New Study Reveals the Lifetime Value of a Blog Post (2024)

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Authors:New Study Reveals the Lifetime Value of a Blog Post (1)Ted Murphy

Posted Under:Content Marketing

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New Study Reveals the Lifetime Value of a Blog Post (2)

As the most pervasive and arguably most important form of mass communication in the world, blogging is continually at the top of the content marketing conversation. However, despite blogging’s popularity, there hasn’t been an independent study to uncover the power and lifetime value of a blog post—until now.

Study: The Lifetime Value of a Blog Post

IZEA commissioned a new study titled “Lifetime Value of a Blog Post” to uncover the full value of blog content, giving marketers actionable data to contrast against other mediums they invest in.

Carried out by Halverson Group, the study revealed that the lifespan of a post is nearly 24 times the currently accepted measurement of 30 days (e.g. unique monthly visitors), showing that traditional measurement practices are not only imprecise, but significantly under-valuing the performance of a blog post.

The study found that only after two yearswilla blog post obtain 99 percent of its impressions. Only then, or by calculating for that timeframe, can true value be determined.More on that in a bit, but let’s talk about how we got our results first.

As part of the study, The Halverson Group evaluated 62,863 blog posts generated between August 2010 and February 2012. The team then randomly selected a quantitative sample of 500 unique blog posts, sourced from IZEA’s Creator database to ensure the results were both defensible and reproducible.

New Study Reveals the Lifetime Value of a Blog Post (3)

The Three Life Cycles of a Blog Post

In addition to a blog’s lifespan, the study revealed that a blog post goes through three distinct “life phases,”further contradicting the historical use of a 30-day measurement period.

A Blog’s Post’s Lifespan

The study found that by day 700, a blog post will receive 99 percent of its total impressions. A 700 day lifespan indicates that blog posts are an annuity that provide value over a significant timeframe. This is an important data point for both blog owners who are looking to monetize their blog content and marketers who are looking to maximize return on their marketing spend.

A Blog’s Post’s Life Cycle

The study determined three distinct life phases a blog post cycles through, which are categorized as “Shout,” “Echo,” and “Reverberate.”

  • Shout: The “Shout” phase yields an initial steep spike in impressions that occurs within the first week to ten days, when 50 percent of a blog post impressions are generated.
  • Echo: The “Echo” phase begins shortly thereafter and lasts until day 30, when 72 percent of blog post impressions are realized.
  • Reverberate: The third, and likely least studied, phase in a blog post’s life cycle is the “Reverberate” phase. This phase makes up the 28 percent of remaining impressions and lasts from day 30-700. The Reverberate Phase is important for both content creators and marketers, as that is where the long tail value occurs. It is also the phase that most blog post impression metrics fail to take into account and quantify.

New Study Reveals the Lifetime Value of a Blog Post (4)

The study also confirms what many marketers already knew:that impressions vary depending on what the post is about. While some blog posts, like sweepstakes, see a spike in engagement over the first month, blog posts on topics such as recipes and thought-leadership deliver impressions over an extended period of time.

New Study Reveals the Lifetime Value of a Blog Post (5)

Calculating Lifetime Blog Post Impressions

For the everyday marketer or the rank and file blogger, the study produced a research-based metric that can be used to calculate the true lifetime impression delivery of a blog post.

To calculate the lifetime value of a blog post, multiply the posts’ monthly page views by 1.4x.

With a life-span nearing two years, blog content, and content marketing programs that leverage blogs have an evergreen value affect—especially when compared to volume-based media, such as display or search advertising, which stop delivering value as soon as the campaign investment ends.

View the full study here.

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New Study Reveals the Lifetime Value of a Blog Post (2024)

FAQs

New Study Reveals the Lifetime Value of a Blog Post? ›

Carried out by Halverson Group(Open Link in new window), the study revealed that the lifespan of a post is nearly 24 times the currently accepted measurement of 30 days (e.g. unique monthly visitors), showing that traditional measurement practices are not only imprecise, but significantly under-valuing the performance ...

What is the lifespan of a blog post? ›

Studies show the average lifespan of a blog post is 2 years! Based on this enduring post life, blogs have the highest return on investment of all the listed options. Blogging often will increase engagement and traffic. Consistent posts will build trust with your audience by continuing to meet their expectations.

What is the 80 20 rule blog posts? ›

The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 Rule, states that 80% of your results come from just 20% of your efforts and activities. When applying this to your blog, you may notice that approximately: 80% of your blog traffic comes from 20% of your posts. 80% of your income comes from the top 20% of your posts.

Are blogs still relevant in 2024? ›

Tips for blogging in 2024. Now that we know the answer is yes, people still read blogs, how do you make yours stand out with 600 million blogs on the internet? I use these blogging tips for every article to attract and keep blog readers: Quality and quantity matter.

How do you determine the value of a blog? ›

The Formula = Average Monthly Profit x The Multiple

This method considers your average monthly profit and your blog's multiple. Once that is done, you multiply them together, yielding a figure representing your blog's value.

Should you keep old blog posts? ›

Alternatively, old content is less likely to receive new backlinks because the information is outdated. Updating old blog posts can help you keep the backlinks your page has already received and acquire new backlinks by reinforcing the value and authority of your content with current information.

How long is too long for a blog post? ›

The ideal blog post length is between 1,500 - 2,500 words, with a sweet spot right at 2,450. This length allows you to provide your readers with enough information to be informative and helpful, while also keeping their attention.

How many blog posts should I have before going live? ›

Post a new blog post every day for the first week, one every other day for the second week, and then follow what will become your regular schedule (so 1-2 a week or so). Using this strategy, you'd want to have around 12 posts ready for launch.

Is 200 words enough for a blog post? ›

At the very least, if you're going to write short blogs, try to hit at least the 300-word mark. A post between 400-600 words is widely considered the “standard” length, and it's a good middle ground if you're looking to get more social shares and comments.

How often should I post on my blog to make money? ›

For example, if you aim to be a thought leader with long-form articles, you should post at least twice per month. But if you are producing short-form content or quick tips, you might want to consider posting over four articles per month.

Who reads blogs anymore? ›

In fact, a whopping 77% of internet users regularly read blogs to gain valuable information and insights, while 60% of businesses use blogs as a key marketing strategy to drive traffic and sales. These statistics demonstrate the enduring appeal of blogs, which continue to thrive in today's digital age.

How old are most bloggers? ›

General Blogging Facts
  • There are over 600 million active blogs across the internet. ( ...
  • More than 50% of bloggers are between 21 to 35 years old. ( ...
  • Blog posts remain the most popular content format, with 9 out of 10 marketers using blogging to achieve content goals. (
Dec 21, 2023

What percentage of blogs succeed? ›

Blogging.org Blogging Earnings Report

After quizzing 1,000 U.S. bloggers about their earnings, it found that “81% of bloggers never made even $100 from blogging” and only about “8% made enough to support a family”. These surveys put the percentage of bloggers who earn a full-time income at about 5-8%.

What does a successful blog look like? ›

Creating a successful blog takes focus, purpose and planning, and it also requires enough flexibility to edit that plan as needed. There shouldn't be any fluff. Everything, even if it's on the “light” side, should be worthwhile for your audience – everything should have a benefit.

How much money is a 1000 views on a blog? ›

Premium Content
Pageviews/MonthPotential Earnings
1,000$5 – $25
10,000$50 – $250
100,000$500 – $2,500
1 million$5,000 – $25,000
Sep 14, 2023

How often should you update old blog posts? ›

You can plan to allocate 80% of your content creation schedule to adding new content and 20% to updating and reposting existing blog content. This means for every four new blog posts you publish, you update one existing post, for example.

What is the lifespan of a social media post? ›

Average Lifespan of Social Media Posts by Platform

After the 48-hour period, the post is less likely to receive much attention. On LinkedIn, posts last even shorter– with an average of 24 hours. And on Facebook, although it varies, a post typically receives around 75% of its total activity within the first five hours.

Is 5000 words too long for a blog post? ›

Your blog readers want your post to cover your topic quickly—but they want you to go into enough detail to make it worth reading. For most topics, that means at least 1,000 words—but if you're creating an in-depth guide, like my guide to starting a blog, you could be looking at well over 5,000 words.

How often should I make a new blog post? ›

The ideal blogging frequency to increase organic traffic for small blogs is 3-4 times a week with new posts. The ideal blogging frequency to increase organic traffic for large blogs is 4-5 times a week with new and updated posts.

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