253: Should You Blog?

The Startup Chat with Steli and Hiten

In today’s episode, Steli and Hiten discuss the need to start a blog. Hiten is often asked if it’s wise to start a blog and how to begin the process. Blogging can generate an online presence for one’s products and services, but does that mean it will benefit every kind of business? Steli and Hiten address this question and more. Tune-in to find out if you’re cut out for creating a blog and the scenarios for which a blog may not be worth it for you.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 00:26 – Today’s topic: the need to start a blog
• 01:18 – “You don’t need to have a blog”
• 01:25 – Hiten believes that everyone thinks they need to have a blog because everyone else is blogging
• 01:47 – People build their products’ online presence via a blog
• 02:07 – There is also potential Google search traffic they can get from their blog posts
• 02:56 – Steli started their blog in 2013
• 03:43 – If you can write one post a week to build your brand, then you can create a blog
• 04:10 – If you see the SEO opportunity from Google search traffic, then you should definitely go for it—just remember, it takes time
• 04:45 – There are other options available aside from having a blog
• 05:00 – Not everyone needs a blog
  • 05:16 – “Most blogs just suck”
• 05:35 – Steli thinks that if you start your blog from a brand perspective, you can get the SEO benefits over the long-term
  • 05:58 – They don’t really need to create compelling content, just something for Google to read certain keywords
• 07:08 – Fundamentally, people start their blog because of the benefits of the blog, but they miss out on writing something others would really want to read
• 07:40 – There are blogs out there that only exist for the SEO
• 08:20 – If your blog stands out, you can build your blog faster and get more organic followers and readers
• 08:57 – Some of Steli’s blogs are evergreen that are still driving organic traffic up until now
  • 09:24 – Generating traffic for your blog is an incremental thing
• 09:41 – The hardest part of starting a blog is keeping it going (being consistent with your posts)
  • 10:30 – There’s NO quick success for blogging
• 11:05 – For starting a blog, check out Episode 68 as a reference
• 12:30 – Blogging is the MVP for Steli
• 12:40 – If you have started a blog, ask people for their feedback on how to improve it
• 13:20 – If you’re not excited about having a blog, then it’s not for you
• 13:48 – Leave a review and rating for Startup Chat

3 Key Points:

1. Blogging isn’t for everyone—if you’re not excited about it and can’t commit to its growth, just don’t do it.
2. Most blogs aim to rank high in Google search traffic. This makes their brand or service known in the online world.
3. Blogging is a long-term play for marketing—you need to commit to it and expect at least 6 months of time to see any traction.

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