I’ve updated this post for 2019. Check out the new version now.
Want better results from your blog in 2018? You can’t settle for doing exactly what you did last year. However, you also don’t need to do more of what you did last year. Instead, focus on tweaking your blogging strategy so that it matches what works in 2018, not what worked in 2015, 2010, or 2000 (yikes!). What’s part of a winning blogging strategy this year? Take a look at these five 2018 blogging trends.
Want more blog traffic, email subscribers, clients, or customers? Learn how to craft blog posts that convert.
Download my free blog post template + example.
1. Sharing better content but less often
A lot of people with small- or medium-sized businesses think they need to match the blogging frequencies of big brands. But unless you have a team of dedicated content developers to produce and promote content all day long, this just isn’t feasible. More importantly, though, it’s not the best way to optimize your blogging results.
Instead of trying to publish a new blog post every day or multiple times a week, choose a frequency that allows you to consistently create high-quality content. It’s what all the savvy entrepreneurs who are following this 2018 blogging trend are doing. You’re much better off publishing better content but less frequently. After all, it’s high-quality content that’s going to help you stand out among your competitors.
Related:
- 7 quick and simple ways to improve a blog post + free checklist
- How to make a blog writing schedule you can stick to
2. Even greater use of video
The growing use of video is a 2018 blogging trend that shouldn’t be a surprise to you. Video content has been growing in popularity for a while now. And instead of cooling down, it’s only continuing to heat up. In fact, video is so popular that YouTube now has 1.5 billion monthly users who spend an average of one hour on the platform every day. That’s why adding video content to your blog is one of the best ways to get results.
Don’t have any prior experience with video? Don’t worry. These days, you don’t need to have fancy equipment or be a professional actor to create videos that are valuable to your audience. Need some ideas for getting your feet wet? Try recording an instructional video, a product demo, or even a behind-the-scenes look at your brand.
3. Posting authentic content
How many times have you seen an Instagram post or Pinterest pin about how to make $10,000/month from blogging or $20,000 from a single webinar? If you’re active on social media, it’s probably been too many times to count.
Many of these posts outline a “winning” process or series of strategies that helped an entrepreneur or blogger achieve an impressive result. They implicitly claim that if you implement these strategies, you’ll experience the same success.
Although these people may, indeed, have experienced the success described in these posts, what worked for them may not work for everyone. More importantly, though, these posts give the impression that entrepreneurship is all about achieving extreme success. That’s why a key 2018 blogging trend is to create blog posts that are more authentic. These posts acknowledge the realities of entrepreneurship and discuss the inevitable failures everyone experiences at some point.
Related: How to really give your blog posts personality
Want more blog traffic, email subscribers, clients, or customers? Learn how to craft blog posts that convert.
Download my free blog post template + example.
4. Rethinking engagement
Engagement on blogs used to mean getting readers to leave comments at the bottom of blog posts. This made sense many years ago because it was the only way to engage with a blogger or a piece of content (without emailing him or her).
However, now that social media is a world of its own, comments on blog posts have declined. They’ve been replaced by social shares, likes, and follows. Implement this 2018 blogging trend by adding social share and social follow buttons on your blog that make it easy for your fans to share your posts on social media and follow you outside your blog.
Related: The 5 best social media platforms for promoting your blog
5. Having a solid blogging strategy
This last 2018 blogging trend isn’t about what you share on your blog. It’s about how you do it. Many businesses blog haphazardly because they don’t have a well-defined blogging strategy. If you’re one of these businesses, you may have been able to get by with this in the past. However, with the amount of content that’s published each day, you can’t afford to be anything but intentional if you want results from your blog.
Optimize the return you get from your blog in 2018 by taking the time to create a solid blogging strategy. Consider what you’re going to blog about, who you’re blogging for, how often you’re going to publish content, how you’ll promote it, and how you’ll repurpose and update old content. And as always, base your strategy on information you can extract from your blog analytics. Find out who your audience is and what kinds of content they like so you can create future posts accordingly.
Related:
- 9 things to do after you publish your next blog post + free checklist
- 9 strategic ways to repurpose blog posts + blogging tool list
- 7 ways to increase blog traffic by updating old blog posts + free SEO ebook
What to learn from these 2018 blogging trends
As you can see, getting results from your blog in 2018 doesn’t mean driving yourself crazy by trying to publish more posts and create increasingly complex content. It’s about being strategic, prioritizing consistent quality over quantity, and producing the type of blog content your audience wants. These are the 2018 blogging trends that will help you boost traffic to your blog; build a loyal tribe; and convert visitors into subscribers, clients, and customers.
Want more blog traffic, email subscribers, clients, or customers? Learn how to craft blog posts that convert.
Download my free blog post template + example.
