Ben Stroup

I’ve helped several business clients recently launch a blog. I make it very clear that a commitment to blogging is not something that is rewarded immediately. Companies who are used to seeing immediate results from marketing investments like direct mail marketing or direct response marketing are often frustrated by the fact that there is a delay between amassing a critical number of blog posts and results (i.e. leads generated).

In response to this, I generally counsel my clients to write 20-50 posts before “going public” with their blog. I offer several reasons:

• People who visit your blog for the first time need to have a sense of confidence that you’re not a “one hit wonder.”
• Readers want evidence that you’re committed to the subject matter.
• Google rewards consistent, regular content production.

Hubspot has emerged as guiding voice in the content marketing world. They recently published their own research that determined the optimal number of blog posts it takes before leads start to generate from a blogging effort. According to their research, the “magic” number is 20.

Personally, I think that number is a little low. But it should be encouraging to those businesses, organizations, and causes looking to start blogging for the first time but are intimidated by the idea that so many have been blogging for years. Many new to the blogosphere wonder if their efforts will be in vain.

Hubspot reports:

The blog usage also has a positive impact on the creation of leads. Whether we take into account B2B or B2C businesses, the use of blogs brings favorable impact on lead generation. According to HubSpot, marketers with blogs generate 67% more leads. So, if you want to get great lead results, create a blog. A critical number of articles can go a long way in attracting visitors to your site.

Businesses can only afford to invest in marketing that generates leads, cultivates leads, or converts leads into clients. Blogging is clearly an effective, proven channel to accomplish those goals.

What’s been your experience? Has your blogging efforts generated leads for you?

Ben Stroup is a content activist in a post-paragraph world. He is chief broker of opportunity at Ben Stroup Enterprises. Connect with Ben via email, Twitter, and Google+. Subscribe via email to learn how to use content to move people to action.