Consistently creating high-quality content helps increase website performance, allowing you to get more out of your digital marketing strategies. Giving visitors helpful information increases engagement, conversions, and leads.

So how do you create quality, goal-oriented content? Effective blogging requires the right platform, scheduling, research, and more. You also need to craft compelling headlines and copy to keep your audience engaged.

If you are ready to boost your digital marketing efforts, check out our answers to 15 of the most common questions about blogging.

1. Is blogging still effective in 2022?

According to a report from Demand Metric, 90% of businesses still use content marketing. 92% of content marketers rely on blogging as their primary form of content.

Some of the advantages of blogging include:

• Keep your audience updated

• Help drive more traffic to your site

• Gain feedback from your customers

• Grow your customer base

• Increase brand awareness and recognition

Over 400 million Internet users read about 20 billion blog posts each month. In fact, you’re reading a blog post right now, which shows you the importance of blogging.

2. How do I start blogging?

The first step for creating a blog is to decide where to host it. If you plan on creating a business blog, you can use your existing domain and website. You may even be able to use the same platform used to build your business site.

Another option is to use a sub-domain connected to a separate platform. For example, you could use WordPress to build a blog site that matches the look of your business site and link to it from the main menu. For those without an existing site, you need to choose web hosting, a domain name, and a blogging platform.

Shared web hosting is often the most affordable option. However, if your blog starts attracting thousands of visitors per week, you may need to upgrade to dedicated server hosting or VPS hosting.

Most hosting plans also include free domain name registration for one year. When picking a name, remember to keep it simple. Use a short, memorable name that’s related to the topic of your blog posts.

You also need a blogging platform. While WordPress, Wix, and others offer easy-to-use dashboards and access to a variety of plugins, a custom solution can help you stand out from other blogs.

3. What are the characteristics of a successful blog?

You don’t need to be a professional writer to write an engaging, helpful blog post. You just need to take the time to research, write and edit your content. A quality blog post should include the following characteristics:

• Real value to readers

• Easy-to-read content structure

• Embedded images or video

• No major grammar mistakes

Above all else, make sure that readers learn something from your blog post. Offering real value is how you connect with your readers, which is essential for growing your audience. You should also make your content readable. Try to use short sentences and paragraphs. You should also break up the content with subheadings and images or videos to make the page easier to scan.

After writing your content, check it for grammar mistakes. Using the built-in spellchecker in your word processing software should help catch most errors. However, it’s also a good idea to reread the post yourself. You may catch a few issues that help you improve the flow of the content.

4. What are the most popular types of blog posts?

Most blogs feature a variety of formats, as some types of posts may work better with certain types of content. A few of the most common types of blog posts include:

• Listicles

• How-to articles

• Reviews

• Pillar pages

Listicles are blog posts containing a list of content. Listicles, such as this blog post, are useful for FAQs and making complex information easier to digest.

How-to articles provide step-by-step instructions on how to complete a task. Businesses may use how-to articles to instruct customers on how to use their products or services.

Reviews are often used by personal bloggers as a form of affiliate marketing. Product reviews explain the features, pros, and cons of specific products, helping readers make more informed buying decisions.

Pillar pages are used to demonstrate your knowledge on a topic, allowing you to establish yourself as an authority in your industry. Pillar pages are often lengthy posts with in-depth information that covers almost every aspect of a specific topic.

5. What should I blog about?

Coming up with ideas for new blog posts is one of the most challenging parts of blogging, especially when you first start creating content. Start by thinking about the type of blog, such as business or personal.

According to Wix, the most popular types of blogs in 2021 were food blogs, travel blogs, and health and fitness blogs. These types of blogs are typically personal blogs, written by someone who has experience with the topic. How-to articles and reviews are commonly used on personal blogs to share expertise.

Business blogs should include posts that are relevant to the industry and helpful to customers. Think about the types of questions that customers frequently ask. Address those questions using detailed blog posts. Sharing helpful information is one of the fundamental aspects of blogging.

No matter the type of blog, you can gain content ideas through a variety of sources, including social media and keyword research. Pay attention to social media activity related to your products or industry to find out what people are talking about. You can also use keyword research to discover the most popular search queries.

6. How often should I post new content?

According to the experts, most small businesses publish new blog posts one to four times per week. The frequency of your schedule depends on what you think you can keep up with. For example, you shouldn’t try to publish four blogs per week unless you think you can consistently create at least four new posts per week.

Consistency is often more important compared to frequency. If you consistently post one new blog post each week, visitors become accustomed to your release schedule. Maintaining a consistent schedule is easier when scheduling the publication of new blogs in advance. Before you start posting, build up a reserve of blog posts to cover two to three weeks of new content.

For example, if you plan on publishing new content twice per week, create four to six blog posts and mark their publication dates on an editorial calendar. An editorial calendar allows you to keep your schedule organized, assign tasks to writers or editors, and come up with ideas for new posts.

7. How do I optimize blog posts for SEO?

Search engine optimization (SEO) helps your blog posts climb the search rankings, which increases organic traffic. Luckily, optimizing your blog posts isn’t too difficult. Here are a few tips to remember:

• Perform keyword research

• Write for a human audience

• Answer questions directly

Start by performing keyword research. Find a keyword that you want to rank for and make it the focus of the blog post. Don’t stuff the keyword into the content but try to include it naturally here and there. Write for a human audience instead of the search engines.

You should also answer the main question that you want to address with clear, direct language toward the start of the post. Providing the most helpful information at the start of the post hooks your readers and boosts your SEO.

8. What is the optimal length for a post?

The average length of a blog post seems to increase each year, as bloggers attempt to outdo each other by providing more in-depth content. According to the team at HubSpot, the ideal length for a blog post is between 2100 and 2400 words. However, you don’t need to start creating lengthy blog posts right away.

Focus on delivering quality over quantity. Take the time to provide your audience with relevant, accurate information. You can always go back and update a blog post, which is a common SEO practice. Updating older blog posts with new content allows you to expand the length and capitalize on its existing search rankings.

9. How should I respond to comments?

Try to respond to all comments as quickly as you can. Answering questions within one or two days shows that you actively manage your blog and pay attention to your visitors. You should also respond to positive feedback with a thank you and try to resolve negative comments.

10. What is the best way to promote a blog?

Social media remains the best way to promote a blog in 2022. Over 50% of the world’s population actively uses at least one social media platform. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are the big three that most businesses use to promote their blogs.

You can also use paid advertising to attract visitors. Paid ads offer instant results but tend to provide fewer conversions compared to social media traffic.

11. How long does It take to build an audience?

It may take six months or longer for your blog posts to gain traction and build a loyal following. As with SEO, blogging doesn’t provide results overnight. You need to keep at it even when you don’t get the results that you want. Each new blog post helps you attract more visitors if you stay focused on your goals.

12. Can I still make money blogging?

Blogging can provide a source of income for those who are willing to put in the work. You have a variety of options for monetizing your blog posts, including displaying advertisements on your site or promoting other products through affiliate marketing.

13. How do I convert blog visitors into leads?

You should first release that most visitors will visit your site once and not come back. Across all industries, the average conversion rate is about 2.35%, which means that the typical page converts about 2.35 visitors out of 100.

Instead of attempting to convert visitors into customers, try to capture their email addresses. Give visitors quality content with the promise of continuing to deliver helpful information. For example, you can include an email newsletter sign-up form in a sidebar or the bottom of the blog post. Remind visitors that signing up ensures that they never miss out on your latest posts.

14. How do I find my blog analytics?

Depending on the blogging platform that you use, you may gain access to analytics from your user dashboard. However, most webmasters use third-party analytics tools, such as Google Analytics. With third-party analytics platforms, you typically need to add a snippet of code to your pages or verify ownership of the domain hosting the blog posts.

Analytics tools track various metrics to help you monitor the performance of your blogs and better understand your visitors. You can view overall blog visits, traffic sources, top-viewed posts, and other helpful information.

15. How do you measure the effectiveness of a blog?

Measuring the effectiveness of a blog depends on your goals. If you want to increase brand awareness, you should pay attention to total visits. If you’re trying to gain customers, track conversion rates and social shares.

The bounce rate provides a general idea of whether people find your content helpful. A high bounce rate indicates that your blog may suffer from usability issues or a lack of quality content. If your blog posts have bounce rates above 50%, you may need to revise your content and check your site for errors.

Conclusion

Blogging is beneficial for almost any business in any industry. Whether you run a small local shop or a global enterprise, blogs help you connect with your intended clients. Providing visitors with informative content builds trust and gives them a reason to come back.

Practice is the key to increasing the effectiveness of your blogs. Continue to release new content and monitor the results. Pay attention to what works and what doesn’t to continually improve. Above all else, remember to write as if you’re speaking to your audience instead of trying to write for search engines. Writing naturally is good SEO.

You now have answers to some of the most common questions about blogging. Yet, you’re likely to have a few questions of your own. Feel free to send us a question and we’ll give you the right advice.