Ben Stroup

Blogging is tough. It’s hard work. And it’s never ending. But is it really worth it?

It’s a constant commitment to…

• Consistently read new content.
• Uncover the key influential blogs in your space.
• Accumulate new ideas for the posts that will intrigue, educate, inform, or enrage your readers.
• Publish on a regular, pre-defined schedule.

That’s why so many people jump off before (95% according to Technorati) they realize any significant benefit from blogging.

It’s understandable. People are busy and many senior level managers are still unsure if this maturing medium really “holds the gold” that it promises for those willing to do the hard work necessary to realize the benefits.

Consider this: Hubspot reports that people and brands committed to blogging saw a 4.2x increase in the number of leads within four months while reducing their lead costs by 60 percent.)

Why Blog?

• Blogging helps you clarify your ideas.
• Blogging provides evidence of your commitment to asking the same questions the reader is asking.
• Blogging creates a substantive content asset that search engines can use to connect people, brands, and organizations.

Where is the ROI in blogging?

• Define your goal. You need to understand what you want or expect from blogging before you can ever be able to identify any form of return on investment (ROI).
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Develop a publishing or content schedule to improve your organic search results in search engines, particularly Google.
• Conversions. Determine a way to systematically capture and monitor signs of engagement. You can’t expect blogging to live within the metrics of direct response marketing, but there are tools to help you measure the number of “likes,” retweets,” and mentions that you receive. These are the beginning signs of engagement and, ultimately, influence.

Blogging — in some ways — may be the most valued and overlooked channel of influence available to people with a platform and a message. For those who make the commitment and execute a plan with a “blue collar work ethic” as described in Outliers, it can become the catalyst for compelling conversations that move people to action.

What has been your experience with blogging? How has blogging shaped your social media habits?

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.