Digital marketing is a constantly evolving landscape, making it difficult to know what works on a month-to-month basis, let alone on a year-to-year one. Each year we hear dozens of the industry’s hottest takes about what digital marketing changes may come over the next year – “Facebook is dead”, “Twitter isn’t relevant”, “SEO is useless”, and “blogging is irrelevant” are some of the most popular ones, and yet none of them ever seem to come true.
Despite the constant changes, evolving trends and bad predictions, one thing continues to remain true – content is king when it comes to building loyalty, increasing visibility, creating a reliable brand, and driving engagement. For these reasons alone, blogging is still one of the absolute best (and most cost-effective) tools in your arsenal in 2021 and beyond. In fact,blogs reach a staggering 409 million people each month, with more than 20 billion pages being consumed during that period.
Why blogging is still relevant in 2021
Digital marketing is made up of many elements – a successful strategy will employ several methods, including things like social media marketing, SEO optimization, content marketing, Google Ads campaigns, newsletter campaigns, and more. Many of these avenues are about promoting short-term engagement, whereas content marketing is a long-term play that continues to pay off long after the content is produced and published – high quality content will continue to attract users to your website years after publication. The same simply can’t be said for social media marketing, which is equally effective, but fleeting.
A content marketing strategy should improve your standings on search rankings, drive new readers to your website, give them a reason to stick around, establish your business as a thought leader in the industry, and encourage readers to take action. Blogging is the best way to do all that and more, still serving as the primary method of content marketing used by businesses around the world years after they first started being written off by industry “experts”.
How to succeed at content marketing in 2021
If you’re still working out how to approach your content marketing strategy this year, have no fear – we’ve got you covered. First and foremost, you need to focus on producing fresh content on a regular basis. Google’s search algorithm favours websites with fresh content over older ones which haven’t been changed in some time. Start planning to publish weekly, biweekly, or at least monthly blogs in order to help your business rise in the rankings and get seen by brand new audiences.
Google’s algorithms also tend to favour overall quality, meaning that the content produced needs to be high quality. You can’t throw just anything on your website and expect it to rank higher. Focus on employing more complex SEO within these blogs and delivering accurate and original content that will actually be seen as useful by readers. Figure out what needs, problems or questions your customers have, create blog topics that address these needs and questions, do your research, and create high quality content. Before long, you’ll see your website rising in the rankings about businesses which have grown complacent with their content marketing strategies.
When looking to boost SEO within your content, remember to do your research regarding key words and key phrases. Figure out what your target audience is searching for and employ these words and phrases strategically within your content. Remember not to just stuff keywords where they don’t belong – this will be held against your content and do more harm than good. Rely on the research you or your marketing team does – just because you think your readers may search for a term, doesn’t mean that it’s actually happening. With the right research and use of keywords, your content can be enjoyed by more eyes than you ever thought possible.
Content marketing can be difficult for busy marketing managers or businesses lacking a dedicated marketing team. Rather than focus your efforts on time consuming and often complicated content marketing, communication channels like social media are probably the best place to focus your time and efforts. Unless you have a background in writing for the web and SEO, it’s recommended that you hire digital marketing experts like those at ion8 to manage your content marketing strategy.
ion8 is an all-in-one business consultancy with a full team of knowledgeable digital marketing experts with years of experience working with businesses of all sizes and sectors to develop and implement successful content marketing strategies that attract new eyes, increase brand reputation and loyalty, and encourage readers to take action. For the very best in all things blogging and content marketing,visit our website and get in touch with one of our digital marketing experts today.
FAQs
Is blogging still relevant in 2022? ›
So, are blogs still relevant in 2022? Based on our top five, the answer is a resounding yes. Blogs will continue to have a place for as long as they continue to evolve. Not every blog will be a huge success, but there are no guarantees of success in anything before you try.
Is it worth to start a blog in 2022? ›Is it worth it to start your own blog in 2022? The short answer is, yes, it is worth it to start a blog! But it's going to take a lot of work, so be sure you're ready to make a long-term commitment.
Do people still write blogs in 2021? ›Blogging is still alive, and people still read blogs multiple times daily. It may look different now than decades ago. Blog posts or articles have shifted from writer-centered to reader-centered.
What has replaced blogging? ›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.)
Why do most bloggers fail? ›One of the main reasons why blogs fail is a lack of purposeful, engaging content. In fact, "original written content" is the most important type for 58% of marketers.
Why do bloggers quit? ›Too many bloggers quit because they're not yet seeing the progress they want. But every successful blogger will also tell you that it took time to get readers and to make a steady income (myself included). Take a look at your blog's key metrics today—compared with six months ago, or a year ago.
What kind of blog is the most profitable? ›- Digital marketing.
- Blogging and making money online.
- Health and fitness.
- Personal finance and investing.
- Recipes and food.
- Personal development and self-care.
Blogging can be a profitable side business. Startup costs are low and the nature of the business is flexible. You can monetize your blog through affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, display ads, and selling digital and physical products.
How do beginner blogs make money? ›How do beginner bloggers make money? The quickest way to monetize a blog is through display advertising. You don't need specialized skills to rent space on your blog to Google AdSense, but you'll get paid for every 1,000 website visitors that see the advert.
What percentage of blogs fail? ›If we are to go by Bloomberg statistics where small business success is concerned, 80% of new blogs are likely to fail within 18 months of launch.
What blogs are in high demand? ›
- Food blogs. Food blogs come in several flavors. ...
- Travel blogs. Before planning a trip, we tend to do a lot of research on both Google and social media. ...
- Health and fitness blogs. ...
- Lifestyle blogs. ...
- Fashion and beauty blogs. ...
- Photography blogs. ...
- Personal blogs. ...
- DIY craft blogs.
Who reads blogs? Though one would think that the younger generation would be the ones who read blogs the most, 30% are actually between the ages of 31 and 40 , while more than 37% are 40 to 60 years old. Only 17% of blog readers fall between 25 and 30 years, while a measly 10.3% are 19 to 24 years old.
What is better than a blog? ›Long form content. Long form content can be white papers, e-books, or an *actual* book. They go into more depth than blogs and contain valuable information that the reader needs to be more successful at their job. Why it's smarter: long form content has a better return on investment than blogs.
How long is the average blog post? ›Although your blog post length may vary depending on your topic and audience, it is often best to aim for about 1,500 to 2,000 words for articles or posts. Longer pieces seem to do better when it comes to ranking on SERPs.
Are blogs still relevant in 2023? ›However, if you know what's working, starting a blog is still a totally viable strategy in 2023 and beyond. And in today's post, I'm going to share 5 things you can do to ensure your blog will grow, stay relevant, and be worth all the time and effort it takes to create great content.
What to avoid in blogging? ›- Using the wrong name for your blog.
- Not publishing frequently or consistently.
- Focusing too heavily on self-promotion.
- Choosing the wrong topics.
- Missing best SEO practices.
- Not linking to other content.
- Not using a variety of content.
- You May Invest Time, Sweat And Soul And Get Nothing In Return. ...
- It Takes A Huge Upfront Investment Of Time And Work. ...
- It's A Lot More Difficult Than It Looks. ...
- Passion Isn't Enough. ...
- Blogging For Your Business Can Actually Hurt You If You Do It Wrong.
What percentage of blogs are successful? According to a study by Orbit Media, around 75% of bloggers feel that their blogs are successful. By this, they mean that their blog delivered some results or strong marketing results which could include monetary gain or other marketing goals.
Is there a future for blogging? ›Competition in the online space has become fierce. As of 2021, there were 1.19 billion websites online. Over the last 5 years, the number of active websites has increased by about 9% (Blogging Statistics). The number of blogs and websites will continue to increase in the future.
Do blogs make money anymore? ›Blogging Is a Fast Way To Earn Money
While it's true that blogging can be used to earn an income, it's not something that will help you “get rich quick.” You need to build an audience that wants to purchase items from you before you can start earning any money.
Can you make 10k a month blogging? ›
Do you need millions of visitors to your blog every month? You can make a great full-time income with just a few thousand blog visitors per month. My wife and I make between $10,000 and $15,000 from our blog every month and we only have about 9,000 monthly visitors to our main site.
How do I get my blog discovered? ›- Way #1: Use Email Outreach to Promote Your Blog.
- Way #2: Connect With Other Bloggers.
- Way #3: Acquire Referral Traffic.
- Way #4: Write With SEO in Mind.
- Way #5: Guest Post for Other Blogs.
- Way #6: Leverage Social Media (while you still can)
- Way #7: Publish Original Content.
- Way #8: Grow Your Email List.
How Much Do Bloggers Make Per 1,000 Views? Monetizing a blog with Google AdSense or another advertising platform may provide earnings of about $2 to $5 per 1,000 page views. A blog that receives 10,000 views per day may generate about $20 to $50 in income.
What is the number 1 side hustle? ›1. Deliver Food And Groceries. Right behind ridesharing is delivering food and groceries. This has become one of the fastest growing trends nationwide, and as such, it's also one of the best side hustles.
Is blogging a stable income? ›But it's certainly realistic to expect to make a good, full-time salary from blogging: think $100,000/year or more, once your blog is well-established. Of course, with blogging, there's really no ceiling. You can keep growing your blog — or you can start additional blogs.
Are bloggers in demand? ›Are bloggers in demand? Since blogging is still relevant in 2022, with a rough 409 million internet users reading about 20 billion blog pages monthly, it is safe to say that bloggers are and continue to be in demand.
Can a blog make money without selling anything? ›Creating sponsored posts is a popular way of making money online without having to sell anything. Sponsored posts are blog posts that are sponsored by a brand. A brand will pay you a pre-agreed fee for creating a post that centers around its products and services.
Who pays for bloggers? ›Who pays the blogger? In most cases, the ad network a blogger is associated with pays the blogger a monthly income. Occasionally, brands will reach out directly to a blogger to place an ad on the blog. In that case, the brand would negotiate a rate and pay the blogger directly.
How much do you earn first year blogging? ›It's pretty easy to make an extra $500 – $2,000 per month blogging in your first year. And then in years 2, 3, 4, and 5, you can significantly increase your monthly blog revenue. Glassdoor reports that the average blogger salary is over $50,000 per year, based on several anonymously submitted salaries.
What is the 80/20 rule in blogging? ›The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 Rule, states that 80% of your results come from just 20% of your efforts and activities. When applying this to your blog, you may notice that approximately: 80% of your blog traffic comes from 20% of your posts. 80% of your income comes from the top 20% of your posts.
What is the most difficult part of blogging? ›
Designing the Content.
Content designing is the most challenging thing in blogging. Unless you design a good content, nobody knows you, and nobody cares for you.
On average, it takes 2-4 years to build a successful blog. Around the 2-year mark, you should have enough content and a large enough audience to begin experimenting with different monetization methods.
What are the 3 types of blogs? ›Personal blogs. Business/corporate blogs. Personal brand/professional blogs.
Which blogging topic is best? ›- Health and fitness.
- Relationships.
- Gaming.
- Science and medicine.
- Home ownership.
- Lifestyle and hobbies.
- Pets.
- Your own journey.
- Blogging for Entertainment and Fun. A huge number of blogs were created for no other reason than to have fun and entertain people. ...
- Blogging for Networking and Exposure. ...
- Blogging for Business or a Cause. ...
- Blogging for Journalism. ...
- Blogging for Education.
When to Publish Blogs for Links and Comments. For getting backlinks for your blog posts, the study by Kissmetrics suggests that Monday and Thursday are the best days. It further went on to reveal that publishing early morning on these two days around 7 AM will increase your chances of getting the most inbound links.
What are the best days to post a blog? ›Morning posts tend to have higher click-through rates. Research suggests Mondays are best for website posting, especially when it comes to higher page views and more traffic. Social media blogs posted on Sundays can mean more views and higher share rates.
What is the simplest blog platform? ›Wix is a great platform for bloggers who want a simple, easy-to-use platform with drag-and-drop functionality. It's perfect for beginners, and you can create a website or blog for free with Wix.com. There are also many paid plans available if you want to add more features to your website.
What are the 4 types of blogs? ›- Personal Blogs. Personal bloggers were the pioneers of the blogging world, and they're still around today. ...
- Personal Brand Blogs. ...
- Business Blogs. ...
- Affiliate Blogs. ...
- Niche Blogs.
More than 40% of all websites run on WordPress. It's the most popular blogging platform and CMS by far, and since it's open source, it's free for you to run on your own server (well, other than the hosting costs).
How many views do you need to monetize a blog? ›
Though the specific number can vary depending on the platform and the advertiser, generally speaking, a blogger will need to generate at least a thousand views per month before they can start running ads. Some bloggers may be able to monetize their blogs with less traffic.
How many views is good for a blog? ›Aim for at least 45,000 yearly pageviews. Get at least 11% of traffic from organic search. Grow organic traffic by 8% each month.
What is the ideal blog size? ›After in-depth industry research and analyzing our very own results from the Wix Blog, we've found that the ideal blog post length is between 1,500 - 2,500 words, with a sweet spot right at 2,450.
Do Millennials like blogs? ›Blogs have some characteristics that millennials are drawn to, like serving as a reference for future purchases, researching brands, or learning something new. If you are looking to gain millennial readership, think about the way they behave online, and if the posts you're creating cater to the millennial audience.
What kind of blogs are popular in 2022? ›- Food blogs. Food blogs come in several flavors. ...
- Travel blogs. Before planning a trip, we tend to do a lot of research on both Google and social media. ...
- Health and fitness blogs. ...
- Lifestyle blogs. ...
- Fashion and beauty blogs. ...
- Photography blogs. ...
- Personal blogs. ...
- DIY craft blogs.
On average, bloggers make around $45,000—with most bloggers earning somewhere between $38,440 to $51,906. However, there are a lot of variables that'll influence how much money you make blogging, so keep reading and I'll explain how to set the right expectations for your blog income.
Is blogging worth it in 2023? ›Blogging will always be worth it especially if you find a niche you are passionate about. Whether it be for a brand, business, or for personal reasons, blogging will always give you results.
Is blogging still relevant in 2023? ›However, if you know what's working, starting a blog is still a totally viable strategy in 2023 and beyond. And in today's post, I'm going to share 5 things you can do to ensure your blog will grow, stay relevant, and be worth all the time and effort it takes to create great content.
What is the most profitable blog topic? ›Recipes and food
Food is an evergreen topic, and one of the most profitable blog niches. It also offers various sub-niches to explore, from quick and easy meals to information on specific diets. One food topic that has become increasingly popular in recent years is home cooking.
- Technology or Gaming Blogs. ...
- Travel Blogs. ...
- Health and Fitness Blogs. ...
- Beauty and Fashion Blogs. ...
- Personal Finance Blogs. ...
- Arts and Crafts Blogs (DIY) ...
- Interior Design Blogs. ...
- Lifestyle Blogs. The lifestyle niche is one of the top blog ideas that make money.
What is the most common blog topic? ›
Food is one of the most popular blog categories. Food blogs range from baking blogs to vegan blogs to baby food blogs. If you can think of a food topic, chances are that there is at least one blog about it.
How hard is it to start a blog? ›Just remember, starting a blog is actually easy. Thousands of new blogs are started every day. Anyone can create a blog in 5 minutes, but very few people will create blogs that matter.
Is there a downside to blogging? ›You cannot write what you want
Unfortunately, this is a huge downside of Blogging, the one that I learned the hard way. I started to rank on google when I stopped writing what I wanted to and started writing what people want to read, according to Google. That's a fact. It may be annoying but you will learn.
On average, it takes 2-4 years to build a successful blog. Around the 2-year mark, you should have enough content and a large enough audience to begin experimenting with different monetization methods.
Does anyone use bloggers anymore? ›An oldie but a goodie: Blogger started in 1999, and it still has plenty to offer in 2022. Many businesses still use it, and it offers a blogspot.com domain as well as the option to buy a custom one. Its experienced platform makes it easier for people with less experience to work with and build upon it.
How do I start a successful 2022 blog? ›- Choose a blogging platform. Use a platform that offers customizable templates.
- Pick a hosting platform. ...
- Find the right niche. ...
- Select a blog name and domain. ...
- Set up and design your blog. ...
- Brainstorm blog topics. ...
- Write your first blog post. ...
- Create an editorial calendar.