Blogging is dead. We hear it often. But is it? In this article, I’ll answer the common question: Do people still read blogs?
I write blogs almost daily, so I’ve asked myself this question, too. I’ve also done a lot of research on the topic, which I’ll discuss below.
Keep reading to learn if people read blogs in 2023, what you need to know about business blogging, and if it’s even worth it to blog.
Do people still read blogs?
Not only do countless studies report that people read blogs every day, but my own experiences as a blog writer confirm this.
In the images below, you can see results from a couple of blogs I wrote for one of my clients. These results show how many clicks each article has gotten from Google in the past 6 months.
I also shared a poll on Instagram, asking, “do people still read blogs.” Here are the results:
Is blogging still relevant in 2023? The stats
The stats don’t lie either.
Here are some insightful, up-to-date blogging statistics:
77% of internet users report regularly reading blog posts.
80% of bloggers say that blogging drives results.
44% of buyers report consuming 3 to 5 pieces of content before engaging with the seller.
Food, lifestyle, and travel niches have the highest percentage of blogs and more than 50,000 blog visits per month.
71% of bloggers say SEO is their most significant traffic source.
Bloggers who prioritize SEO earn over $50,000 annually, and their #1 traffic source is Google.
Guest blogging is still alive and well, as 60% of bloggers write 1 to 5 guest posts per month.
71% of marketers report content marketing has become significant in the past year.
Source: Ahrefs.comCountless blogging statistics show just how powerful blogs are. And my favorite fun fact: people like to read topics that interest them.
The evolution of blogging
Blogging used to be more of an online diary. Today, blogging is mostly used for marketing or earning money via ad revenue.
While people used to keep account of personal experiences via their blog content (and some still do), blogs have moved more towards a money-making platform.
What I appreciate about the evolution of blogging is that people can still use their blogs to share personal experiences. That's because blogs can generate more leads by incorporating storytelling to connect with your readers and evoke emotion. (Keep reading for more on this!)
Today, people read blogs to:
Find answers to their questions
Learn new information
Get relevant information on trends, news, products, etc.
Decide if they should buy something or what to buy
Connect with a community
Get advice from an expert or someone they trust
Tips for blogging in 2023
So we know the answer to this: do people still read blogs? Yes, they absolutely do.
But there are BILLIONS of blogs out there. So, how can you make yours stand out?
I use these blogging tips for every article to attract and keep blog readers:
Remember quality over quantity.
Make your articles easy to read and skimmable.
Share unique content.
Help people solve their biggest problems.
Optimize for SEO.
Get traffic to your blog.
For customizable blogging templates and my go-to resources, check out this SEO Blogging Toolbox.
Remember: quality over quantity
We often hear or read that it's essential to post long-form blogs often. That said, spending time writing valuable, high-quality content is far more important than writing a ton of content.
Yes, it's true. The more blog articles you publish, the more traffic you can get. But if you're putting out a lot of subpar content, Google will catch on and not rank it.
I recommend setting a specific number of hours you can spend on blogging each week and using that time to write quality content. Don't skimp on research, the article's visibility, editing, etc.
To learn more about how to create a content calendar that works for you and get a customizable content planning template to help you stay on track, check out my SEO blogging course.
Make your articles easy to read & skimmable
If we know anything to be true, it’s that people in 2023 have very short attention spans.
Even though a lot of people still read blogs, many of them are just skimming. They want to find the information that's important to them. And if it's interesting enough and easy to read, they'll read most or all of the article.
To make your article easy to read and skimmable:
Use headers to break up the text and highlight important content.
Include lists and charts.
Keep sentences and paragraphs short. 1-3 sentences in a paragraph are enough!
Break up the written content with visuals (images, videos, graphics, etc.).
Make necessary information stand out via bold, underlined, and italicized text.
Share unique content
Remember when I said millions of blog articles are published per day? Yours needs to be different.
If your article is the same as all the others, what’s the point?
It’s okay to share the important big ideas that might already be out there but also share something unique.
The key to sharing something new and writing unique content is storytelling and sharing personal experiences. For example, this article shows results from my very own poll and a client’s results (see above).
Fun fact: When I started tying more personal stories into my content, I started getting DAILY inquiries for my copywriting services. So it really does work! After all, people thrive off of making connections, even when making purchases.
Help people solve their biggest problems
One of the most essential aspects of content marketing is helping people solve their biggest problems. If you can do that, they’ll want to stay tuned.
When writing blog content, address the problem your target audience is struggling with.
For this article, people are searching for “Do people still read blogs.”
So, I know their pain point (or problem) is that they need to find out if there’s any point in blogging. That’s why I’ve made it clear to answer that question and share helpful information on writing blogs that people will read.
This is where understanding user intent comes into play. To learn more about what user intent is and how to satisfy it, check out this article.
Optimize for SEO
SEO is everything in 2023. Well, almost everything! Of course, high-quality content is most important.
But if you want people to find your blogs, you need to optimize for SEO.
Search engine optimization is when you use techniques that help Google determine your content is helpful for its users. This is how your blog articles can show up in search engines.
Get traffic to your blog
SEO is one of the best (if not THE best) ways to get traffic to your blog since Google is easily the most popular search engine. That said, there’s a lot of competition on Google, and it takes time to build up your SEO and brand awareness.
Even when you’ve nailed SEO, having other sources of traffic to your blog is always beneficial.
Here are ways to promote your blog for more traffic:
Social media platforms: Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok are great for sharing your blog.
Email marketing: I LOVE Flodesk for this, plus email marketing is ideal for connecting with an audience.
YouTube: Share videos related to your blog, then link your blog.
Pinterest: This is another popular search engine, but keep in mind Pinterest is a long-term game, just like Google SEO.
Guest blogging: Offer to write guest blog posts for blogs with more traffic and ask to link your blog.
Who reads blogs?
Most people who use the internet to purchase or learn more about a topic read blogs.
Think of 5 people you know. Do they use Google? If so, there's a very high chance they read blogs.
Even if people don't intentionally look for a blog, one will usually come up if you search for something.
Examples:
Places to travel during winter
Free activities near me
Best remote work jobs
Searching phrases like these results in Google, usually providing information via blogs.
And the “people also ask” section on Google? This is where you can read a quick answer to a question, and the content is pulled from blog articles.
What has replaced blogging?
People can argue that social media tools have replaced blogging. While social media is incredibly popular for consuming content, nothing can replicate the content or results blogging offers.
When people search the internet, they’re usually in a buyer mindset.
For example, if I search for “the best all-natural skincare products,” I’m probably interested in buying skincare products. So, if I come across a related article, that brand that posted the blog could get a sale.
On the other hand, social media is designed for entertainment and making connections.
If I come across skincare brands on social media, I’ll probably follow a brand for a while before buying.
Think about your own experiences. You might behave similarly.
We all use the internet differently. Different types of content and platforms inspire us to take action.
Meet your target audience where they are.
Do people still read blogs, or have they been replaced by YouTube videos?
People definitely still read blogs, and blogging is a style of long-form content unlike any other. While vlogs are also often long-form, those who prefer reading their content can’t do this with videos like blogs.
How you can save time using multiple content platforms
Because there are so many content marketing platforms in 2023, it’s best to use them to your advantage. If you use multiple platforms, you can reach more people.
Remember, your target audience may consume content in various ways.
It’s best to consider where your ideal clients or customers are:
Google
Facebook
Pinterest
YouTube
Instagram
TikTok
Email
Podcast
A great way to determine this is to ask your audience. You can do this via your email newsletter or polls on your social media platform(s).
Then, choose 2-3 platforms to reach your target audience. I don’t recommend trying to be on all platforms, especially right away.
I’m a few years in and market my copywriting business via Google (website/my blog/), Pinterest, Instagram, and email.
Because blogs are long-form content, it’s best to pull content from your blog to create content for your other platforms.
For example, I can use this blog article to create various Instagram posts, Pinterest pins, and email newsletter content with something like this:
Do people still read blogs? Conclusion
I hope this article was helpful to you. People absolutely still read blogs regularly.
With the most recent stats, blogging isn't going anywhere, at least for a while.
Blogs are an excellent marketing tool to help you reach your business goals and make more money if you do it right.
Check out these resources to become a confident blogger and learn how to write blogs that drive results.