I know you have questioned it (so have I) so let’s talk about it…”Are blogs fizzling out?” This nagging question has been at the forefront of my mind for quite some time now. More noticeably in the last 2 years. I’ll get right to it.
The Culprits
Let’s get down to the culprits. SOCIAL MEDIA. Once upon a time you were told to link all of your social media handles to your blog. Why? Because it’s another way to promote your blog post and point readers in the direction of that post. Fast forward a couple of years. People have gotten lazy (myself included). No one seems to take the time to visit sites anymore.
People love the instant gratification of an Instagram post, swipe up or video. Why read a blog post that has words when you can just look at pretty pictures? Now, I think I have to take some responsibility in this too. Maybe people aren’t visiting my site because what I’m saying isn’t of enough value or importance. Maybe there isn’t enough substance to my blog post. Think about it, how much can you really write about an outfit?
There are so many pros and cons of Instagram but from a “bloggers/influencers” standpoint, as of late possibly more cons. Stay with me. While Instagram has helped me (and many) grow my following, it has taken a tremendous amount of traffic away from my blog. Why? Photos on Instagram are instant. As much as I love to follow exchange on Instagram, I have come to realise that some people will not click on a blog post after they’ve already seen the corresponding Instagram post. Usually I will share bits and pieces from the blog post that I write that day in the form of a picture. Therefore people may not find the need to read my blog post that day, unless it’s an interesting topic “worth” the read. It becomes redundant to see the same outfit post on different platforms Iguess. People also may not know my posting schedule (which as of late hasn’t been so consistent.)
More focus on number of followers and likes versus transparency and overall content.
It seems like in today’s digital age number of followers and likes equates to self worth and power. First things first, I feel like giveaways were in theory a means to an end and not an end to a means. What I mean is the whole point of doing giveaways is to grow your following while maintaining your new followers. These new eyes would (in theory) turn into new subscribers for your blog. NOT THE CASE. Instead, giveaways have given people a sense of entitlement. I know some bloggers/influencers that started blogging less than 2 years ago, have done a ton of international giveaways and now have massed a following of over 300K!!!
In a time where the same people preach to you about being authentic all the while buying followers in forms of giveaways or bots. Oh yeah girl, you didn’t realize that giveaways are another form of buying followers!? I’ve worked my ass off from day one 4 years ago. Pitching brands (I could do more), sealing deals and partnerships, engaging with my followers and peers. But I can’t lie how discouraging it is to see influencers not even a year in, buy all of their followers and (on paper) seem like they are more worthy than you are. Now let’s not confuse this with “the comparison game” these are just straight facts.
From a brand’s standpoint, seeing that number of followers seems to be “legit”. A brand may choose to work with this person over a more tenured person with more credibility. Giveaways have been such discouraging scenarios in the blogging community. While everyone says “numbers don’t matter” and “keep creating unique content” it’s kind of bullsh*t. Numbers do in fact matter. There is no “true” way to find out if the followings are authentic. So many people have become complacent on their number of Instagram followers that they don’t even write on their blogs anymore. Once again leading to the question, “Are blogs fizzling out?”
On the flip side, I know and follow a ton of bloggers/influencers with under 100K and under 30K followers whose content I absolutely love! They have substance, a cool point of view and don’t look like clones to the rest of the industry.
Youtube
While I do not wish to be some huge Youtube star, I do love making and sharing videos. Youtube is another way for me to reach my followers in a more authentic way. You can’t fake personality. Again though, this is another media outlet that has sort of taken away from blog traffic too. Youtube has become a form of television for many people. Raise your hand if you are guilty of binge watching some of your favorite tutorials……*raises hand*. As a blogger, Youtube is “supposed” to be another way to reach your followers and get them interested in your blog. Instead people want to see more videos which in turn takes more time to create and takes away from writing blog posts. It’s a vicious cycle.
At this point I don’t know what to think. Yes I know the industry is ever changing so we have to roll with the punches. I want to get you all involved in the discussion. I would love to know what you think. Do you still seek out and read blogs? What do you like about them? What don’t you like about them? Are you more of an Instagrammer, Youtuber, blog reader or all three? Why do you read my blog? Are you tired of bloggers in general?
All I can tell you is that I’ve had a lot of time to think about all of this. While I will continue to post regularly on my blog, hopefully you will see a difference in my content. I’m very interested to see how the blogosphere is ever changing and to see the direction that blogs are heading in.
Thanks for reading!
