Blogs were basically the beginning of influencer marketing. They provided the first online platform where someone else’s opinion actually influenced other people. Nowadays, however, video and fast content are taking over. Does this mean that blogs are fizzling out?
People want instant gratification instead of endless blogs
Our society today is focused on seeing, reading and hearing everything as quick as possible. We want instant gratification. Who really reads a blog post of 3000 words anymore? Also, people don’t actually read anymore. They scan. There’s so much information we get bombarded with every day, that we don’t have a choice.
Are blogs dying?
Are blogs really dying? No, of course not. Like all other media, however, they are transforming. The blogs, as we know them from 10 years ago, died a long time ago. And that’s not a bad thing. There probably aren’t many people longing for those kitty cat diaries to come back.
According to Ramsay Taplin, the owner of a big platform for bloggers, Google Trends even shows a decline in certain keywords, such as “blogging”. Of course, it’s hard to make a claim based on this alone. But as he says, blogs aren’t dead, they’ve just changed a lot.
What do you have to do to keep your blog alive?
Successful blogs are more than just a bunch of posts. A successful blogger builds a community. Adds a personal touch to the blog. Uses multimedia. And is big on personal branding. Think about it, why do you follow someone? Because you have a connection to them. Because you have the feeling that you know the blogger. Because you feel understood.
But even then, you probably don’t want to get lost in their blog posts for hours on end. Videos, podcasts, photos, reviews, and other graphic content are much faster and easier to consume. The key to successful communication is transferring information as clearly as possible in as few words as possible.
So, what do you need to do to keep your blog alive is:
- Produce multimedia content: content must consist of more than just blog posts. Think of social media content, infographics, video, podcasts, eBooks, and Ecourses.
- Build up mailing lists and send out newsletters: email lists are the best way to engage your community and convert them into customers.
- Experiment with new technology: the internet is constantly changing and so is social media. Have you heard of TikTok yet? It’s the most downloaded app among teenagers at the moment.
Conclusion
Blogs aren’t dead. They are still alive and kicking. Yes, people are increasingly looking for fast content and don’t want to spend too much time and energy clicking through to websites on social media. But if you manage to transform your blog into a community and combine it with video, you’ll have a long-term strategy for success.
