging.

You’ll be helping people by blogging.

And… some of those people will end up buying from you.

That’s how blogging works now. 🧑‍🤝‍🧑

So, don’t forget an important pillar of blogging for money is sharing knowledge and helping others. This people-first mindset is uber-important to your blog’s success in the content marketing industry.

But with that big change, the ways to grow your blog have changed, too. Here’s how to adapt.

Is Blogging Dead? Nope — Here’s 7 Ways to Grow Through Business Blogging

When you hear someone claim “blogging is dead”, what they’re referring to is personal blogging (not blogging on websites to educate, inform, and sell to an audience.)

That’s the key difference in blogging today.

Blogs are no longer just sources of opinions, but rather islands of shared knowledge in a vast ocean of information. 🏝️

Niched down, specialized information at the world’s fingertips. (Tell me that’s not SO cool.)

Here are the new and exciting ways you can grow your business and blog online today… because blogging isn’t dead.

1. Create a Content House

Social media is not a sustainable platform for business-building.

It’s just a shiny distraction from your actual real estate — your website. And your social media platform could be taken away in moments, at another company’s discretion.

This is why I teach my coaching students to create a website as their content house and primary blogging platform — and treat it as the place you send all external activities you do on other platforms (podcasting, YouTube videos, guest blogging, etc.). (Quick note if you’re wondering if guest blogging is dead: It’s alive and thriving as well.)

I’m big on building your own platform because your blog will be the only thing you completely own and have control over. 🏠

As a savvy entrepreneur, let that soak in for a minute. It might convince you that prioritizing a great website you own is infinitely more important than focusing on social media.

Here’s an idea of what that looks like:

(Social is important, but it’s not the end-all, be-all, and it certainly isn’t a smart focus for long-term business sustainability.)

Social media platforms come and go (Blab, Vine, etc.) — but a website (and its audience) is all yours, baby.

2. Establish a Content Strategy

Is blogging dead? No… it’s the opposite — especially when you blog with a strategy.

Blogging with a strategy in mind (versus just jumping online and forcing yourself to blog when you’ve got the energy) is a pillar of the content trends of 2022 that are here to stay.

Because when blogging for money fails, it’s usually for these reasons:

1. Your content is low-quality (anything less than excellent + helpful)
2. You aren’t posting consistently
3. You don’t have enough blogs on your site

You can teach yourself all of these details, like how often you SHOULD post on your blog, but make sure they’re data-backed versus just pulling random ideas off Google.

And once you know what to do, you have to plug it into a tangible content strategy — one that drives the execution of all your content PLUS business operations. 🚗

If you want to see how to do this with a sustainable business that brings in massive revenue, I go over the exact pathway in my free training. Watch it right here.

3. Build Creative AND Business Skills

You can be really good at the service you provide and not have any business skills.

Or, you can see the business side of blogging and content marketing really clearly and lack the basics of the creative skills needed to run a sustainable business online.

Among the most important ones, you need to know how to write copy for the web.

Even if you plan on hiring your own content writer, you need the ability to double-check they’re producing high-quality content: copy that keeps search engines happy, your email marketing converting, and your blog content solving problems for and building trust with your target audience (so important).

Once you’ve got all the basic entrepreneurial skills in your tool bag, you’ll 1.) Feel confident that you CAN learn these new skills to avoid blogging death and 2.) Jump right into learning the next one you need (like investing and expanding into video content 📹, covered shortly).

4. Delegate Content Production

Blogging IS dead… but only if you’re trying to produce your blogs alone. Because here’s the thing — you can start a business on your own. But, you simply can’t scale it without hiring contractors to help you run it. 👷

Luckily, there are many affordable, expert contractors looking for work, who are excited to help you with your business. In the U.S. alone, there are over 59 million freelancers!

Within this staggering number, there are TONS of good writers waiting to help you produce amazing content. Freelance writing for websites can be profitable and worthwhile, so it’s a win-win for you, too, because you can:

1. Get consistent, drool-worthy posts written in your specific brand voice without you ever having to break a sweat
2. Take your first step into building out your rock star team
3. Delegate this “in the weeds” task and free yourself up to focus on strategy

I almost always recommend my students start building their team by hiring a content writer, but it doesn’t stop with a writer.

You can grow your contractor team to include help with:

1. WordPress editing
2. YouTube/podcast production
3. Customer support
4. Taxes

…and more.

Delegation is the key to being able to automate your business, keep your head above water, and your eyes on the ball (strategy/growth).

5. Record Video Content

Yay! Video production has made it on this “ways to grow your blog” list. 📷 But before you jump straight into getting in front of the camera, know that it’s not just about making money from YouTube. It’s all part of the bigger plan you’ll build into your content marketing strategy.

Did you know Google and YouTube are not-so-secret lovers? (Google bought YouTube in 2006.) There are many reasons to focus on video within your content strategy:

1. You’ll add another channel to your marketing ecosystem by using YouTube, so you’ll reach more people.
2. Google loves to show YouTube videos at the top of search as well, so it’s important to SEO blogging.
3. You’ll attract audiences who love to consume visual streaming content.
4. You’ll build trust and brand authenticity by being on video, letting people get to know the real, wonderful you.

And once you learn how to make YouTube videos for your content, you’ll have MORE omnichannel content to help your readers. For instance, you can embed a related video into your blog content to help answer any possible questions on your reader’s mind.

6. Self-Publish a Book

One of my friends was just telling me she recently bought a baby food cookbook on Amazon. A few months into using it, she noticed she recognized the author’s name as one of the parenting content creators she already follows on Instagram. She excitedly went to her Instagram bio, ended up back at that entrepreneur’s website (a.k.a. content house), and engaged with her content — then she happily jumped on the author’s email list when she saw the call-to-action to do so.

Boom. 💥

See what happened there? This story is important because it shows how self-publishing books:

• Grows brand awareness around your name
• Can bring you new, highly qualified leads
• Is a phenomenal investment

Authoring six books has been part of my journey from freelance writer to thriving business creator. On top of the many book readers who turn into leads, I’ve made $20k+ in royalties. It’s all part of what has helped fuel my $1M+ successful agency exit and the launch of my business coaching system.

I highly recommend you (yes, YOU!) publish your own book. I’ve even put together a guide to promoting your self-published book for when you’re ready. 📚

Want to see my detailed step-by-step process? In Phase 4 of The Content Transformation System, students access an exact pathway to the entire book creation and publishing process — from nailing your publishing timeline, to using a ghostwriter, and even how to get a great cover designed.

If you’re trying to create and grow a sustainable brand based in content, don’t limit your thinking by believing books aren’t content. They’re an incredibly powerful piece to scaling. ⚡

7. Produce a Podcast

Are blogs still profitable in the world of million-listener podcasts?

Abso-freakin’-lutely.

Semrush found that blogs are not only the most popular content type being produced, but the number of businesses creating them increased from 86% to 92% from 2019 to 2022.

And podcasts are growing, too (they jumped from 11% to 13% in the same timeframe). So there’s never been a better time to start a podcast and build that all-important brand trust by letting your audience hear your voice. 🔊

BUT, you have to make sure you’ve built your content house (from step #1) before you start podcasting. That way, you can send all your excited new listeners down a path within your ecosystem that leads to your website (regardless of which channel they came from, this is where they end up).

For example, check out the individual episode descriptions in my podcast on Spotify, Apple Music, and Stitcher. Regardless of the platform, you’ll find a link to my content house.

Growing an audience on other platforms is great, but making sure people can find their way home to your website is key. 🔑

Blogging Isn’t Dead — It’s Just Getting Started

So, what do you think? Does blogging have a future, or is blogging dead?

I’ve seen the data and believe blogging as we know it is only getting started.

Starting a blog in today’s world means you’re creating content while also building a business presence online. Not only is helping people by sharing your knowledge rewarding, but content marketing is also an incredibly lucrative field with lots of room for growth.

Want in? We’ll show you the creative skills you need (like what killer long-form blog posts look like, as well as how to write for social media). But most importantly — I’ll give you the business skills to tie it all together and make it profitable.

This is the proven process I used to create multiple million-dollar-generating businesses online. The exact skills, strategies, and systems to grow to six and seven figures — without blogging until your eyes fall out.

If you want to finally get clarity and learn how to start or scale a passion-fueled business based in content that leads to massive revenue and frees your time to step away, you need The Content Transformation System.

If you’ve had your eye on blogging and have an idea for a passion-fueled business, book a free strategy call to run it by us, and let’s chat and see how we can help you make it happen.

Completely new here? Start with our choose-your-level free training – customized for just-starting solopreneurs, and industry executives/marketers.