HubSpot's 2025 State of Blogging Report Full disclosure, I think my team and I are a little embarrassed. Believe it or not, blogging is kind of our main thing here at The HubSpot BLOG — so the fact that it‘s taken over a decade for us to put together our first-ever report on the state of blogging isn’t the best look. But hey! As that Chinese proverb says, “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is right now.” That's why we surveyed over 500 marketers across various industries and company scales to get a pulse on the current state and future fate of blogging. We covered all of the big bases, including: Do companies still publish blog content? Why do companies blog? What kind of content are companies publishing? Where does blog traffic come from? How is AI transforming the practice? How are blogs adjusting in the era of E-E-A-T? Where is blogging headed? So much more! Check it out! Yeah! Do companies still publish blog content? Short answer? Yeah, they do — for good reason. Our survey indicates that 65% of marketers are employed by companies that maintain blogs, and they generally post pretty diligently. Our research found that: 22% of businesses that maintain blogs publish content on a daily basis. 37% publish two to three times per week. 30% publish weekly. ...

What’s a Blog (& Why I’d Consider Starting One) If you’re not sure what a blog is, you’ve definitely come across one at some point. Perhaps you’ve stumbled across a blog when you’ve searched “healthy dinner recipes.” Maybe you don’t know it, but you’re on a blog now. I love blogging. I created my first blog in 2010 but stopped writing it just as I got my first-ever comment. Knowing what I know now, that was my biggest blogging mistake. Now, I have my own blog — a blog about cycle touring. My blog has one goal: to help people get into cycle touring and travel the world. It’s what you’d call an affiliate blog. I also write blogs for HubSpot, and as an SEO I work with businesses on their blog strategy to generate traffic and leads for their website. One of my clients generates 64% of their traffic via the blog. Thanks to analytics, we also know that $30,000 to $50,000 per month is generated from people who also viewed the blog. A blog is not just a page you stumble across, and it’s not reserved for personal anecdotes; a blog can help you develop an online presence, prove yourself an expert in an industry, and attract more quality leads to all pages of your site. I’m not the only one to think so — 76% of B2B marketers rate blogs as an effective tool for lead generation. Professional blogs are sometimes called “news” or “knowledge...

How the HubSpot Blog Built a Freelance Writing Program That Actually Makes Great Content  When I started working with freelancers, I’d experience a sinking feeling when a first draft hit my inbox. Would this piece be any good? Or, would I be rewriting an entire article myself to get something usable? Or perhaps, I found a gem — a freelancer who would make my day with a light edit, strong writing, and a grasp of the subject matter at hand. I would do anything in my power to make them happy. Please don’t leave me, I’d whisper to my laptop as I typed a praise-filled thank you email. Four years later, I’ve cracked the code. I now run HubSpot’s Freelance Network, a contract program with over 40 writers. My team creates over 800 pieces every year. I feel like I have a collection of rare gems, each with their own specialized insights that can help our audience grow. The best part? I’m finally ready to share how I made this program a reality. But first, here’s a little about me. My name is Kaitlin. I’m a journalist by trade who’s made the transition into the wonderful world of content marketing. So, my first role working with freelancers was in that past life at business publications. In 2022, I was recruited by HubSpot for a brand-new challenge. My mission was to build a robust group of freelancers to serve HubSpot’s full portfolio of English blogs. Infrastructure is everything. When...

What Is Microblogging: A Start-to-Finish Guide for 2024 When I first started posting about my writing processes and marketing insights on LinkedIn, I felt exhilarated. It helped me build an engaged following over time and allowed me to share my ideas and experiences with thousands of people in my network. And the best part is, it helped me avoid the hassle and lengthy process of writing, editing, and publishing full-fledged articles. That’s when I realized the impact of microblogging. It gives you the ability to capture your fleeting thoughts and share them with the world in real time. In this article, we’ll discuss: What is microblogging? What Microblogging Is Not 5 Reasons Why Microblogging Is an Important Aspect of Content Marketing 8 Best Microblogging Sites & Tips to Create Engaging Content Some popular microblogging platforms include X (formerly Twitter), Tumblr, Instagram, and Facebook. You can also publish microblogs on Medium or WordPress. It allows for swift dissemination of thoughts, news, updates, or any piece of information that the author deems share-worthy. Here’s an example of me microblogging on LinkedIn: Image Source Microblogging has become a big hit these days because people prefer consuming shorter content. Most of us don’t spend enough time to read even a couple of paragraphs in an article. With microblogging, you can create crisp content optimized for shorter attention spans. This form is best used when: The topic or post has low...

Social Media for Nonprofits: Top Tips From BGCGW’s Director of Donor Relations “Whether you have a full-time staff member responsible for social media or someone that posts occasionally, I highly recommend having some kind of social presence — whatever that looks like.” This advice comes from Terri Johnson, Director of Donor Relations & Special Events at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington (BGCGW).  Johnson’s team wears many hats (as many nonprofit employees do), and that includes managing BGCGW’s social media strategy. I thought she’d be the perfect person to ask how nonprofit organizations can tap into the power of social. Let’s take a look at her top tips. Table of Contents Why Social Media Matters for Nonprofits Social Media Best Practices for Nonprofits Why Social Media Matters for Nonprofits Before we dive into the how, let’s talk about the why — why is it important for your nonprofit organization to be on social media? For starters, we can look at the data: 55% of people who engage with nonprofits on social media end up taking some sort of action. This includes donating money, volunteering, or participating in community events. I can actually speak to this personally. I’m a big animal lover. I recently came across a post from The Humane Society on Instagram, and started scrolling through their feed. Image Source Wow, they really do such great work for all types of animals, I thought to myself. So great in...

The Best Grammar Checkers that Make Content Editing Easier Whether you’re sending out cold emails all day or drafting up campaigns and proposals, it’s tedious to spend time pouring over grammar. You can waste precious time deciding if you’re supposed to be using ‘affect’ or ‘effect’ or if you’ve used the word ‘very’ too many times. Instead, finding the best grammar checker for your work can automate this task and boost your productivity. These days, there are many grammar checkers out there that all claim to be the best. Here are some of the best grammar checkers used and trusted by thousands of users every day. Some grammar checkers may automatically edit content as you write, while others will flag incorrect spellings or awkward phrases for you to review. Many editors will even take you line by line to identify passive sentences, overly long paragraphs, or other complex errors that even keen human eyes may miss. Using a grammar checker can give you some peace of mind when you’re writing a lot of content daily. Never again will you accidentally and embarrassingly leave off the ‘o’ at the end of ‘hello’ or misspell a simple word on a huge event poster. This software can help automate editing, so you can focus on getting your thoughts written down and submitted by the deadline. What are the best functions of a grammar checker? Some grammar checkers may just check the basics, like spelling and punctuation. More advanced programs can identify...

Is Blogging Too Saturated? Here’s How To Avoid Failure Want to start a blog but worried that blogging is an oversaturated market? You may be wondering how your blog will stand out amongst numerous ones in the same industry. You may even fear that your blog won’t be successful because you’re unsure how to create a blogging strategy that will make you stand out. You may have even started your blog and are frustrated that you’re not seeing the results you want. In this article, we’re going to break down what you should consider about starting a blog, how to tell if a market is too competitive, and other ways to make your blog stand out. Considerations for Starting a Blog in 2021 Starting a blog may feel like a daunting task. There are many questions around whether your blog will gain traffic and how to put your content in front of your desired audience. The benefits of blogging, however, is a long-term game. Posting to your blog consistently is a fundamental first step. The second step is centering your blog around a specific topic or theme. According to Website Setup, the number of blogs on the internet has reached over 600 million. If you’re looking to start a blog and worry that this number indicates that the blogging market is oversaturated, don’t panic. While blogging may be competitive, there’s a lot of context to consider that can give you an...

How HubSpot's Blog Team Comes Up With High-Performing Post Ideas When I used to work at a marketing agency, I would read expert industry blogs, such as HubSpot, Marketing Brew, and Backlinko (to name a few). One of my main questions every day was, "How do these brands do it? How do they constantly come up with brilliant blog ideas?" Now, obviously, I work at HubSpot and I know what a blog strategy looks like at a big company with a recognizable brand. By taking the time to do solid research and idea brainstorming, you can come up with blog topics that drive thousands of readers, like me, in -- while boosting traffic, authority, and credibility. Today, I want to pull the curtain back for you. We'll discuss how the HubSpot blog continuously comes up with high-performing blog ideas. How the HubSpot Blog Comes Up With Ideas Before we get started, it's important to know that when the HubSpot team comes up with blog ideas, several teams are involved (SEO, blog, and lead generation). Because of this, we divide our brainstorming process into two parts: trend research and SEO topic research. We then combine these efforts in our Insights Report on a quarterly basis (which you can download a copy of below). Featured Resource: Search Insights Report Template Let's dive into both those processes below. How the HubSpot Blog Generates Trend-Responsive Blog Post Ideas Blog topics that relate to trends, research, or thought leadership yield bursts in...

How to Monetize Your Brand's Blog, According to HubSpot's Blog Leaders Whether you're running a personal blog or managing the official blog on your company's website, monetizing your work is entirely possible -- it just takes a good amount of time and effort. While there's no exact formula to start making money, there are some tried and true strategies you can start experimenting with to see what works best for your content, your business model, and your audience. Below, we'll dive into some of these monetization ideas and get advice from HubSpot's own blog leaders. How Do Blogs Make Money? Before we dive into the monetization strategies, you might be wondering, "How will my blog make money?" Well, your blog can make money in several ways including lead generation, affiliate marketing, brand partnerships, collaborations, or advertising. To find out more, you can learn about the types of blogs that make money and see which strategy would work best for your blog. Now that we know a few ways that blogs can make money, let's dive into the top monetization strategies for your blog. 1. Map blog posts to specific conversion points. As a company, you can use your blog to drive leads and conversions. AJ Beltis, a marketing manager on HubSpot's channel monetization team, says, "Conversion is the foundation of blog monetization. Whether it's an ecommerce purchase, a demo request, or a content offer download, it's imperative to have your blog posts point to an intentional, related next...

How to Leverage Sensory Language in Your Blog Posts Check this out: "You're sitting in the creaky, mesh-backed, black ergonomic desk chair you bought at a discount off Amazon — hunched over, eyes reluctantly wide open, staring intently at a dimly lit laptop screen bearing a blank document. It's 4:45 PM. For most of the day, you've heard hardly anything except for the occasional click-clack of keys to commit some fruitless inspiration to your blog post and the intermittent spells of grating silence that came after deleting everything you jotted down. The lasting taste of the coffee you drank about two hours earlier has gone sour but still coats your tongue and the roof of your mouth. And you can feel the effects of the caffeine slowly waning. Subtle muscle fatigue is setting in. Your eyelids are heavy and it's a struggle in and of itself to keep them from covering your aching, weary eyes. Your mind has gone stagnant — trapped in the clutches of what's most commonly known as writer's block." Now, I like to think that passage was vivid and immersive, and that's mostly a credit to the kind of language I used and the personal sensations I played on — specifically how it described the sensory experiences of the subject matter. That language is most commonly known as sensory language, and it's a powerful resource for any writer to understand and apply. Here, we'll cover what sensory language is, review some of the data...