I get the same question at least once a week: “Do people actually read blog posts anymore?”
The short answer: no.
The long answer: despite that uncomfortable truth, blog posts aren’t useless. In fact, they might be the hardest-working piece of content in your entire marketing strategy (IF you’re doing them well).
Here’s the thing nobody tells you when you’re agonizing over whether writing that next blog post is actually important: you’re asking the wrong question. The question isn’t whether people read blog posts. The question is whether blog posts deliver results for your business.
And yes, they do. Just not in the way you might think.
The Uncomfortable Truth About Blog Traffic
Let me be brutally honest for a second. Most of your blog posts will not get thousands of readers. They won’t go viral. They probably won’t even crack triple digits.
If you’re measuring success purely by views, you’re going to be disappointed.
But here’s what I’ve learned after years of writing blog content for myself and my clients: views are a vanity metric. What actually matters is whether your blog posts are working as part of a larger system.
And that’s where things get interesting.
8 Ways Blog Posts Earn Their Keep (Even If Nobody’s Reading Them)
1. They’re the Foundation of Your Entire Content Ecosystem
Think of a blog post as the anchor point for everything else you create.
You write one solid 1000-word blog post, and suddenly you have the raw material for a week’s worth of social content, a YouTube video script, newsletter segments, and maybe even a case study that demonstrates your approach in action.
This is where marketing strategy comes in. It’s not about working harder; it’s about working smarter.
Our whole Lead Flow Framework is based on this simple truth: you don’t have to spend as much time creating content as you think.
One blog post can become ten other pieces of content, instantly leveraging your efforts.
2. They Make You Discoverable in Ways You Can’t Control
Here’s something wild that’s been happening lately: our clients are being found through AI search tools.
Google is not the only place people go to look for businesses anymore. AI platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity can scan the web for well-written, well-organized content and serve it up when people ask questions. They can even recommend your business.
If your content is clear, structured, and genuinely helpful, these tools will find it. Google’s AI will pull snippets from it. Search engines you’ve never heard of will index it. Our approach to SEO blogging shows you exactly how to create content that serves both human readers and search algorithms.
The trick here is to remember that you’re writing for an end reader, not an AI or search engine, but that AI or search engine will probably be the bridge between you and your end audience. So make sure it’s meaningful for readers.
3. They Signal That You’re Serious About Your Work
Picture this: you’re considering hiring someone for a significant project. You check out their website. Their last blog post is from 2021.
What story does that tell?
Now imagine their blog has fresh content from this month. And last month. And the month before that.
The impression this gives is that you are active in your industry, willing to share knowledge, and you know what you’re talking about. You have ideas worth sharing, and therefore, worth their investment. It’s a subtle but powerful credibility booster.
4. They’re More Flexible Than You Think
A blog post doesn’t have to live in just one place.
You can publish it on your website (obviously). But you can also post it as a LinkedIn article where it reaches a completely different audience. You can pitch it as a guest post to industry publications. You can include it in partnerships with complementary businesses.
This gives you maximum reach with minimal additional effort. This is what I mean when I talk about systems. You’re not creating content for one platform, one piece at a time. Instead, you’re creating assets that work across multiple platforms.
5. They Build Community Over Time
In the beginning, nobody’s reading your blog. That’s fine. That’s normal.
But as you build an audience, as people start to trust you, and as they realize you consistently deliver value, something shifts. People will start reading your posts. They’ll engage with it, and even look forward to what you publish next. They’ll even share it with their audiences.
I’ve watched this happen with dozens of clients. The first 6 months are quiet, but over time, as your content builds, people take note and start engaging.
You can’t skip the foundation-building phase, unfortunately. But you also can’t get to the community-building phase without consistently showing up.
6. They’re a Book Waiting to Happen
Everyone wants to write a book. Everyone. I rarely meet with someone who doesn’t say, “I want to write a book.”
But almost nobody wants to actually sit down and write a book (and as an author, I totally get that.)
But you know what’s easier than writing a book? Writing one blog post a month for two years.
Twenty-four blog posts is roughly 36,000 to 40,000 words. That’s a book. A real, publishable book. You’ve already written it; you just need to organize it.
I’m not saying every collection of blog posts automatically becomes a bestseller. But I am saying that the intimidating mountain of “write a book” becomes a manageable hill of “organize what you’ve already created.”
7. They Answer the “Send Me More Information” Request
You know that moment in a sales conversation when someone says, “This sounds interesting. Can you send me some more information?”
And you freeze because… what exactly are you supposed to send?
A generic PDF brochure? Your sales page? An awkward email that tries to explain everything again?
Instead, you could send them a blog post that thoughtfully addresses exactly the question they’re wrestling with. Content that demonstrates your expertise, your approach, and your value without feeling like a sales pitch.
Many of our clients have said they love this most about their blog posts. They’re not just a marketing resource; they can also touch the sales process, onboarding process, client work, and so much more.
Case in point—from now on when people ask me the “does anyone read blog posts anymore” question, I’ll be sending them here.
8. They’re One of the Only Marketing Assets That Appreciates Over Time
That blog post you wrote six months ago is not just sitting there collecting dust. Social media posts disappear into the algorithm within hours. Emails get deleted.
But your blog posts are continuously getting found in search results. They could be bringing you leads for many months to come. And if you take the time to refresh them, they could actually be an endless source of visibility.
Blog posts are assets that don’t depreciate, making them a powerful part of your strategy and system.
The Real Question Isn’t Whether People Read Blogs
I understand the hesitation to spend time or money on blog posts. They don’t deliver instant gratification or make you internet famous overnight. They need a lot of patience, consistency, and a willingness to create content even when it feels like nobody’s paying attention.
But for businesses that are serious about building sustainable marketing systems (systems that work without requiring constant manual effort) blog posts are still one of the most powerful tools available.
So no, not a lot of people read blog posts anymore. But when they’re in the background working for your business, there’s no doubt they’re generating value.
Ready to Build a Content System That Actually Works?
I know what you’re thinking. ‘This all sounds great, Danielle, but I barely have time to answer emails, let alone write blog posts every month.’
Fair point.
That’s exactly why we built our system to work with your real life, not some fantasy version where you have unlimited time and energy.
Here’s how we make that happen:
Guided Route: Join our weekly Lean Marketing Lab sessions where I’ll personally help you build your content system (and you’ll actually enjoy the process).
Done-For-You Route: Hand it over to us completely. We’ll handle the strategy, writing, and optimization while you focus on what you actually love about your business. Just book a call and you could have content going out right away.
A simple, realistic marketing system is game-changing for your business (and can be life-changing for you).
Let’s build it together.
