I wish I had a pound for every time I’ve seen a version of the question ‘Is blogging dead?’ My retirement fund would be much healthier, and I’d have considerably nicer shoes. After all, why would you bother spending time on writing a blog post when AI can churn one out in seconds and you have more pressing things to deal with? Hasn’t everyone moved on to podcasting anyway? I still think writing a blog is worth it (no surprises there), and here’s why.
Blogging has changed
Whenever you use Google or open social media, the AI content is impossible to miss. I’m considering starting a list of the overused AI phrases that irritate me most, but I’m not sure it would be good for my mental health. Search algorithms have shifted to prioritise content that’s easy for an AI to summarise, and you’d probably assume that AI-generated content is more likely to rank.
The truth is that Google and other AI platforms look for well-structured, useful content when deciding what to show in search results or cite when answering a question. Marketing and SEO genius compared companies that stopped blogging to those that continued over a 12-month period and found that the ones that carried on got 85.8% more search traffic via AI platforms and increased their revenue by 9.1%. The ones that stopped lost 39.7% of their search traffic and over 10% of their revenue.
The important thing is to write in a way that answers your readers’ questions and uses subheadings to make information easy to find, whether you’re a human reader or a search engine.
What a blog still does well
As we’ve seen, blogging can still work for you and even help turn AI into an advantage. Beyond that, the things that made blogging a good idea in the first place haven’t changed. Social media can be a great way to reach and stay in touch with people, but it’s rented property. Meta can decide to censure your posts or take your page down altogether, and you can’t always predict what will get you into trouble. Having a website with a blog is yours and will stay up for as long as you want it to. You can share your thoughts, knowledge and build your authority without worrying about a sudden ban.
A good blog post can turn up in a search years after you wrote it, which is unlikely to happen even with the most viral social media post. You can also repurpose it into anything you can think of, from social media posts and emails to website copy and printed leaflets and brochures. Investing a bit of time in writing a blog can save you loads of it later.
When blogging isn’t for you
Do I think blogging is for everyone? No. It might not be right for your industry, but that’s a conversation for another time. A blog is great if you want to build authority gradually and shudder at the thought of a shouty sales pitch. It’s not for you if you want instant results, because blogging is a slow burn. You need patience.
Blog posts can help you attract new customers, but they’re also useful for existing ones. Frustratingly, you might not see the results from your posts because people often read without commenting (or comment without reading if they’re bots). You might not even know you’re helping someone unless you happen to bump into them in person. (That’s happened to me a few times.)
If you want instant, overnight internet fame, a blog probably isn’t going to help you. If you’re in it for the long haul, it usually will.
Is it still worth writing a blog?
So, is it still worth writing a blog? If you’re a small business owner who wants to get your knowledge and expertise out into the world in a way that lets your future customers hear your voice and get to know you, I think it is.
Your blog can also be a space for you to think about what you want to say and explore it in a longer form. That can be refreshing if you’re constantly trying to write short and snappy social media posts. The key is to think about what will help your customers and focus on one thing at a time so they can absorb information easily.
Ready for a chat?
If you need some help, I can write for you. When you work with me, I’ll get to know you and your business, and write content that showcases your best self, helping you connect with your ideal customers and talk about what matters most to them.
You can email me to arrange a chat or book a Zoom call to find out more.
Alternatively, sign up for my mailing list, and I’ll send you a free copy of my eBook with fifty (yes, 50) topic ideas for your marketing as a thank you. It also includes hints and tips to help you structure your posts if you’re currently writing your content yourself.
