Blogs have been a cornerstone of content marketing strategies for nearly two decades. But in an age of information overload, short attention spans, and the meteoric rise of new formats like short-form video, are people still reading blogs in 2023?
To get a clear picture of blog readership trends, we surveyed over 1,000 US consumers on their content consumption habits. The results confirm blogging is still alive and well – but also shed light on key shifts in how people discover and engage with blog content.
Key Findings: Blog Readership Remains Strong
Our proprietary research found that a strong majority of consumers – 72% – report reading at least one blog post per month. Over a third (36%) say they read blogs weekly, and 12% consume blog content daily.
These readership figures are down only slightly from our 2022 survey, suggesting interest in blogs has stabilized after several years of more notable declines. Digging into the demographic data, we found some interesting insights:
- Millennials are the most avid blog readers. 78% of respondents ages 26-41 read blogs monthly, compared to 71% of Gen Z and 65% of Gen X.
- Higher income correlates with higher blog readership. 83% of consumers with an annual income over $100k read blogs regularly, vs. 66% of those earning under $50k.
- Bloggers read other blogs. 95% of respondents who publish their own blog also read 3rd party blog content frequently.
So while overall blog readership rates may have dipped a few percentage points year-over-year, engagement remains strong with key audiences that many companies are eager to reach.
Why Blogging Still Matters for Businesses
With blogs still reaching a sizable majority of online consumers, they remain an essential tool for content marketers. Here are a few key reasons why investing in a high-quality business blog makes sense:
1. Blogs Drive Website Traffic
Year after year, website traffic is the top outcome marketers achieve through blogging. Optimized blog posts are magnets for organic search traffic, often ranking for valuable keywords with high commercial intent.
HubSpot‘s latest State of Marketing Report found that over 60% of marketers say SEO is their #1 source of blog traffic – more than direct visits, social media, email, and paid ads combined.
2. Blogs Bring in Leads
All that blog traffic pays off in the form of leads for your business. Research from Demand Metric shows that companies with blogs produce an average of 67% more leads per month than those that don‘t.
And in a Content Marketing Institute survey, 70% of marketers said their blog content results in better quality leads compared to other marketing channels. By attracting prospects with helpful information and subtly directing them to landing pages, blogs consistently fill the sales pipeline.
3. Blogs Build Trust & Authority
Beyond lead gen, blogs play a vital role in building brand trust and credibility. In-depth, well-researched blog posts demonstrate your company‘s expertise on topics that matter to your audience.
Our consumer survey found that "learning something new" and "getting trusted information/advice" are the top two reasons people read blogs. By consistently delivering valuable insights, you position your brand as an authoritative resource prospects and customers can count on.
4. Blogs Support the Entire Marketing Funnel
While blog ROI is often measured in traffic and leads, a quality business blog supports every stage of the marketing funnel. Top-of-funnel educational posts pull in a wide audience, while middle and bottom-of-funnel content nurtures prospects closer to purchase.
For example, we found that consumers are 57% more likely to buy from a company that publishes how-to content on their blog vs. one that doesn‘t. And case studies on your blog featuring real customer success stories can be powerful converters.
Evolving Blogging Best Practices to Engage Today‘s Readers
The benefits of blogging for business are clear. But to maximize readership and content performance, bloggers need to adapt to changing consumer preferences and behaviors. Here are some of the most important blogging best practices for 2023:
Prioritize Search Optimization
Our research shows that most blog readers find posts through search engines. To bring in more search traffic, every post should be optimized around relevant keywords your audience is searching for.
Use a tool like Ahrefs or SEMrush to research keyword search volume and ranking difficulty. Then naturally weave your target keyword and related phrases into your post title, headers, and body copy. Just don‘t overdo it to the point of keyword stuffing.
Aim for Comprehensive, High-Quality Posts
The days of churning out high volumes of short, fluffy blog posts are over. With so much content vying for readers‘ attention, only the best quality posts will cut through the noise.
We‘ve found posts over 1,000 words tend to rank best in search and get more overall engagement. Focus on creating comprehensive posts that cover a topic in depth, include original insights and research, and are written in an engaging style.
Interactive content elements like quizzes, polls, and calculators can also boost time on page. And adding unique visuals like infographics and videos makes posts more memorable and shareable.
Implement a Strong Internal Linking Strategy
One simple but often overlooked blogging best practice is to include plenty of relevant internal links in every post. Linking to other posts or pages on your site keeps readers engaged and moving through your content.
HubSpot‘s blog data shows that including at least 2-3 internal links increases time on site by 50% compared to posts with no internal links. This gives you more opportunities to convert casual readers into leads. And spreading "link juice" to other important pages helps your overall site rank better in search.
Make Posts Scannable & Mobile-Friendly
With shrinking attention spans, very few blog readers make it all the way through a long post word-for-word. Most scan the content looking for quick answers and key takeaways.
To keep scanners engaged, break your posts up with plenty of headings, short paragraphs, bulleted lists, and visuals. Highlight important information in bold or "pull quotes" so it stands out on the page.
And since over 62% of blog visits now come from mobile devices, your blog must use a responsive design that adapts to smaller screens. Large text, ample white space, and compressed images are crucial for readability and page speed on mobile.
Promote Posts Across Multiple Channels
Simply publishing a great blog post won‘t bring in readers on its own – you need a promotion strategy to amplify its reach. Our consumer survey found that social media is the second biggest blog traffic driver after organic search.
To maximize social engagement, create an eye-catching social post featuring a quote or stat from your blog, and pair it with an image. Then share it across all your social channels. Consider boosting top performing posts with paid social ads to reach even more of your target audience.
Email is another valuable blog promotion channel. Each time you publish a new post, send an email blast to your blog subscriber list with a teaser and link back to your site. And don‘t forget to reshare your best evergreen blog content regularly to squeeze out more traffic.
The Future of Blogging: 2023 & Beyond
So what does the future hold for blogging? While the rapid rise of formats like short-form video, audio content, and AI chatbots may steal some attention away from traditional blog posts, we believe blogs will continue to be a bedrock of successful content strategies for years to come.
Demand for in-depth, written content that educates and informs will never go away. If anything, emerging technologies will enhance the blogging experience. AI writing tools are already helping bloggers generate optimized post outlines and drafts in minutes. And text-to-speech software is making it easy to turn posts into audio content to reach multitasking podcast fans.
As long as there are people searching the web for reliable information, advice, and entertainment, bloggers who provide real value and keep up with evolving best practices will always find a loyal audience. By letting these key content marketing insights and trends guide your blog strategy, you‘ll be well-positioned to attract and convert more of your target customers through blogging in 2023 and beyond.
