Are Blogs Still a Thing in 2020?

We’re gonna answer your question with a question –>

We’re content nerds, okay? Blogs are a big part of our biz, though what we do goes far beyond blog writing.

The short answer to your question? Yes. Blogs are a thing.

The long answer? Keep reading. Because this is a blog post about blog posts 🤯 and how blog posts can serve your business. We’ll also be talking about how they’ve changed since 2007.

Blogs drive traffic to your main site.

You share social media content in the hopes that it drives traffic back to your website: Facebook posts, witty tweets, Pinterest images, links on LinkedIn. You want your followers on those platforms to visit your site and buy that new product or sign up for that service you just launched, right? 

Even if you make the journey from social media to site as easy and short as you can, there’s still the risk of a user getting distracted along the way, by a funny cat video or posts by other businesses on their feed, for example. It happens to us all the time.

Your blog, on the other hand, is already on your site! Someone reading your blog is, presumably, just a click or two away from your home page. And if they get distracted on the way, it’s probably by other blog posts or site content, which is still a win for you. They’re still engaging with your brand. 

Blogs connect with your audience. 

Think about blogs that you follow religiously — even if it’s not in an old-school RSS feed or a WordPress “library.” (Woof, we did we just date ourselves?) No matter how you consume blogs now, ask yourself: Why do you follow those bloggers? 

Jess here! One of my favorite blogs is Keiko Lynn. Keiko’s sense of personal style and home decor could not be further from my own, but I love her personality as a fellow introvert and animal lover. Keiko is never afraid to voice her opinions on body image, mental health, being an influencer, and so much more. 

I’ve followed Keiko’s blog for years because she feels genuine, like a person I could actually be friends with in real life. Of course, the photos on her blog and Instagram are stunningly gorgeous, but I feel most connected to her long-form blogs.

Next, think about how you can expand on important ideas with your blog, and how that content will be different than what you share on social media.

Social media posts are quick snapshots of your personality. That’s what they’re meant to be. Blogs, on the other hand, give you a space to fully expand on your thoughts. And no matter what industry you’re in, what your business sells, or what your passions are, your blog posts will attract like-minded readers who want something longer than an Instagram photo or funny tweet. When you offer good content, you’ll keep those readers coming back to you.

Latasha here! I want to call out that how I consume blogs has changed. I don’t really follow a single blogger anymore, and the days of telling long-ass stories to get to your point are (kinda) gone. Unless you’re promoting your content really well, the odds of having “regular readers” decreases, especially if your brand is newer. The length and type of stories you tell are also going to differ. Depending on your industry, like Jess wrote above, this is flexible.

Lifestyle influencers, for example, can go off on a long tangent about how straw hats just hit different (that’s what they talk about right?). But someone who is selling digital course design packs like our friend Nicole Yang would blog about more helpful, tactical goodness with shorter, more compact storytelling.

Blogs build your brand.  

Could we cram any more b-words into that previous sentence? Yeah, probably. BUT ANYWAY. 

If you’re hesitant to start a blog because you’re not sure what to say, we got you! You just need a little inspiration. 

Here are some writing prompts to get you started:

• Answer the most common questions your customers have in blog posts.
• Pick one service or product that you offer and talk about the inspiration or motivation behind it.
• Share one funny/exciting/cool/weird thing that your office does.
• Introduce one of your team members on your blog.
• Share your take on an opinion or misconception in your industry.

You don’t have to look far for blog post topics. There’s a ton of evergreen content you can mine from your own business, your competitors, and your industry. Plus, there are exhaustive lists from people way more qualified than us offering some great blog prompts. Seriously. Just follow this Google search result.

Look back at those writing prompts for a second. What’s the purpose of each blog post? Many inform, some entertain. Some do both. What you’re doing with your posts is positioning yourself as an expert. You’re a source of knowledge on your own stuff and in your industry. Not only are you providing value for your readers, but you’re probably boosting your search engine rankings, too. And showing your personality and brand voice, right? RIGHT?!

Blog ain’t working? Time to try something new. 

“But Uncanny Content,” you say, “I’ve had a blog for a while and I haven’t seen any results.” 

Fair enough. We say this with the utmost respect, but you’re probably doing it wrong. Or at least, you could be doing it better. 

The act of blogging itself is easy, but if you don’t have a strategy, you’re not blogging to your fullest potential. 

🖊 Are you blogging frequently enough?

🖊 Are your blogs optimized?

🖊 Are your posts a good mix of timely and evergreen content?

🖊 Are you checking to see which posts are resonating with your audience most?

If you answered “no” to any of those questions, you have room for improvement. Analyzing your blogs and tweaking your blogging strategy takes time. When you don’t see the fruits of your labor right away, it’s easy to write the whole thing off as a failure. 

If you’re fed up with blogging, or too close to your writing to tell what’s working and what isn’t, that’s when it’s time to call us. We’ll put in the work so you can reap the benefits.