Is Blogging Dead?

Blogging used to be incredibly popular and one of the greatest ways to keep up to date with what was happening with your friends and family, but also from a business standpoint, it was very useful. 

Blogs could be tailored towards your business needs and netted some fantastic revenue, whilst also advertising your products or services. 

Is Blogging Dead

But has blogging died now in the age of social media? Well, the truth is, some forms of blogging have definitely ceased to maintain relevance, but some blogs are still thriving. 

It’s not necessarily blogging that has died, but the way in which we interact with blogs that has adapted. 

This guide will explore all of these points and aim to answer all of your most burning questions. 

Read on for more. 

Are Blogs Still Being Read?

If you’re considering starting a blog but you’re apprehensive about it because you think it’s a pointless endeavor – here’s some facts for you to think about first. 

  • 77% of people that use the internet daily read blogs 
  • 600 million sites online are blogs out of 1.9 billion websites 
  • Every month, Google receives 100 billion searches 
  • 80% of users will ignore paid ads to focus on blog posts 
  • Google’s volume for searches grows 10% every year 

Just by looking at these figures, we can see that blogging is indeed still alive and well. However, even though aspects of blogging are still thriving, there are many dead points to blogging. 

Here’s what strategies and content types are being “killed off” when it comes to the world of blogging. 

Clickbait 

Clickbait is one of the most frustrating things for internet users.

Someone reads an enticing headline and wants to read the content, only to discover the “meat” is absolute nonsense or filled with inaccuracies. 

The problems with clickbait are various. First, the “thirst” of the reader has not been quenched.

What they were hoping to get from the post, they did not receive. 

Imagine as a business if this was the case with a product or service. You could not expect repeat customers or repeat business, and this is another point for clickbait. 

As readers are not being satisfied, they believe they are being duped or conned when they click on available posts.

The old mantra of “once bitten, twice shy” comes to mind with many, and it becomes less and less likely that the blog post will be engaged with. 

Not just this, but third parties will often “bounce” these blog posts.

So, using Facebook as an example, if you were to report the blog post as being clickbait, eventually the post would start to be affected by Google. 

The blog becomes less and less relevant on Google search rankings until eventually it falls into obscurity. This also happens with vlogs on YouTube. 

Therefore, the best advice to anybody planning their own blog is to always deliver on your promises from the headline to the content. 

No Focus 

No Focus 

Most businesses will understand the importance of having a business plan, inclusive of aspects such as target audience.

Your business will be focused on what it is doing, where it is going and why. 

When it comes to blogs, this should be no exception.

The problem that some bloggers fell to was blogging about literally anything. There was no focus and therefore, poor organization. 

When people are looking for something specific, they will find it through websites, stores, services etc that are clear on what they offer.

If you’re looking for glasses for example, you’d go to an optician. 

Creating a niche topic or area of focus will allow you to reach a specific targeted group.

If you’re all over the place, your focus and reach is lost and you’re unlikely to attract any new traffic. 

Overuse 

Speaking of traffic, one of the strategies which has been killed off over the years is the traffic hungry tactic of overposting. 

Years ago, this used to be a way that worked – but then, the internet had much less content! Over the years, the way that we engage with the internet and how it works is so much different. 

The advice that anybody can give you is to focus on the quality of your posting, rather than the quantity – but you do need to remain relevant, so don’t disappear for months! 

Too Much Personal Information 

There’s a huge difference between a personal blog and a blog for business needs.

Unfortunately, many conflated the two, usually as a start-up business or as a small business owner. 

Whilst there’s nothing wrong with adding a little personal element into your content, if you start to saturate your blog with personal information, not only does this confuse the target of your posts, but it risks ostracizing your customers.

Remember, when people want to see what you (personally) are up to and what’s going on – they can find you on social media!

It’s Only Words 

Over time, we’ve had the ability to add plenty of different types of content within blogs, including images, videos and GIFs. 

Blogs that simply have words and more words risk boring the reader and do not attract them to continue with the blog. 

Connections to your various other media such as YouTube channels and social media pages can be a gold mine for additional content, so always bear these in mind if you want to attract more. 

Blogs/Vlogs – Not Dead, Just Different 

So, whilst blogging isn’t dead – it’s simply different from what it used to be.

Vlogging via YouTube for example has changed from its origins, but still continues to be one of the most used websites in the world. 

The Bottom Line 

Blogging is not dead. The way you use blogging is important though to avoid some of the now defunct tactics that we’ve mentioned above.

Justin Shaw