Customers Actually Want to Read Your Business Blog

Have you ever wondered exactly how your business benefits from its blog, or if the time dedicated to developing content is even worth it?

Well, if you have, you’re in luck: a recent WP Engine study sheds light on this topic, uncovering just how useful company blogs are.

The WP Engine survey indicates that the majority of Americans (62%) want to see content directly from their favorite brands. In addition, nearly half of survey respondents (46%) indicated that they read the blogs of their favorite brands.

These statistics emphasize the obvious need for a direct channel between consumers and companies. And regardless if you’re a small startup or a multinational company, blogging is a useful (and necessary) part of content strategy.

A blog is the personification of a company. It possesses the innate ability to provide direct benefits to the brand. But as many of you are aware (thanks to Spiderman) with great power comes great responsibility. So, while having a company blog helps build trust, increase visibility, humanize the company, generate leads, and more, you have an inherent responsibility to produce relevant, interesting content.

The blog has come a long way since the early 90s when people used it to keep a running account of their personal lives. While at that time, the idea of a company blog was unheard of, now companies are in the minority if they don’t blog, according to a HubSpot.com survey. The survey also indicates that out of 85% of businesses who rated their company blog as useful, important, or critical, 27% indicated that their blog is critical to their business.

In addition, the HubSpot survey found that blog channels are generating real customers, as a whopping 57% of companies using blogs reported that they acquired customers from leads generated directly from their blog.

This trend mirrors the findings in the WP Engine study. In addition to consumers frequenting the blogs of their favorite brands, nearly half of consumers (48%) said that it is important for brands to produce content on their blog for reasons such as:

• It provides consumers with the most up to date information – 32%
• It gives consumers a more personal connection with the company – 16%
• It gives brands a voice – 15%

All of these attributes add to the greater initiative of attracting leads and generating customers. Additionally, these statistics illustrate the versatility of company blogs. It seems that while most consumers visit company blogs for current business-related info, others are actually interested in seeing the “human side” of a company.

If the benefits of having a company blog aren’t convincing enough, perhaps the implications of not having one will reaffirm their significance.

The WP Engine survey indicates that nearly half of consumers (40%) said that there are negative effects if brands do not produce content on their blogs, including:

• The brand loses communication with its customers – 19%
• The brand may lose customers to its competitors – 16%
• The brand looks lazy – 12%
• The brand becomes less relevant – 10%

Company blogs are an effective and (relatively) low-cost way to establish relationships with consumers. Blogs give businesses an opportunity to share updates, build trust, and stay relevant. Having a blog is not only beneficial to a company, it’s essential.  “It’s never been more important for brands to stay relevant by producing their own content,” said Heather Brunner. “Consumers demand content and the research shows that even with various outlets they can go to, consumers still want to hear directly from the brands. It’s important for companies to share their thoughts as it gives them a personal touch with their customers allowing more meaningful conversations to arise.”