Amber gives her personal opinion on how the life of a blogger is rapidly going out of style.
A brief history of blogging
Turn the clock back about 10 years and blogging was just taking its first mainstream steps in the online world. At first, blogs were mainly personal, online journals but as we entered the early and mid- 2000s, they came to represent a reliable source of niche information and advice.
Politics, popular culture, technology, cooking, and travel, among other topics, all had prominent blogs dedicated to them. It was only a matter of time before marketers and businesses took notice.
“society has become increasingly impatient craving something more visually and immediately appealing”
Not long after, ‘blogging for business’ slowly started to rise as an effective digital marketing tactic and with good reason – blogging became one of the most productive and successful ways to get yourself recognition in the creative world.
“Blogging was a way of sharing your personal journal to the world; vlogging was a virtual reality of that.”
When done right, not only did it prove to be a powerful way to get found in search engines by a qualified audience; it was also a brilliant way to share your unique expert opinions and truly show that you ‘knew your stuff.’
However, with the rise of social media, society has become increasingly impatient craving something more visually and immediately appealing. For example, when YouTube arrived blogging developed into vlogging.
Blogging was a way of sharing your personal journal to the world; vlogging was a virtual reality of that. This enabled the vlogger to submerge their informal lives with their audiences, introducing their vlogs with “Hey guys” almost like how a friend would.
It started with people like Zoe Sugg who set up her video blog ‘Zoella’ and shared her first post “I LOVE LUSH” – a review of some Lush products her boyfriend at the time bought her for Valentine’s Day. After continuing to vlog almost every day, sharing everything from ‘bootsale bargains’ to asking for name suggestions for her goldfish, she became one of the most successful vloggers in all social media history.
The current situation
In this modern day of society, we all depend on our daily dose of social media. Scrolling through Instagram first thing in the morning and last thing before we go to bed has assisted every one of us to develop an urge for instant, immediate supply to whatever we demand. Vlogging is a more sensually appealing way of receiving an insight to the vlogger’s life.
“The blog simply acts as an amazing traffic generating tool, a tried-and-tested platform that you own to connect with your community”
But, to answer the the final question, is blogging dead?
I do not want people to get the wrong impression. People still read online content. The question, of course, is whether people are reading blogs less. Honestly, no one will know. But one thing is for sure, the power of words will remain meaning people will always read articles.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzOqc_jp33k/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Being a blogger does not mean that the only thing you do is sit behind your table and write articles. Being a blogger today is using social media to drive traffic to your blog (using your content as bait, of course). Being a blogger today is creating a blog brand and high-quality content.
Being a blogger today is launching your own e-courses to your own email lists. The blog simply acts as an amazing traffic generating tool, a tried-and-tested platform that you own to connect with your community, and a way for you to give massive value to your audience.
Amber Chow
Featured Image courtesy of Chloé Chevalier via Flickr
Article Images Courtesy of thatschic wearilive zoesugg sophievstheuniverse _yanyanchan vbiancav via Instagram
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