Is Blogging Really Dying?

Oh, that age-old question in the blogosphere - is blogging really dying? Have people had enough of reading blogs and are favouring social media posts instead? Well, here's my take on it.

Recently, I did a blogger Q&A and a blogger asked me my thoughts on whether blogging is dying and if it'll be a washed-out industry in 2022. I found this a tricky question to answer, but, ultimately, after debating over a cuppa, I said no. I can understand why people would think this though. With social media, namely, Instagram, becoming the platform that everybody puts all their sweat into these days, it's kind of easy to think that blogging is on a downward spiral. I don't like to think of blogging as a declining industry. Honestly though, I don't think it really is. 

During 2020, when we had nothing better to do than to bake banana bread or do Zoom quizzes, blogging became a lot more popular. I think it gave blogger's new or old, to really invest time in their blogs and their content. 

I know for myself personally is that my blog has never taken a backseat nor have I allowed Instagram to take its place. I've always invested time and energy towards my blog as it means more to me than my social media accounts. I love showing my creative side through my blog rather than social media. My blog is my online personal space and it always be. I know blogging has very much evolved over the last few years since I started, but I still love it just as much. 

After an hour or two (I exaggerate) of racking my brain, thinking of reasons why blogging isn't dying, here are the reasons I came up with why blogging isn't really dying -

1) Social media will come and go

MySpace, Bebo, MSN to name a few that have disappeared from our online lives over the years. What isn't to say that Instagram, Facebook or even Twitter will vanish forever one day? And let's not forget those bloody outages *cough Instagram/Facebook cough* has on a weekly basis. Your blog is here to stay, you have a choice to keep it. I love having that little piece of the Internet. It makes me smile. Also, with a blog, I don't have to worry about algorithms not promoting or showing my posts to my followers, the onus falls on me, which is fine by me!

2) You can express yourself more on a blog

For me, I feel I can open up more in a blog post than I could on a social media post. Blogging is all about being creative and being expressive, what better way to share your thoughts and feelings through writing. Twitter has limited characters on what you really want to say, Instagram kind of does and Facebook literally allows you to write your life story. But with blogging, I feel it's more personal and I feel I can connect to someone when I read a blog post of theirs. Especially if it's a topic I relate to and can aspire to. 

3) There's no sodding algorithms to worry about

I don't have to worry about publishing a blog post at a certain second to gain reach like I would on Instagram. Blogging is kind of free-spirited and there's no pressure or worrying about algorithms. Blogging alleviates the pressure in when to publish, making it a more relaxing experience. Social media can bring a kind of pressure to it, which makes it less enjoyable. 

4) Brands still love blogs

From my perspective, I know that brands still love blogs. About 90% of the brands that have reached out to me still ask for a blog post rather than a social media post. I love the fact that brands still prefer blogs today. I don't know if I'm speaking for all blogger's on this, but this is the genuine consensus that I am seeing. Maybe brands know that their product will get better reach through a blog post than an Instagram post, but that's just my personal opinion. 

5) Blogs are the best for discovering new products

One thing I love about blog posts is discovering new brands through reviews. I find that Instagram posts for reviews feel, I don't know, kind of put on? I know when I read a review-style blog post, I feel that the blogger is being totally honest about their opinion. I've always said that Instagram is a highlight reel, and it's not very often that you see a creator rubbishing a brand in one of their Insta posts. I've always promised that I will be completely honest about products. If I don't like it or it isn't for me, I'll state that. You need to be honest with your audience, always. Speaking of audience...

6) Blogging audiences are for me, more authentic and dedicated

If people are reading my blog posts, they are genuine and genuinely want to read my content. On Instagram, sometimes it's a game of follow for a follow etc. With a blog, when somebody takes the time to read your words and leave a comment, I find that more satisfying and refreshing than a follower liking an Insta post and leaving a three-word comment (I do appreciate the love on Insta guys, I promise!). Watch me lose an influx of followers now because of that comment. 

7) There's more room to expand with a blog

Running a blog means I can still expand and make things bigger and better. I could expand on the topics I write about. I can change a theme on my blog when I want to. Also, I could (eventually) make it a full-time job if I want to. I feel you can't really expand on social media platforms. Obviously, social media platforms will introduce new features on their platform for us to use, but that's as far as it will go. 

So, is blogging really dying?...

No. It won't as long as you and I don't let it. There are and there will be upcoming blog lovers who will still continue to love reading a blog post. I love that with my blog, I still have room to expand and I can still be creative with it. My blog won't be going anywhere for a while, and that makes me so happy.