Top 10 Reasons You Should Be Blogging For Your Business (And The Stats To Back It Up)

Is blogging really an effective way to create brand awareness, engage prospective customers and existing clients, support the sales process and create long-term loyalty? 

Absolutely.

But don’t take our word for it. We’ve dug into the numbers, and they don’t lie. 

Blogging, when done right with high-quality content that addresses your ideal client’s needs, is a highly effective marketing and communication tool that offers more longevity and affordability than other advertising methods. 

Ready to see for yourself? Let’s dive in.

1. Blogging Provides Visibility

Customers can’t buy what they can’t see. In order to make the sale, they must know that you exist. Your website is your digital storefront, and blogging is an essential component of any visibility strategy to drive traffic to your site. Here’s why:

Websites that have a blog are shown to have 434% more indexed pages. That’s 434% more times that Google can serve up one of your pages as a relevant search result to potential customers. 

Furthermore, companies that blog get 97% more links to their websites. 

The combination of indexed pages and backlinks builds authority with Google and is a sound strategy for boosting your SEO ranking. Blogging is a means to make it happen.

2. Blogging Delivers Website Visitors

The point of the increased visibility above is to get more website traffic, and blogging delivers 55% more website visitors for companies that blog.

Getting these prospective customers to your site is the first step in starting the sales process, and blogging gives you a proven way to attract website visitors. Blogging is also what keeps them on your site. More time spent = more opportunity to make a connection and convert.

3. Blog Content Captures—And Keeps—Attention 

While email marketing remains an effective communication tactic, it doesn’t hold readers’ attention span quite like blogging. In fact, 77% of internet users read blogs, and they spend 3x more time on blogs than they do on email.

Since email has an average click-through rate of only 2-5%, the numbers suggest that blog content more effectively captures buyer attention, especially when the content is educational, helps solve a problem and is less salesy.

4. Blogging Creates Trust And Connection With Buyers

When it’s time to make a purchase, what do B2B buyers do? Ninety-three percent begin the buying process with an online search. From there, 47% of consumers read 3-5 blog posts before making a buying decision. 

Why? They are looking for indicators that you’re legit and can live up to the brand promises on your homepage. They want to see if your skills are aligned with their needs. And they want to feel secure that they are making a good buying decision. Blog content that speaks directly to ideal clients’ pain points as well as aspirations is a critical part of the sales process.

What’s more, 94% of B2B buyers research online before finalizing a product purchase. Having blog posts that cover the entire customer journey not only brings in potential buyers when they’re looking at all of the possible options but also solidifies you as the best choice when it’s time to place an order. 

The reason blogs are so effective during the sales process is because they create trust and connection with buyers. In fact, 90% percent find custom content useful, and 78% believe that organizations providing custom content are interested in building good relationships with them. Additionally,  60% feel more positive about a company after reading custom content on its site, and 81% say blogs are trusted sources of information and advice. 

If you want to attract and convert buyers, blog content is a proven path to make it happen.

5. Blogging Boosts Lead Generation

To grow your business, you must have consistent leads. Ninety-three percent of B2B companies say content marketing generates more leads than traditional marketing strategies, and 69% of businesses attribute their lead generation success to blogging.

What’s more, businesses with blogs get 126% more lead growth than those without a blog. But that’s not all. Leads from search engines have a closing rate of 14.6% while outbound leads have a 1.7% closing rate. That’s almost 14x! Why such a difference? 

When your blog content is targeted and relevant, buyers have pre-qualified themselves. You’re not going to them; they’re coming to you. And they’re ready to buy. It’s just up to you to make the sale.

6. Blogging Turns Prospects Into Customers

Did you know that businesses with a consistent blog strategy generate 2x more email traffic as those without? The more email traffic you have, the more opportunities to make the sale.

Furthermore, blogging is especially important for communicating through the buying process. In fact, 58% of B2B buyers say that blogs are the most valuable content format for the early stage of the buying process, and 31% say they’re the most valuable content for the mid stage of the buying process. Having content targeted to pain points within this part of the sales cycle increases the likelihood of converting prospects into customers.

What’s more, a Hubspot survey found that 56% of respondents had made a purchase after reading a blog post. Being able to add storytelling around your product or service + provide relevant research stats and case histories to complete the article gives blog readers the info needed so they can comfortably and confidently make a purchase. 

Clearly, if you want to nurture prospects and show them why you’re right for the job, blogging is an effective means of communication throughout the entire customer journey.

7. Blogging Is Cost Effective

Inbound marketing, of which blogging is a crucial part, costs 62% less per lead than outbound marketing. If you’re looking for bang-for-your-buck, then blogging has your back. 

But that’s not all. With a life span nearing two years, blog content and content marketing programs that leverage blogs have evergreen value, meaning that the content is consistently relevant and not seasonal or based around a specific timeframe or event. This longevity is especially true when you compare blogging to volume-based media such as display or search advertising, which stops delivering value as soon as the campaign investment ends.

The value blogging delivers is unmatched. Whether looking at hard costs per lead or the amortized spend over the life of a blog post, blogging programs are affordable communication tools to not only generate business but also keep it.

8. Blogging Is Content You Own

While posting on social networks and obtaining press mentions through earned media can be successful at garnering visibility and building your brand with prospective clients, there’s one problem: You don’t own that content. 

At any time, your account may be suspended or removed. And when the media writes about you, you don’t have control over the messaging.

While there are good reasons to use social and earned media as a portion of your visibility strategy, neither one should constitute more than 50% of your efforts.

Blogging allows you to have the most control over your content and is the logical choice for creating a foundation on which subsequent social media, earned media, email marketing and more can be built.

9. Blog Posts Appeal To Buyers More Than Advertising

The online space is crowded. Digital ads are everywhere, from sidebars to pop ups. And most of them are ignored (70-80%) if not outright blocked. In fact, 37.5% of global internet users block online advertising with an ad blocker tool, and there are 763.5 million ad blocker users worldwide. 
If that wasn’t enough, 70% of customers would rather learn about the company via articles than ads. Customers don’t want to feel like they’re being sold to, but they do want to make a purchase. Skip the push marketing of ads and pull potential buyers in with blog content that educates, entertains and establishes trust.

10. Blogging Only Works When There’s A Documented Strategy + Consistent Action

Here’s where things get interesting. Fewer than 32% of marketers have well-documented content strategies. And, unfortunately (or luckily for smart marketers), 70% of marketers do not actually have or do not stick to a consistent strategy even though 60% of marketers say blog content creation is their top inbound marketing priority.

So, for the 30% of marketers who DO have and stick to a consistent and documented strategy, you have the advantage over 70% of your competition who don’t. Hello opportunity!

And for those 70% of marketers dabbling with blogging (or ignoring it altogether) and then wondering why your competition seems to have the edge, these stats give some explanation.

Blogging Gives Buyers What They Want & Need

Bottom Line: 96% of B2B buyers want content from industry thought leaders. And since 57% of B2B buyers make their purchase decision before ever speaking to a salesperson, blogging is the key driver of the decision making process.

Because buyers are driving the growing need for content, 78% of chief marketing officers think custom content is the future of marketing.

So you have to ask yourself: If blogging is a key component of the future of marketing, then do you want to be a part of that future? Chances are, your competition does. 

And like the famed ski and snowboarding filmmaker Warren Miller says: “If you don’t do it this year, you’ll just be one year older when you do.”

Takeaway: Content matters. Buyers need content to make buying decisions. So give it to them in the easiest way possible with the longest longevity: Blogging.

What’s Next: Interested in launching your blog or building a blogging program but feel overwhelmed? Don’t go it alone. Our Signature Blogging Program is the easiest way for promotional products companies to elevate how they showcase branded merch. And it’s easier than ordering a pizza at Dominos. Contact us here to get started.

Feedback: Did this article change your opinion about blogging? Do you have a blog now? If so, how are you using it to support the sales process? We’d love to learn more about your experience as well as what statistics spoke to you the most. Send us a message here and let’s get the conversation going.

Like this? Please share it on social media so others can benefit, too. Thanks!