Blogging has seriously come a long way since its inception back in the 1990s. From there, it’s transformed from simple online diaries to a really cool way to tell personal stories, offer important info, foster community, build a portfolio, or share your interest. And, it’s not just for fun anymore, many people have actually made money off their blog and established now well-known brands!
However, with social media and video content becoming more popular every year, many aspiring influencers are now questioning if blogs actually have any relevance. Do people still read long-form content? Can you still make a business out of blogging? These are all valid questions! So, in this post, we’re going to examine blogging in the modern world and determine whether it’s still worthwhile. Spoiler alert it is!
Do People Still Read Blogs and Are They Relevant?
YES! There are over 600 million blogs on the internet, and around 83% of internet users engage with them on a regular basis. WOW! Now, it’s when you compare these blog stats to other content forms that they’re really impressive. Only 64% of the population uses social media and only 47% of those regularly watch YouTube videos. That means blogs remain one of the most popular and relevant content forms on the internet!
Why Is Blogging So Popular These Days?
Blogs provide in-depth, authentic content.
One of the main things blogs are known for is their authentic voices! Readers really believe in and connect with the writers behind blog content. Even if the content is written by a company, the content holds more authenticity and authority than content from other sources.
Beyond that, readers love that blog content is often super thorough. You can not only get the answer to your question or the solution to your problem, but you can get TONS of additional details that may be helpful in some way. Social media just doesn’t offer the same depth! Video content on platforms like YouTube can offer similar depth, but it takes a lot longer to consume that type of content.
Readers can get the information they want quickly.
Speaking of . . . another plus of blog content is that it’s easy for readers to find the info they need fast! A well-written, high-quality blog posts are well-organized, offer short paragraph lengths, highlight the most important content, and utilize bullet lists and helpful infographics.
That means a reader can skim the post to get what they need. This is good, because only 27% of people read blog posts in their entirety, whereas most people admit that they skim for the essential info. So, this is a big draw for readers and one reason blogs are still so popular!
They provide answers and info on niche topics.
Remember, there are hundreds of millions of blogs . . . that means you can pretty much find a blog on any topic. This is huge for internet users looking for specific content, whether the reader wants to find tips on their specific hobby or advice about living with their rare health condition. Blogs are one of the exclusive ways to find extensive content regarding niche topics, which is another reason they’ve stood the test of time and remained such a popular form of content sharing!
Readers can build and connect with communities.
Because blogs bring together people with similar interests or lifestyles (even if they’re super unique), they naturally connect people and establish strong communities! As bloggers create content and build a follower base, they also encourage engagement and interaction with their blog readers on social media and in the comments sections.
As they do this, the blogger connects with their readers and the readers connect with each other. They’ll often form forums, Facebook groups, Discord servers, and more to continue discussing the niche topic and find meaningful connections. Blogs have always been a great way to find your people!
Bloggers offer regular updates and additional content.
People like continuous content streams. Once they find something they like, they just want more! It’s like if you find a book you like, naturally you want to read the whole series. A blogger often provides regular updates, uploads, and additional resources, so it feels the readers want for more and more content.
It’s like being able to tune into your favorite TV show every week without any season breaks or cancellations! This is another reason people still turn to blogs again and again for entertainment, education, inspiration, and more!
Search engines promote long-form blog content more than anything else.
When an internet user searches for something on Google or another search engine, these platforms prioritize and promote high-quality, long-form blog content. They know it’s one of the best ways to get their users answers to their questions or solutions to their problems!
84% of people search on Google at least 3 times a day, so that’s a lot of blog content getting put in front of a lot of users every few seconds. This means that even if someone doesn’t particularly follow a set of blogs, they read articles all the time based on what Google provides in response to their searches! Because of this, blog posts remain one of the most relevant content forms on the internet!
How To Get People To Read Your Blog
Tailor your content to your audience.
Understanding who your audience is SUPER important. Like seriously, this is a step you don’t want to underestimate. Take the time to research your audience, their interests, preferences, and pain points. Then, make sure your content speaks to them and feels authentic!
When you speak directly to your audience, you increase the likelihood of gaining and retaining readers.
Post high-quality, long-form content.
As we mentioned, one of the big draws of blog content is long-form, high-quality content. So, of course, if you want people to read your work, it needs to match their preference for thorough content. Anything that’s super short, lacks visual elements, and doesn’t look carefully crafts comes off spammy and low-quality. AKA, the readers will think it’s a waste of their time.
So, the absolute BEST thing you can do to attract readers is just post AMAZING quality content. Put your all into every post. Give it your unique voice, perspective, experience, knowledge, and personality. Make sure to include lots of engaging elements too that enhance the user experience, like graphics, photos, polls, links, and anything else that will be beneficial to your reader.
Use engaging blog post titles.
Your blog post titles are often the very first impression readers have of you and your content. So, you need to create compelling, clear, and intriguing blog post titles that will entice readers to click (and then fall in love with your content, of course). Add in a nice blend of powerful words, numbers, or questions to spark curiosity in your readers. If you need help, here’s how to write a catchy blog post title.
Optimize for search engines (SEO).
Incorporating the right search engine optimization (SEO) tactics can really help to improve your blog’s visibility on search engines. By formatting, curating, writing, and uploading content strategically to rank high on search engine results pages, which draws in tons of organic traffic. It’s better than any other marketing strategies you may have for your blog!
Think of it like this: if you have a fashion blog, and someone searches “business casual capsule wardrobe,” and you have a post on that exact topic, you want them to find you, right? Well, if your content is optimized, Google will deliver it right to your target audience. This is KEY to finding lifelong readers and building your brand.
Ready to get into the SEO game? Here’s how to write SEO-friendly blog posts. You’ve probably heard tips about doing keyword research and adding alt text, but there’s a lot more to it than that! If you’d rather leave it to the experts, look into our SEO packages where we take care of all the optimization for you. You can focus on engaging your audience and uploading great content while we take care of getting your blog posts in front of your audience.
Collaborate with other bloggers in your niche.
One great hack to find your target audience and draw them into your content is to collab with others in your niche. Wait aren’t other bloggers in your niche competition? NO! Think about it this way, if you’re really into romance novels and there are two authors that write similar books, are you going to stay loyal to one or the other? No way, you’ll gladly read BOTH, because you love this type of content.
The same goes for blogs. If a reader likes one blog in your niche, they’ll probably like yours too. So, to expand your influence, find another blogger in your category and ask to do a collab. You post on their blog or social media, and they post on yours! Their audience will be exposed to your content and your audience will be exposed to their content. It’s a win-win!
Here’s more on how to collaborate with other bloggers.
Promote on social media.
Using social media platforms to promote your blog and individual blog posts is a fantastic way to drive traffic to your blog. Share snippets, quotes, or visuals that link back to your full content for the best results.
Plus, share plenty of extras that make you seem even more authentic, interesting, and authoritative to draw readers in. Social media also allows you to interact with your audience between posts, which is great for building brand loyalty and brand awareness. If they weren’t reading before, they definitely will after hanging out with you for a while on socials!
Do people still read blogs? Yes!
So the answer is a big, fat YES! Of course, people still read blogs. And frankly, if you’re not blogging, you’re seriously missing out.
Even in the 2020s is an AMAZING way to monetize your content and build an influencer career of your dreams! For more ways to make your blog a success, check out the InfluencerSEO blog.
Jordan Becerra, founder and Lead SEO Strategist at InfluencerSEO, has spent almost 15 years in the creator internet space, the last nine building InfluencerSEO into the go-to SEO partner for content creators, with 500+ creators served from pre-launch to massive publication. She learned creator monetization and community building strategy from the inside working for Lauryn Bosstick of The Skinny Confidential prior to founding InfluencerSEO, so she understands both halves of the game: how search actually works AND how creators actually build a strong community online and make money. Her job now is to stay ahead of where search engine optimization is going, especially as AI rewrites the rules, and to make sure the creators she works with get there first.
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