Speaking from experience, blogging can sometimes seem like a daunting task. Finding topics that your readers will view as interesting is challenging and then developing them into posts that maintain someone’s attention and adds value can sometimes feel nearly impossible. However, blogging is an impactful tool that provides a platform to highlight results, share perspectives on trends, increase SEO and create content to leverage for social media.

But with other deadlines knocking on your door, you may be finding yourself wondering how much value blogging will add to your business. Is it really worth your time? Well, to address your questions I did a little digging to uncover and illustrate the benefits of blogging.

If you haven’t jumped on the blogging bandwagon yet, here are a handful of stats that will inspire you to add this strategy to your 2018 plan.

• B2B marketers that use blogs get 67 percent more leads than those who do not. (Source: HubSpot)
• 82 percent of marketers who blog get positive ROI from their inbound marketing activities. (Source: HubSpot)
• Companies that blog get twice as much traffic from their email marketing than those who don’t blog. (Source: HubSpot)
• 1 in 10 blog posts are compounding, which means organic search increases their traffic over time. (Source: HubSpot)
• 94 percent of people who share posts do so because they think it might be helpful to others. (Source: nymarketing.com)

If those numbers have convinced you to start blogging, here are several tips to keep in mind as you begin to build out your blog:

• Use your blog as a portfolio for your work. Develop case studies or write about a successful campaign to not only highlight your company’s ability to deliver results, but also as a way to build a portfolio that you can easily refer to in the future.
• Be consistent. Develop a blogging schedule that is consistent, yet realistic. People are hungry for content, so the more content you can share the better, however, be thoughtful in your approach.
• Keep your blog top of mind. This is a skill I am always trying to work on, but one of the things I’ve observed from some of the best bloggers at our firm is that they are constantly thinking about how something can be turned into a blog post. The topic could be inspired by a social movement, a conversation you had with a colleague at lunch, an interesting article you read, or even a struggle you are facing. Point is, there are topics all around you – you just have to be able to recognize them.

Adding another item to your to-do list is always intimidating, especially one that will require time and creativity. However, if you don’t already have a blog, or have a blog but don’t share content consistently, seriously consider adding the strategy to your 2018 plan – the added benefits and impact on your business will be worth it.