9 Ideas You Can Steal From These Blogging Stats

This isn’t your typical bucket list of stats.

Those are overwhelming. And often out of context.

We’re going to do something a little special. Sort of like paint by numbers, except without the paint. We’re going to explore 9 facts that impact you – even if you don’t realize they do – and you can:

0. Stop reading. Yup, that’s always an option.

1. See why they’ll make you a better blogger.

2. Learn how to implement them to pimp out your blog.

3. Share them if you want remarkable content.

Wait, why?

Facts, stats and data show your readers you know what you’re talking about. They’re a great way to establish your online authority and give you street cred because they back up what you’re saying.

This is the trifecta of blogging stats.

Let’s begin.

The World Is Big

There are 5.1 billion searches on Google every day.  >> Tweet this <<

SOURCE: Statistic Brain

THE SKINNY: I’m almost certain people are looking for what you do. If your blog isn’t generating enough traffic, chances are it’s not because your customers aren’t looking, it’s because they can’t find you.

TAKE ACTION: It’s time to fix that. How? Start with your blogging strategy – you can see how to implement a practical one here.

Every 2 days we create as much information as the entire amount we created before 2003.  >> Tweet this <<

SOURCE: TechCrunch

THE SKINNY: There is more content now than ever before.

TAKE ACTION: Make yours great. If that means creating less and promoting more, do it.

USE IT: You can use this fact as a promise that you’ll create great stuff for your readers and customers.

For example, you can say something like, “I know we create more information every 2 days than the entire amount of content we created before 2003. I promise my blog will be worth reading. [Then enter a strong Call To Action].”

Anatomy Of The Perfect Blog Post

The average person reads 300 words per minute.   >> Tweet this << 

SOURCE: Forbes

THE SKINNY: As a blogger, you should know as much about your readers as possible. Starting with how fast they read and how much they want to consume.

TAKE ACTION: Since the average adult zips through your post at 300 words/minute, you need to make sure it’s simple and easy to understand. If you’re too complex, instead of slowing their reading speed they’ll leave.

USE IT: If your post is 791 words, it will take someone 2.6 minutes to read. You can start your post by saying, “Make sure your coffee’s hot because we’re going to spend the next 2.6 minutes (yes, 2.6) diving into [enter topic here].”

Remember to link to the 2.6 to the Forbes reference, so they know you’re not making the numbers up.

p.s. The fastest person in the world can read at 4,700 words per minute! >> Tweet this <<

The average webpage that ranks on the 1st page of Google has over 2,000 words.  >> Tweet this <<

SOURCE: QuickSprout

THE SKINNY: You’re a blogger. The ideal length to be showcased on Google’s homepage is something you should know.

TACK ACTION: There’s a lot of data suggesting Google likes longer posts. But, if your post is boring I won’t get past the 1st 100 words. And when I leave, chances are you’ll lose me forever.

If you’re going to write an average of 2,000 words, make them count.

If you can’t, please don’t. Write for your audience. If people resonate with what you say, they’ll share it and your readership will build organically. Google search is only one way to find readers. Here are 10 more. 

Only 16% of people read your blog post word for word.   >> Tweet this <<

SOURCE: Nielsen Group

THE SKINNY: Understanding how your customers consume what you say is vital to your success as a blogger.

TAKE ACTION: Break your post up with headings, like we do in this one. Your customers will miss almost everything you say without them.

Rise Of The Inbox

We send more than 294,000,000,000 emails every day.   >> Tweet this <<  

SOURCE: Vero

THE SKINNY: The average person receives 72 emails a day. So, if you send emails, think about how great they have to be. Yes, great.

I made that mistake early on with Spokal.

I thought we could create the best weekly email for small business owners by curating and sharing top articles from the social web. But it wasn’t working. We didn’t have the resources to do that and maintain the quality our subscribers love. So we started sharing things that were just okay. And they stopped reading our emails.

So we changed.

Now we send out one action item for you to do that will improve how you market their business online, in 15 minutes or less. If we don’t have something to say, we don’t send anything. As a result, our engagement increased. 

TAKE ACTION: If you send an email to subscribers on a regular basis, take a few minutes to analyze if it’s working. Be honest. If your open rates and click through rates are declining, it might be time to put a fresh spin on things.

Looking for a place to start? Here’s a fantastic blog that will show you how to send emails that your customers will love. 

USE IT: In reference to inviting readers to signup for your emails, you can say something like, “I know most of us receive 72 emails a day. But trust me, this is one you don’t want to miss!”

Why Most Bloggers Fail

There are more than 164 million blogs. More than 50% are inactive.   >> Tweet this <<

SOURCE: Social Triggers

THE SKINNY: There are millions of inactive blogs.

Why?

Because most people quit within the first 3 months. It’s easier to start and stop a blog than to push through until it’s great.

TAKE ACTION: Be the person who preserves. Many bloggers with tons of traffic today have been doing it for years. Keep writing.

p.s. Afraid you’re on the inactive train? Check out this amazing post about why bloggers fail and what you can do about it, written by one of my favourite bloggers, Derek Halpern. 

Marketing Automation

The average company with 100 employees has a marketing team of 11 people.   >> Tweet this <<

SOURCE: Duke University + AMA via HubSpot

THE SKINNY: Why is this good news for you?

These companies spend roughly 11% of their human resources on marketing. If you’re like the average small business owner, you spend 5 hours a week. Say you work 40 hours a week (I know, most of you do more), that’s roughly 12.5% of your time.

So, you spend the same ratio of your company’s time on marketing as they do.

Why does this matter?

You don’t need a huge team to succeed. It’s not the size of the marketing department, it’s how effective it is. The average company makes that 11% of their time worthwhile. And you can too. The secret is marketing automation.

TAKE ACTION: Set up a marketing automation plan.

• Start by reading this post.
  

• Then list all the marketing activities you do (including your blog, social media and group emails) and see if there are tools you can use to streamline the process. For example: 
  
  Do you use a service to determine which keywords you’re most likely to rank for, and therefore should blog about?
  
  Do you use a plugin to automatically share your post on your social networks?
  
  Do you use a platform to measure all the results of your inbound marketing efforts, so you know what to do next?
  

• Not sure how to do this? Sign up below for the weekly Spat and be the first to read “The Only Automation Resources You’ll Ever Need” when it goes live, which translates the above into a plan, like what we did with The Practical Guide To Creating A Blogging Strategy That Actually Works.

• In the meantime, you can also give our baby Spokal a free test drive, which does everything we mentioned above, and more, all in one place.
  

• You can also check out our interview on the The Small business Success Show if you want to see how marketing automation and content marketing fit into the bigger picture of how to get customers online.
  

Mobile Is (Finally) King

More of us will use our phones to access the internet than our computers by 2014.   >> Tweet this <<

SOURCE: Smart Insights

THE SKINNY: If you’re not using responsive web design by next year, more of your customers will be accessing a dead site than a live one. Or more specifically, a site that isn’t optimized, giving them a greater chance to leave.

This applies to email templates too!

TAKE ACTION: Make the switch. Then tell your customers.

USE IT: You can say something like this in an email, “Since more of you will be using your phones to go online than your computers in the next 4 months, we launched a mobile friendly version of our site, just for you. Check it out on your phone or tablet and let us know what you think!”

Lessons From PreSchool

Nestle stopped making blue Smarties in 2006 because they couldn’t find a natural blue dye.  >> Tweet This <<

SOURCE: The Guardian

THE SKINNY: They started making them again in 2008 when they found a natural dye that worked, because there was so much demand to bring the popular colour back.

Even the biggest brands in the world can change. And change again.

TAKE ACTION: If your blog isn’t working, change it. Maybe you need a more niched focus? A more effective promotion strategy? A better lead nurturing process?

If what you’re doing still isn’t working, change it again. Work relentlessly to create content your readers will love. Remember the story of the blue Smartie, and keep going.

Blogging Stats Wrap Up

Don’t be boring. << Tweet this >>

Please.

You can achieve all the goals of your blog while being interesting and entertaining. In fact, some believe it’s nearly impossible to grow your readership without it.

As Jon Morrow, one of the top guest bloggers in the world, always reminds us, “People read blogs because they want to be entertained.” So, go ahead. Entertain your readers. They’re waiting.