To Blog or Not To Blog...
There Is No Question
Forty Years In, And People Still Ask Me This
People ask me all the time what the point of a blog is. Is it a diary? A vanity project? A waste of billable hours? I've been writing ad copy since before most marketing managers were born, and I can tell you: a blog is one of the cheapest, highest-leverage sales tools you'll ever build, if you write it right.
Recently I had a moment that reminded me why. An Ad Zombies client -- we'll call her Crystal, because that's her name -- had a customer service request come in on a Saturday. She needed to add some details to a website copy order she'd already submitted.
I was on my laptop anyway, so I grabbed the ticket myself, handled it, and closed it out.
A few hours later I got an email from her. She wasn't writing about the ticket. She was writing to tell me she'd lost an hour reading through my old blog posts. Her word was "addictive." She said she found real, usable information in them and that they'd inspired her to keep pushing on her own business. That email is the reason this post exists.
Here's the thing people miss: your blog isn't a journal you keep on your website so you can vent. It's there to do a job -- share stories, build trust, and turn readers who are already curious about you into people who are ready to do business with you.
Your Blog Is A Sales Tool, Not A Diary
Your blog can put real dollars on the board, and not just through SEO. Here's exactly how I use mine: I publish a post, share it as a social update, then pull that same post into a remarketing campaign on Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn Ads with a modest daily budget behind it. I'm not chasing cold traffic with it -- I'm putting useful, personal content in front of people who already looked at Ad Zombies once and didn't buy yet. Across those platforms, that specific remarketing play has averaged a 4x return on ad spend for us. Not because the blog is clever. Because it's honest, and it gives a warm lead one more reason to trust the name on the invoice.
If you're already investing in headline writing and ad copy to get the click, a blog is what makes the click worth something after the sale is made too -- it's the follow-through that turns a one-time buyer into a repeat client.
What Should I Actually Write About?
Some of my posts are pure nonsense -- I've genuinely considered writing 400 words on what flavor of jam belongs on a cheese pizza. Others are personal: stories about my family, my grandfather, moments that shaped how I think about business and people. The mix matters. A blog that's all sales pitch reads like a brochure nobody asked for. A blog that's all personal story with no business insight is just a diary with a domain name.
The goal is a blend -- posts that give a prospective client a real look at who you are and how you think, so that by the time they're ready to buy, they already feel like they know you. That's not fluff. That's the entire game in an industry where people hire the person, not just the agency.
What should you take from this? Stop debating whether you should blog. Crystal didn't email me because my blog was optimized -- she emailed me because it was honest and specific enough to hold her attention for an hour on a Saturday. Write posts that could do the same for someone reading yours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, blogs can directly drive sales. Ken regularly uses blogs as part of remarketing campaigns by sharing them on social posts, then running them through Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn Ads Manager with small budgets behind them. This strategy averages a 4:1 return on ad spend (ROAS) across platforms.
Your blog can be all business, all personal, or a blend of both—whatever gives potential customers insight into who you are and your business. Ken writes everything from personal life stories about his family and grandfather to business experiences like spending 5 days with Tony Robbins. The key is sharing stories that inspire people and help consumers feel comfortable doing business with you.
Your blog isn't there to be a self-service therapy tool. It's there to share stories, inspire people, and help consumers who may want to do business with you actually take that step. Blogs give potential clients a glimpse of who you are and can create valuable connections with current and future clients.
A client named Crystal sent Ken an email saying she lost track of time reading his blogs, called them "very addictive" with lots of great information, and thanked him for inspiring her. That interaction proved to Ken that blogs create genuine connections and inspired him to write this very post.
