“Is blogging dead?”
Ironic, considering that I’m writing this on a blog, and inviting you to share your thoughts on this. If it were well and truly dead, then no one will read this little musing of mine, will they? It’ll provoke no comment, and it’ll just disappear into the ether.
I’m not going to whine about the way things are or were, or what goes on behind the facade of the blog that you see right here, or what nonsense bloggers have to face. I have a genuine curiosity as to whether you feel that it’s just too much to read blogs anymore. Or perhaps, you feel that blogs are now too commercialised. Or maybe, the blogger you used to read no longer blogs about things you can relate to, and you just feel that blogging as a whole is just passe.
We all grow up and along the way, our interests wax and wane in different areas of our life. But that’s looking at it from the reader’s side of the fence. What about bloggers? Is it even worth starting a blog anymore? Has blogging been driven to its grave?
I was giving all this a lot of thought recently, after speaking to a few people – bloggers and PR people alike. Among the PR people, I find that there is a bit of a divide. For the most part, brands and PR (locally) place a lot of emphasis on numbers, but they aren’t that interested in learning about Google Analytics or seeing a blog’s statistics. They want something quick, easy and visible. Yet, there are some who still prefer the written word as a medium for disseminating information, but they are in the minority.
Bloggers I spoke to have a sense of fatalism because they feel they can’t get anywhere on their blog, so they feel the need to concentrate on other aspects of their social media profiles to grow followers and numbers and therefore gain attention. Everyone is doing it!
Bloggers are now known as Social Influencers
Social media platforms make things easy for justifying number counts. Follower counts and likes are easily visible on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. As a result, we now have social media celebrities, who boast impossibly large follower counts, and as a result, can command up to RM4,000 (approx US$1,000) an Instagram photo and be feted with luxury products. I know of international social media celebrities a.k.a. influencers (catchword of the day) with MILLIONS of followers, who can boast of 5 digit payments, in USD, for one picture. YouTube celebrities have mushroomed and blossomed, in almost all subject niches. I’ve been blogging for 9 years, and there’s no way anyone will pay me that sort of money – it’s a fact. I’ll be told “Yes, we like your blog and your style, but what we really want are big follower counts, and you don’t have those, or rather, we can’t easily see it.”
5 years ago, everyone was a blogger. All you needed was a space on the web, and tada! Now, everyone is a “Social influencer”, because who blogs these days?! Only those who are left behind by technology do, apparently 😛
You know, I don’t begrudge them this. It is hard work in every area of social media promotion, and I take my hats off to them. Instagram, in particular, seems to have gained a lot of traction in the most recent 6 months, and I predict, will only get more important in 2016 going forward. It’s quick, visible and numbers are easy to justify on all counts.
“No one has time to read anymore”
From a PR/Brand point of view, bloggers seem to be now secondary media. You know what I was told by one? People don’t want to read anymore. They just want quick, fast information. If it’s contained within a picture or a short video, all the better. No one has time to read. Blogging is effectively dead, so go and concentrate on something else, like growing your Instagram follower count.
I merely kept silent, because I know it’s partly true. What I didn’t say is that no one reads Instagram captions either and I dare say so because I slip in little side comments into my Instagram captions all the time and only a handful of people actually read it, and get it enough to interact with me. Everyone else just scrolls, double-tap to like and move on.
My primary outlet is still my blog. I blog, not because of the subject matter (which I enjoy, but really, I’m quite happy to write about anything) but because I enjoy writing, and perhaps, I’m “old-fashioned” but I enjoy reading. Reading helps you learn, and in many ways, it helps you broaden your mind, because when you read something, it makes you think. Reading helps your imagination grow, because not everything is put before you in a visual fest, to mould your mind and way of thinking. Words are powerful, and they can teach you to think for yourself, and you form your own impressions.
While I dabble in other forms of social media, none bring me as much joy as my blog, which serves as my primary creative outlet, and reading other blogs in different areas and of varying subject matter. Nothing makes me as happy as to carry on a conversation with someone right here in the blog comments, which is another dying art – no one really wants to talk to you on your blog anymore. Yet, I realise that I’m probably in the minority.
Technology and social media apps are growing at an incredible rate. Not content with visual feasts like that on Instagram, there are now apps like Snapchat and Periscope, both of which feature shortlived videos, that for me perpetuate this whole concept of “fast-food information consumption”.
I’m old-fashioned, not only in my way of thinking, but also in my food consumption. I eat the occasional fast food meal, but in the main, I enjoy a whole-food meal best – proper meat and grains and vegetables that I can identify. Similarly, I enjoy my time on Instagram (I can’t get my head around Snapchat and am not planning to even try), but when I need something meatier, I head to Google and I run a search on the item or subject I’m interested in, and I then read.
Is blogging dead?
So, is blogging really dead?
My answer is both yes and no.
Yes, from the point of view of marketing and advertising, because of the perception that the youth and people of today have shorter attention spans and no time to read, and would therefore prefer everything being spoon-fed to them in a visual manner, whether by way of a photograph or a video. Words are secondary, or even optional. What is important is having large numbers on platforms like Instagram and YouTube, and the perceived reach and influence. This has given rise to people buying and selling likes and followers on Facebook and Instagram – it’s a quick and easy way to boost your numbers. No one has ever offered a service for sending more blog traffic my way – it’s something you have to earn.
Yes, if you’re blogging in a niche that could benefit better from a more visual art-form or are teaching something. A sewing blog for example, might do better on YouTube, because it’s easier to see someone show you how to do it, than to merely visualise it. I learned to hem my skirts watching YouTube! Cooking blogs as well, can definitely benefit from YouTube channels, but recipes are in the main, tied back to a blog. It’s easier to just print out a recipe or view it in a static page, than to watch a video. Similarly, if you’re teaching how to apply makeup, videos help a lot. In other aspects, I don’t perceive a lot of value in YouTube (except as entertainment) which is ironic, seeing as to how I did start a YouTube channel 😛 But beauty definitely benefits from being accompanied by Instagram.
That said, I’m going to go with the answer being “No, blogging isn’t dead”. It isn’t, so long as there are people who want information and something to read. It isn’t, so long as the internet is used as a source of information. It isn’t, if it’s something that you enjoy doing, even if it doesn’t bring in the cash, as much as that may suck.
As bloggers, ultimately, the answer will lie in what you choose to blog for. If money and fame is your ultimate goal, you’re better off on a different platform where numbers are more visible. I choose to blog for me, and that’s why I blog. Sorry guys, I know I should say I blog for you, but the truth is, I don’t and I’ve said so before 😛 I’ve turned down fairly lucrative deals because it didn’t sit well with me, my principles, my policies and my blog. I’m not saying that anyone should, but all you should do is be comfortable with yourself, doing what you do best.
As much as having to deal with dismissive PR and Brands gall me, I will stick to my blog. It’s what I’m best at doing, and while they tell me that blogging is dead and that no one reads anymore, I’d like to think that like the whole-food revival, there will come a time when people will return to reading. Time is what we make of it, so there’s no excuse to “not have time” to do anything that we enjoy. If there’s anyone out there who still appreciates the written word, then I welcome you to my world.
What say you: Is blogging dead as far as you’re concerned? I’d love to know what you think
Not all of us have the gift of charisma and of the gab, to sit before a video camera and make a 5 minute video interesting. Not all of us can create beautiful photos and flatlays. But with a little practice and a lot of effort, we can all write. Blogging maybe entering a twilight state, but that simply means that we can look forward to a new dawn. I’d like to think that day is not too far away 🙂
Paris B
Tine says
I love this post. If you asked me this a couple of years ago, I’d say no, blogging is not dead. But these days, it almost seems as though as it is. Instagram has become the new blog. Everyone is chasing numbers. It’s instant gratification at its best. Or is it at its worst?
I’d be lying if I say this doesn’t frustrate the bejeezus out of me. I don’t have a strong social media following and to be honest, that didn’t used to faze me until now. I’m still a strong believer in growing what belongs to you and not spending so much time on platforms that don’t. Perhaps it’s my bull-headed-ness that’s making it hard for me to accept these social influencers simply because they look pretty and have a 6-figure Instagram following.
I’m still a fan of the word and would always prefer reading over a fleeting glance of a pretty picture. Having said that, I also understand what they mean by “no one has the time to read anymore”, which is why pretty pictures alone do the job. Sigh. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
I like writing, always have and always will. And it’s your writing that drew me to your blog so many years ago and why I stayed 9 years on. To be very very very honest, if it’s just pretty pictures alone, I probably would have left ages ago. Don’t get me wrong, I love your pictures but your words exude YOU. 🙂
Paris B says
I feel you and the pressures of social media. It seems like that’s all people want these days – numbers. Doesn’t help either when Google goes off and plays with their algorithm every now and then, just to you know, keep things interesting >.< I do enjoy being on IG - it's fun when the company is right. But at the end of the day, those numbers belong to someone else. Someone I know had her thousands of followers taken away when Instagram closed her account for no good reason. That's the risk you run and when that happens, what then? I like to think that learning to create better pictures for SM has helped me on the blog as well, to up the quality of blog photos. That's one good thing to come out of it. But otherwise, it's still the writing that will get me any time on any platform. Can't write, or write insipid prose, I'm outta there 😛
Efrain says
For me blogging isn’t dead but like many other stuff has changed with time and I think that now it can be completely considered as an artisanal product as it needs way more time, work and patience. On the other hand it makes better and stronger bonds with people.
I’m in the younger spectrum of consumers and I know the popularity of Social media but I find them not completely my style. I love Instagram and Tumblr because I’m visual, but I really can’t lose my time on Twitter as I get easily bored there; Snapchat is … awkward I like it but to send funny pictures to my friends not to make them completely public and finally I don’t love Facebook but is my number one platform of communicating. I don’t know if it has something to do with maturity because people under 18 are bananas with them.
So now I think blogging is more of a niche product for people like you say loves reading or really want to know about something in particular. Again blogging isn’t dead but its target has changed is more for sitting and enjoy rather than seeing and like.
Also it’d be pretty silly to revive my blog if I considered blogging dead, wouldn’t be?
Paris B says
Ooh Efrain, I like that you said that blogging is artisanal 😀 I’d like to be thought of as an artisan hehe… 🙂 I actually enjoy Twitter as a way to get quick bitesized news and information. Some people are really witty and funny and that’s very entertaining. The platform I don’t get is Facebook, because I’m not very social and Facebook does require you to be more friendly and social and I’m just not 😛 Either way, I’m glad you decided to restart blogging again. Got to keep it alive you know! 😉
sesame says
Ok, let me ask: is Google dead? If people are actively using search engines to find stuff, how can blogging be dead? I search a lot and I see a lot of blog posts. Tweets too, FB post yes and definitely Pinterest. But Instagram?
Instagram is a visual feast for me. It’s a different ball game altogether. I suppose it does well for branding and probably some mindshare but blogs still work because they influence with both visual and words. Having said that, it means blogs need to be of higher quality these days.
Oh, a blogger is a social influencer too. I’m called one, even though I have a paltry Instagram number. And not too long ago, I attended an event where I was asked about my Instagram numbers. I plainly told them I’m not that active on Instagram as I did stop posting for months that season. But someone in the group quickly said, “oh but she blogs” and a handful of them actually appreciated the fact that I do. So…
Paris B says
That’s a good point about Google, Sesame. While I will agree that google searches throw up mostly websites and blogs, I have noticed in recent times, links to Instagram pictures as well through third party sites, although there’s no Facebook posts yet. It’s nice that you’re being recognised as a blogger and influencer, in your sphere. You should be! 🙂 Here, I place my blog front and centre – anything else to me is secondary and interestingly, I’ve had people accept that too. If they don’t, then I suppose it’s not worth my time engaging too much with them either 😉
Fireangel says
Blogging isn’t dead – blogs with good content however, are rare to find these days.
Keep it up!
Paris B says
Thanks FA 🙂 I’ll keep this up as long as I can
Renee / Blog for Beauty says
Great post Paris!
My answer is also both yes and no.
Blogging will still be “alive” as long as there are people who still enjoy writing and reading actual proper content on the Internet. I mean, we’re a rare bunch but we’re still around! 😛
But if you’re blogging for fame and fortune, or just in the sense of the commercial aspect to blogging… I’d say that wave is over.
Coming back to blogging now after a 2 year hiatus, I can see it has changed so, so much for everyone involved. I’ve had some very interesting conversations with many PR and media people about it as well. I don’t feel (at least in Singapore), all is completely lost because there are certain changes going on behind the scenes. I have 2 posts sitting in my draft folder about it, including a huge personal decision for my blog, but I don’t know when is the right time to post it. It might be too premature, or I might be way off. Like you said, blogging is in some sorta twilight zone, and the future is really unknown at this point.
For now, I like that you said that you blog for yourself. I think as bloggers if we’re doing that, and enjoy it, then there’s really nothing to “fear”. The blogging medium won’t ever die, I don’t think, it’s really just a website – and I don’t think the internet is going anywhere!
Paris B says
Oh it’s definitely hard to blog for fame and fortune these days. Like everything, it’s always the pioneers who will reap the most benefits and those who follow on hoping to strike gold will have a much harder time, unless they’re bringing something unique and new to the table. Harder and harder to do these days. So, I’d say that the most unique thing to do now, is blog and write! 🙂 I have noticed a shift in some companies away from the mainstream social influencers, but there is also a shift to embrace them. Depends a lot on the PR people behind the scenes, and what each company/brand wants to achieve in the end.
tirurit says
I share many of your opinions as I too am someone who enjoys both reading and writing (it is a way for me to practice writing in English).
Personally, my blog has been dead for a few months. Blogging takes time and effort and I just could not spare it, so, instead of doing it half arsedly, I opted for a frozen period. However, during this time that my blog has been on stand by, I have been able to keep my instagram updated. It is much more easier, as you say, as it only took me 10 or 15 minutes to compose a pic that I liked and to upload it. So I have personal experience of what you state.
I am getting back into blogging and I am not really caring what others predict on its future 😉
Paris B says
Ah see, you will only get better at a language the more you use it, so good on you for blogging on! 🙂 You are also right about how much work keeping a blog is. I always tell people who think blogging is easy, to try their hand at it. As with everything, there’s skill involved, and a creative process that not everyone can sustain in the long run. So, good on you for coming back to blogging – we need all the help we can get to stay “alive” 😉
Sam Still Reading says
Very interesting and I agree with a lot of your comments Paris. Whether people do or don’t have time to read, not many of them do! I love my blog reader, but it certainly means I leave less comments.
I don’t think you’ll find me doing Vlogging any time soon…I’d rather be clean faced in casual gear typing! I do like Instagram, but it’s more personal than my blog. And I like Twitter…unless these Facebook changes go ahead!
I think blogging is about more than the numbers, you could have 20000 disinterested followers or 200 people who read, think and interact. I blog because I enjoy it – I’ll never earn what I do compared to my day job, and I’m cool with that. I’ll keep writing and I’ll keep reading your blog. MWS is fresh and if I want honest content, I’ll come here first. Amazing how when searching for swatches of a particular lipstick I get the same gushing buy buy buy words! I like that you can talk me out of buying things!!
Paris B says
I found your comment interesting Sam, seeing as you blog about reading and books! Gosh, if it’s declining even in your niche, something must be wrong >.< I tried the whole vlog thing, but nah. Too much work 😛 I don't mind doing an occasional video, just for fun, but I'm going to make much much shorter ones, with no blather. If I can't bother with others' blather, I don't see why people should bother with mine LOL! 😀 Thank you for the kind words. I'm very happy that many of you get where I'm coming from - the same way it'll be hard for me to maintain my current lifestyle just by blogging, it's nice to know also that I can and have stamped my own individuality on the way I want to structure sponsored content, and that it's gone down well so far. Oh, I'm always HAPPY to talk people out of buying MORE things haha! 😀
Sofia says
Ok, maybe my blog is not a beauty blog (though I do read them and yours), but thanks for this interesting post as it’s been a question that I’ve been posing to myself lately. These “beauty influencers”, the ones that live off it and get paid enormous amounts for each instagram photo, a post, or whatnot, I think they shouldn’t even be called “bloggers” anymore, they “blog” should be called something else, some online magazine or whatnot. For me blogging is/(was??) something more personal and with a lot of writing, and a lot of the times these social influencers have amazing photos but content that isn’t worth reading.
With regards to beauty blogs, it used to be a place where I could consult the quality/efficacy etc of a product before buying it. Now with so much PR and sponsored posts, it’s hard to trust what you’re reading anymore, as it could possibly have been paid for. I do have my small circle of trusted beauty bloggers I do read though 😉
Have a great week!
Paris B says
Hi Sofia, I think this whole phenomenon is happening not only in the beauty blogging niche, but in the lifestyle niche in general. You are right that they aren’t bloggers anymore. Many of them have left their blogs without updating anymore, which is ironic, considering that’s what brought them the fame in the first place! But you are right – blogging is, as another reader has pointed out, soul. But in the end, I think we can only take what anyone says with a pinch of salt, although it’s nice to know what to avoid! 😀
Joann says
I agree, it’s yes and no. Now a days, peoples attention span has decreased so much, that it makes youtube way more convenient.
A blog could take up to 1 hour or more to write and edit whereas a video about a product could take minutes to film.
I’ve definitely lost my motivation to blog. I’ve never been a great writer and I find it difficult to showcase my personality through writing.
The only time I prefer written reviews is if I’m shopping in store. It’s easier to search up the review and read it in store than watch a video about it.
Paris B says
Interestingly, I find that I can’t really concentrate on YouTube. Some people have lovely voices, but sometimes, it grates and it might be the only helpful video out there LOL! But I get it, that everyone has different strengths. Some are better at video, some at writing. We could all exist in harmony, if there weren’t people trying to pit one against the other 😛
Kit says
Thanks for blogging this. I’ve missed blogging dreadfully and was glad to get back into it late last year.
I’ve spent a bit of time on Facebook, Instagram and etc but I find that blogging creates a deeper connection between bloggers and bloggers and readers.
Maybe blogs seem to attract those who appreciate reading and the written word?
I love photography too but there’s just so much of selfies I can take…
Anyway, I started out blogging about my pregnancies, my children’s growth quirks, books, shopping and travel but now, I’ll blog to keep tabs of our food and fitness 🙂
Let’s blog on!
P/S Why are my latest blog posts displayed in Japanese? ?
Paris B says
You’re actually right about the connections that are built through blogging. I too find that I’m “closer” to readers on the blog than others on Facebook or Instagram. Maybe it’s because in blog comments, there is space for people to say a lot more, as they might be more likely to be typing on a computer, than on their phones. On phones, no one wants to leave a length comment! 🙂 As for the blog link, I saw your other comments in the spam and realised you had put the wrong blog URL. I’ve rectified it now and deleted the Japanese one.
Philippe says
Tricky but I recon blogging will never go away, but it will lose it’s glossy “new” shine as other media emerges. Sure you can go for the big numbers but a like doesn’t mean sales.. it means exposure and people won’t buy stuff you recommend if you’re just blowing smoke. They’ll do it once and be gone, while others with a brain will remember who knew what they were talking about and go back there. Knowledge is power, persistence is key and people will always come back to what’s good/true/valuable.
Paris B says
“others with a brain” LOL! So true! Some things get old but you know what else bugs me as well? Bloggers/Influencers who give rubbish skincare tips. I don’t care much for makeup tips, because if it goes wrong, just wipe it off. But for skincare, it bugs me when people talk nonsense 😛
Allison Wong says
I started blogging many years ago as a mean to share my travel & lifestyle updates with my sister who was living overseas in more like a diary form, then I got distracted in between so was blogging on and off. But since end of last year, after I realized that I have tons of beautiful travel pictures lying in my laptop’s hard disk so I felt bad not to share all the beautiful places that I’d been (travel makes my happy!). So yes I’ll keep on blogging and posting on social media, not because I’m a Influencer wannabe, but just to keep track and share my experiences as my memory get rustier ;-D I love Instagram too because I love taking pictures but never had grown into using much of twitter nor youtube nor pinterest… Keep up your good work in blogging as there will always be people who likes to read!
Paris B says
Thanks for sharing! The ones who blog for the sake of blogging are few and far between these days. Everyone else has an agenda of some sort LOL! But you’re right. So long as there are people reading, there will be bloggers 🙂
Norlin says
I was just chatting about Instagram and the “death” of blogging with Tine who directed me to your post. Honestly, I don’t think blogging will die and I LOVED how you coined the term “fast-food information consumption”. It is so true! I do think LESS people are reading and commenting than before, which can be a little bit sad, but that means those who DO read are those who value what bloggers have to share. Not just images. Words. Information. Writing that is really a craft that takes time to get better.
While Instagram might be the “in” thing now, just like fast fashion, it can fade quickly once something or someone new pops up. I admire those who take the time to share amazing curated images on their IG feed but to solely rely on that if say, you’re a beauty, styling or personal blogger, would be a fairly dangerous route to take.
Paris B says
I came across a forum somewhere, where people were saying that blogging is so 2008/2009. I thought that it was true and yet untrue. It’s true, people were blogging more back then as there were no other social media platforms to get on. These days, there are too many and all with bite-sized information that has as much nutritional value as a pack of instant noodles (satisfying, but ultimately full of empty calories) but it looks like that’s what people want. That’s what marketeers and brands want because it’s fast. I’ve spoken to so many PR/Brand people in recent times who all make a face at what they perceive to be the shallowness of influencers and yet engage them because the brands direction requires them to. I think it’ll eventually come full circle. Hopefully. Let’s hope society doesn’t degenerate that far that reading no longer serves any purpose.
Jel says
“Blogging maybe entering a twilight state, but that simply means that we can look forward to a new dawn. I’d like to think that day is not too far away.”
You couldn’t have said this better. Most Philippine beatuy blogs I follow are too product PR-centric, I got turned-off reading them now. One had made her blog a platform, which albeit encourage and introduces new writers, defeats the personalization I look for in beauty blogs.
Yours however continued with product reviews and confering your thoughts on intriguing things and while I love me some artistic flatlays (gorgeous ones on IG are abounty, just scour the #flatlay hashtag), I’d rather read how things work (or if they don’t) than see it.
Paris B says
Hi Jel, thank you for sharing your thoughts on this matter. In many ways, I’ve found that many large or popular blogs do tend to be very PR-centric, because they do get a lot of perks for being that way! It’s a very rare large blog/blogger with a wide reach who chooses to take the route of being brutally honest, and that makes me rather sad, because they can do so much with such a wide reach. Thank you for reading my blog – it means a lot to me that people do still appreciate an honest opinion and critique, not merely pretty pictures! 🙂
Kamille says
Hi! New blog reader here!
I took a break from blogging a while back and I decided to get back into it recently and noticed that most the people I used to follow (on their blogs) have now disappeared. Some of them have migrated to Twitter and Instagram and even though I’m a millennial, I never took to Instagram and only use Twitter maybe once a week. I think it’s much more personal and deep to communicate through the written word instead of 140 characters or carefully taken pictures. Plus, I’m a writer deep at heart so if I do anything else I feel like I’m betraying myself.
But I’m not going to lie. Considering the amount of time it takes for a blog post to be written, I sometimes consider vlogging and then I remember that I’m not exactly photogenic. I’m jealous of the Instagram stars who can create beautiful photos too. I’m lucky enough to get pictures that aren’t blurry so I can’t even Instagram.
It’s sad that people’s attention spans have declined because social media and blogging in whatever form is much more enjoyable when there’s more content. And I’ve noticed a lot of the blogs that are still around are the ones where the blogger seems to only post pictures of all the expensive stuff they’ve bought that day. I used to follow fashion blogs but they’ve also died a bit (well the ones I used to follow anyway) and they seem to have graduated to YouTube videos where they do those shopping hauls. The only vlogs I watch are the beauty ones because I’m hopeless at makeup and often need some visual guidance.
And lastly, it’s always nice to find a blog with actual words on it.
Paris B says
Hi Kamille, Ah blogging has changed so much since the time you left off, hasn’t it? These days, it’s all about numbers, how many followers you have etc. Instagram is fun, I enjoy it and I can see the marketing potential. Do try it – it makes a fun complement to the blog, and as with everything, practice makes perfect! But I wouldn’t use it as my primary platform. I’m too verbose for my own good, and as you said, it’s nice to come across blogs with words, not dominated by pictures, nor carefully curated to be a PR news dissemination machine. Good luck with your new blogging journey – it’s a whole different landscape now, but I’m sure you’ll do just fine 🙂