benefits of blogging | The Blog Pros

January 3, 2023

Why Blog? 14 Benefits of Blogging in 2023

We are often asked by users why they should blog and what are the benefits of blogging.

Blogging has been around since 1993 and has become an essential marketing tool for many businesses. But is it still relevant in the age of social media?

In this article, we’ll talk about why you should blog. And what are the benefits of blogging?

What are the benefits of blogging and why you should blog

Top Reasons and Benefits of a Blog

Blogs began as a way for individuals to write about their passions, day-to-day life, and things they found interesting. They were like online journals or diaries.

However, blogging quickly became an important part of the marketing strategy for businesses due to its benefits.

Currently, there are 1.9 billion websites in the world, and over 600 million are blogs. That means that the blogging industry makes up a third of the web.

For more information, see our guide on what is a blog and how is it different from a website.

Out of these, WordPress powers more than 43% of all websites, which makes it the best website builder and the best blogging platform.

It is used by both individuals and businesses to promote their ideas, brands, stories, products, and more.

Let’s dig deeper and take a look at some of the most important benefits of blogging and why you should consider starting a blog.

Blog Brings Traffic to Your Website
Helps you Generate More Leads and Conversions
Helps you Repurpose Content for Other Marketing Channels
Helps you Build Authority in Your Industry
Helps You Strengthen Brand Recognition
Helps You Build an Engaging Audience
Share Business News, Announcements, Sales, and More
Helps You Improve Long Term SEO
Beat Competition in Organic Search Traffic
Allows You to Educate Customers
Build Additional Revenue Streams for Your Business
Helps You Learn Online Marketing
Unlocks Partnerships and Opportunities for Growth
Helps You Find Your Dream Job
How to Get Started with Blogging Right Away

1. A Blog Brings Traffic to Your Website

A typical business website consists of a few important pages. You may have a homepage, landing pages for your products/services, a contact page, and a few more.

Search engines may not find your website more important than thousands of other much older websites in the same industry.

Adding a blog allows you to publish additional content which over time will help you bring more traffic to your website.

For instance, let’s say you sell gardening hoses on your website. There are thousands of companies selling similar products and users may never find your website on their own.

However, with blogging, you can add more content relevant to the topics they’re searching for.

For instance, you can write about ‘Environment-friendly gardening tools’ or ‘water preservation.’ You can also write guides on how to maintain small lawns and gardens and more.

Writing content for a blog opens a doof for more traffic to your website, allowing you to reach more customers, gain a wider audience, and even poach business from big-name brands.

2. Blogging Helps you Generate More Leads and Conversions

Now bringing traffic to your website by creating a blog was the easy part. The more complex part is to convert that traffic into sales and growth for your business.

More than 70% of people visiting your website today, will never find it again. That’s because there is so much content and information on the internet.

A blog helps you convert website traffic into potential leads, convert them into subscribers and social media followers, and allow you to reach out to them later.

Tools like OptinMonster, help you build an email list and grow your social media following.

Add push notifications to your blog, and you can send targeted messages to your blog visitors and bring them back to your website.

3. Helps you Repurpose Content for Other Marketing Channels

To build an active marketing presence, you need to actively promote your business online.

However, the problem with a static website is that there is no new content for you to share.

Adding a blog to your website allows you to actively use blog content across your other marketing channels.

For instance, here are some ways you can reuse blog post content.

Share the link to your blog post on social media
Use the blog post content in your email newsletter
Make a YouTube video based on blog post content
Edit YouTube videos to create content for TikTok, Instagram Stories, and more.

These are all the ways that we reuse WPBeginner content across our social media and marketing channels and it works really well.

4. Helps you Build Authority in Your Industry

It is harder to prove your expertise and authority on a subject if all you have is a five-page website selling your products/services.

Adding a blog allows you to regularly publish content on topics related to your industry. This helps you establish authority and win users’ trust.

If you are consistently publishing new content, you’ll become the go-to place for your users and other businesses interested in those topics.

Whether you are a business or an individual, this trust is an invaluable asset. It will unlock tremendous growth opportunities.

5. Helps You Strengthen Brand Recognition

A blog helps you strengthen your brand identity. It gives you more opportunities to use your custom logo across your website, your social profiles, search results, and more.

This brand recognition when combined with customer trust and authority adds enormous value to your digital assets.

As an individual, you get recognized by industry leaders, influencers, and enthusiasts. This opens doors to many opportunities.

Similarly, as a business, your brand becomes more valuable and this weight will be considered by any potential buyer if you want to sell your business in the future.

6. Helps You Build an Engaging Audience

A static website doesn’t leave much room for a conversation. It is uninspiring and often quite boring.

Adding a blog to your website helps you bring the conversation to your website. Now users can engage with your blog posts by leaving a comment, sharing it on social media, writing about it, and more.

We recommend all our users engage with comments and other user activity on their blogs.

It helps you build a community around your business which is extremely useful.

When people leave a few comments on your blog, they develop an affinity with your brand which pays off when they are looking to make a purchase.

These users are also more likely to recommend your products/services to their friends and family.

On a typical static website, it is hard to share your business news, announcements, sales events, and more.

A blog on the other hand makes it super easy. In fact, you can get into more details, add context, and write more persuasive content.

For instance, if you are launching a Black Friday sale, you can promote it with a blog post. And then promote that blog post across your website with a floating header or footer banner.

You can make it more rewarding for your regular users and offer a special coupon code to your blog readers.

8. Helps You Improve Long Term SEO

A static website has fewer pages and even if they are ranking high you are still limited to a fixed set of keywords.

Adding a blog allows you to target related keywords and cover more ground by writing on different but related topics.

Over a period of time, you will have multiple posts ranking top on several keywords. Each of these pieces of content is like a soldier in your army.

If you properly optimize WordPress SEO with All in One SEO, then you can gradually build a whole army of content.

It not only helps you rank for secondary keywords with such authority even your home page and other pages start ranking higher.

9. Beat Competition in Organic Search Traffic

A big part of keyword research is to find out what keywords your competition is ranking for.

This helps you see which keywords bring them more business, and then you can just go ahead and create your own content targeting that keyword.

Having a blog provides you plenty of room to beat your competition in organic search traffic.

For more details, see our tutorial on how to do an SEO competitor analysis in WordPress.

10. Allows You to Educate Customers

When asked why they read blog posts, 33% of people said they wanted to learn something new.

Blog posts allow you to educate customers about different ways they can use your products.

You can utilize this opportunity to compare your product with competitors, showcase product features, inform users about benefits, and more.

This makes your blog posts highly valuable even for your existing customers. They can use blog articles to learn about new features that they may not be using.

Basically, it is an opportunity for you to provide real value to your users while promoting your products/services at the same time.

11. Build Additional Revenue Streams for Your Business

Blogs provide many opportunities to generate additional revenue for your business and make money online using your WordPress blog.

For instance, you can display ads in your blog posts using Google AdSense. You can also promote affiliate products and make money with affiliate marketing.

You can even use your blog to sell premium content using MemberPress or Easy Digital Downloads.

12. Helps You Learn Online Marketing

Adding a blog provides you with more opportunities to expand your marketing skills. You’ll have more content to promote which may be suitable for even more marketing channels.

For instance, you will find more opportunities to promote new posts on social media websites. You will also have more useful content to include in your newsletter.

As you explore different opportunities to promote each piece of content, you get to learn more marketing skills to reach new audiences.

13. Unlocks Partnerships and Opportunities for Growth

Blogs are a magnet to attract partnership opportunities to boost your business growth.

With all the activity going on with your blog, you will attract the attention of individuals and businesses looking for mutually beneficial opportunities.

For instance, new vendors may reach out to offer you better pricing or wholesale pricing, smaller shops may want to sell your products, large businesses may want to partner with you regionally, and more.

Similarly, if you sell services or just promoting your personal brand, then your blog may help you get the introduction to the right people. You’ll be able to gradually grow your network and influence.

14. Helps You Find Your Dream Job

Your blog may eventually lead you to find your dream job. Blogging is a popular tool to build a personal brand and promote your services and skills online.

You can show your passion, skills, and knowledge in your specific interests. This may get the attention of businesses looking for talented individuals like you.

Even if businesses don’t reach out to you, you can reach out to them. Your blog will help you see your interest, passion, and expertise in a more interesting way than a plain CV.

How to Get Started with Blogging Right Away

Getting started with a blog is quite easy.

First, you need to choose the right platform. We recommend using WordPress which is the world’s most popular blogging platform.

Now when we say WordPress, we mean WordPress.org and not WordPress.com.

See the difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com in our detailed comparison.

To start a WordPress.org blog, you’ll need a domain name and a hosting account.

Our friends at Bluehost are offering WPBeginner users a free domain name with a generous discount on hosting. Basically, you’ll be able to get started with just $2.75 per month.

→ Click Here to Claim This Exclusive Bluehost Offer ←

Once you have signed up for a domain name and hosting, Bluehost will automatically install WordPress for you.

Need more help? See our complete beginner’s guide on how to start a blog with step-by-step instructions.

We hope this article helped you learn why you should blog and the benefits of blogging. You may also want to see our list of popular online business ideas or take a look at our guide on starting an online store with your blog.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post Why Blog? 14 Benefits of Blogging in 2023 first appeared on WPBeginner.

March 1, 2019

What is a Blog and How is it Different from a Website? (Explained)

Often readers ask us about what is a blog, and how is it different from a website? If you are thinking about starting a blog or a website, then understanding these terms will help you meet your goals.

In this beginner’s guide, we will explain what is a blog and how is it different from a traditional website. We will also talk about usage scenarios, with real-world examples, and their benefits.

What is a Blog?

A blog is a type of website where the content is presented in reverse chronological order (newer content appear first). Blog content is often referred to as entries or “blog posts”.

Blogs are typically run by an individual or a small group of people to present information in a conversational style. However, now there are tons of corporate blogs that produce a lot of informational and thought-leadership style content.

Typical blog posts also have a comments section where users can respond to the article.

History of Blogs

Blogs evolved from online diaries and journals in the mid-90s. At that time, internet users were already running personal web pages where they published regular updates about their personal lives, thoughts, and social commentary.

The term web log was first used during the late 90s, which later became ‘weblog’, then ‘we blog’, and finally just ‘blog’.

Due to the growing number of such web pages, several tools started to appear, which made it easier for users to create online journals and blogs. These tools helped popularize blogging and made the technology accessible to non-technical users.

In 1999, the popular blogging website Blogger.com was launched, which was later acquired by Google in February 2003.

The same year, WordPress released its first version as a blogging platform in May 2003.

Today, WordPress is the world’s most popular blogging platform powering over 30% of all websites on the internet.

What is The Difference Between Blog and Website?

Blogs are a type of website. The only real difference between a blog and other types of website is that blogs are regularly updated with new content, which is displayed in reverse chronological order (newer posts first).

Typical websites are static in nature where content is organized in pages, and they are not updated frequently. Whereas a blog is dynamic, and it is usually updated more frequently. Some bloggers publish multiple new articles a day.

Blogs can be part of a larger website. Often businesses have a blog section where they regularly create content to inform and educate their customers.

You can use WordPress to create both, a website and blog, that’s why a lot of business owners use WordPress to build their small business website.

In simple terms, all blogs can be a website or part of a website. However, not all websites can be called blogs.

For example, WPBeginner is a blog and a website. Our website has other content which is published in a non-blog format like glossary, about us, and contact pages.

Now, let’s take a look at another example. This time a website called Awesome Motive. It is a business website and belongs to WPBeginner’s management company.

It does not have a blog or any content published in sequential order. It uses pages to organize and present information about a business and collects user feedback by adding a contact form.

You can also say that blogs have articles that are organized using categories and tags. On the other hand, websites use pages to organize and display content.

Blog or Website – Which One is Better?

As a beginner, you may be wondering whether you should start a blog or a website, which one is better? To be honest, the answer to this question really depends on what your goals are.

Many small businesses around the world have traditional websites made up of just pages and no blog. Such small websites are often made to create an informational web presence for a business, organization, or individual.

On the other hand, more and more businesses are realizing the potential of a blog in their marketing strategy. They are adding a separate blog section to their traditional websites and using it to get more traffic from search engines.

Take OptinMonster, it is a lead generation software and their website has traditional sales pages showcasing their product and its features.

They also have an informational blog where they teach users how to improve conversions and get more leads. This helps them cover their industry keywords to get free traffic from search engines and make more sales.

Even if you are a business, a non-profit organization, or a professional, adding a blog to your website can help you achieve your goals.

What is The Difference Between Blog Posts and Pages?

WordPress is the most popular blogging platform and a powerful content management system. By default, it comes with two content types: posts and pages. Often beginners get confused between the two.

Blog posts are displayed in a reverse chronological order (newest to oldest) on your blog page because they are timely content which means your users will have to dig deeper to view older posts.

Pages are static “one-off” type content such as your about page, contact page, products or services pages, home page, and more.

To learn more, see our beginner’s guide on the difference between posts and pages.

Pages are usually used to create a website structure and layout. Even blogs can have pages alongside them (See our list of important pages that every blog should have).

Why Do People Blog? What are The Benefits of Blogging?

Each individual blogger has their own motivation for blogging. Many of them use it as an alternative to keeping a diary or journal. Blogging provides them with a venue to share their creativity and ideas to a wider audience.

Top brands and businesses create blogs to educate their customers, share news, and reach a wider audience. Blogging is an essential part of online marketing strategy for many businesses.

Following are just a few benefits of blogging.

Provides an avenue to organize your thoughts and ideas
Allows you to showcase your skills, creativity, and talents
Help individuals become an authority in their industry
Helps you socialize with interesting like-minded people online
Many bloggers make money from their blogs using various monetization methods
Businesses use blogging to bring more potential customers to their websites
Non-profits can use blogs to raise awareness, run social media campaigns, and influence public opinion

What are Some Examples of Good Blogs?

Blogging is huge!

Millions of individuals and businesses from all over the world have blogs. This means that there are blogs on just about any topic you can think of.

Here are some good blogs that you can check out as an example. We have hand-picked the best blogs in different industries to give you an idea of how diverse blogs are.

1. Pinch of Yum

Pinch of Yum is one of the most popular food and recipe blogs online. Started by Lindsay, a high school teacher, the blog allowed her to quit her day job and become a full-time blogger.

2. WeTheParents

WeTheParents is a popular parenting blog run by Neve and Keane (the parents). They share parenting tips for moms and dads and while doing so they make money by earning commission on products they recommend.

3. We Wore What

Started by Danielle Bernstein, We Wore What is a popular fashion blog. With more than 1.5 Million followers, it covers everything from fashion to interior design to menswear.

4. Nerd Fitness

A fitness blog started by Steve Kamb, Nerd Fitness is dedicated to helping people stay fit. It provides fitness advice, motivation, support, diet and exercise tips.

5. Lost With Purpose

A popular travel blog run by Alex, who shares her journeys while offering travel tips, advice, and guides for other backpackers.

6. Tiny Buddha

Tiny Buddha is a personal development blog created by Lori Deschene. The blog publishes content on happiness, love, relationships, mindfulness, spirituality, simplicity, minimalism, letting go, and more.

There are many more great blogs out there on many different topics. See our list of the most popular types of blogs for some more ideas.

How Do Bloggers Make Money?

Usually, people think of bloggers as hobbyists. Some of them are, but a large number of bloggers make money from their blogs. This enables them to focus more on their blog, quit their day jobs, and build successful online businesses.

The more successful bloggers can make six-figure, seven-figure, and even eight-figure incomes from their blogs.

Below are a few ways that most bloggers use to make money from their blogs:

The most common and probably the easiest way to make money online is by displaying ads. However, as a new blogger, you will not be able to contact advertisers directly or manage them on your own.

This is where Google AdSense comes in. It takes care of finding ads, displaying them, collecting payments from advertisers, and sending you those payments for a small cut.

Many bloggers also make money through affiliate marketing. Basically, they recommend products on their websites and earn a commission when users buy those products.

Other common monetization methods include memberships, selling online courses, or adding an online store to the blog.

See our list of proven ways to make money online from your blog for some more examples.

We also have a list of “easy-to-start” online business ideas that you can check out.

Can Anyone Start a Blog?

Yes, anyone who wants to start a blog, can easily do so.

In the early days of blogging, users needed coding skills to even update their blogs. Now, there are plenty of tools that allow you to easily create a blog without ever writing code. If you can point-and-click, then you can build a blog within minutes.

Choosing the wrong blogging platform to start a blog is the most common mistake that beginners make. However, since you are here, you will not be making this mistake.

We recommend using WordPress. It is the world’s most popular blogging platform and website builder. Over 30% of all websites on the internet are built using WordPress, just so you can get an idea of how popular it is.

There are two types of WordPress: WordPress.com, which is a hosted solution, and WordPress.org also known as self-hosted WordPress. See our guide on the difference between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org for more details.

We recommend using WordPress.org because it gives you instant access to all WordPress features. It also allows you to easily make money from your blog without any restriction.

Want to learn more about WordPress? See our complete WordPress review for detailed breakdown of its features.

You will need the following things to start your own WordPress.org blog.

A domain name (This will be your blog’s address and what users will type in their browser to visit it. For example, wpbeginner.com)
Website hosting account (This will be home of your blog’s files)
20 minutes of your time

Normally, a domain name will cost you around $14.99 per year and website hosting $7.99 per month. Now if you are just starting out, this seems like a lot of money.

Thankfully, Bluehost has agreed to offer WPBeginner users a free domain and discount on hosting. They are one of the biggest hosting companies in the world and are officially recommended by WordPress.

Basically, you will be able to get started for $2.75 per month.