People first started blogging in the mid 90s, so like…is blogging even still relevant anymore?!
Join me for a little walk down blogging’s memory lane as we discuss how content creation has evolved over the years, and what approach you should take in 2022.
Listen now!
The Age Old Question: Is Blogging Dead?
It’s 2022, and there’s a lot going on in the world of content creation.
There are blog posts.
Articles.
Resources.
Podcast episodes.
Videos.
Whatever shape and form your content takes, it plays an extremely important role when we’re talking about growing your audience and strengthening your brand.
But…is BLOGGING dead?
This question has been floating around for YEARS.
And here’s the truth: no, blogging is NOT dead. It just is evolving, as it has done in the past.
1994: The First Blog Is Created
Let’s go back to 1994.
What were you doing in 1994?
I was just a little guy, getting ready to start kindergarten.
And Justin Hall, a student, just created the first ever blog.
The name? Links.net and it was created as a place for Justin to share his writing.
Justin’s blog wasn’t even called a blog back then, though, because the term hadn’t even been invented.
That came later: in 1997, the term “weblog” was born. It was later shortened to just “blog”.
Late 1990s: Different Blogging Platforms Are Introduced
Throughout the years, different blogging platforms came and went.
In 1999 — also the year of the infamous Y2K MADNESS – three big platforms were launched:
- Xanga
- Livejournal
- Blogger
If anyone listening was on one of these platforms, I would love to hear from you because you are my kind of people! I had a few different Livejournal accounts, even into the mid-2000s, and I’m totally bummed I can’t remember the account names I used, because I would LOVE to look that shizz up. But on second thought, maybe it’s best to leave the past in the past!
But anyway – I digress. Let’s get back to it.
2003: AdSense is Introduced & WordPress Is Released
In 2003, Google acquired Blogger and also introduced AdSense, which is still a way you can monetize your blog today.
Another thing happened in 2003 as well: the introduction of WordPress.
If you don’t know, WordPress is an open-source software that a HUGE percentage websites today still use.
Although I work with a variety of platforms, I primarily use WordPress — and I am proud to say I have been a user of WordPress SINCE it was first released….which, yes, at this point, was nearly 20 years ago…which makes me feel really old. But it’s been a fun journey, and that’s all that matters!
2005: Video Content Becomes More Popular, Everyone is Getting Online
Vlogs, or video blogs, were becoming more popular. They really skyrocketed in popularity when YouTube was founded in 2005.
It was also around this time that more and more publications and big companies moved their content online, and personal blogs — that is, a blog written by an individual — were very popular as well.
“I-Centric” Content vs “You-Centric” Content
Although this may not be true for EVERY blogger out there — I’m just dipping into my experience as a blogger in the mid to late 2000s — most personal blogs consisted of relatively short posts that didn’t dive in super deep. Posts tended to be more about “what I did today” rather than providing readers with problem-solving content.
And because of this, most people were able to post more often. It’s far, far easier and quicker to sit down and write a couple paragraphs about what’s going on in your life or what you wore today than to provide people with targeted, reader-directed content.
Now, we’re really seeing a shift: if you have a strong blog today, it’s not “you” centric. It’s based on providing readers with problem-solving content and answering questions.
What About Social Media Back in The Day? Promotion? Marketing?
Social media existed in the past, but not in the way it does today, so we also never used to spend much time promoting our content.
I also think because there were less people online, and less people blogging, it was easier to stand out.
Conversations and discussion existed on blog posts — people left comments on individual posts and entire communities of bloggers in a similar niche existed. They still do, to some extent, but it’s much different today.
There’s also the monetization thing — I shouldn’t generalize, but I think it’s safe to say most individuals starting a blog in 2004 didn’t expect to become an influencer — influencers weren’t even a thing yet! No one was really doing it for the money because there wasn’t much, if any, money in it. But now it seems like those two things go hand in hand: if you’re going to have a blog, you’re expected to monetize it and monetize it well or you won’t be “successful”. (That’s not necessarily my opinion, but it does seem to be the thought process of most people out there.)
Blogging has EVOLVED
Nope. Blogging isn’t dead. It’s not.
It’s just changed.
Today: Focus on Helpful, Problem-Solving “You-Centric” Content
The biggest shift, as I mentioned, is that if you want to use blogging successfully for YOUR brand, you have to be HELPFUL. Your blog isn’t about you. It’s about your audience and giving them information they need.
Today: Focus on Attention-Grabbing Imagery & Video Content
There are a couple more shifts too. The first is in relation to design. Back in the 1990s, blog posts basically used to just be words on a page. That’s because everyone was on AOL dial-up internet where it took 1000 minutes just to load one page.
Of course, that’s no longer the case today and that’s why, as internet connections have grown faster and more stable, web and content design as a whole has shifted to be more visual. Imagery is important. Video content is not for everyone, but it is playing an even more important role than ever before (hello Instagram reels and TikTok).
Today: Focus on Promotion & Marketing, Not Just Creation…
And content promotion is EXTREMELY important, or else you’re just going to be creating content that never gets seen. Personally, this is something that I struggle with – it’s been a major shift for me to realize this because I first started blogging in the early 2000s when there really were no places to promote your content. There was no Facebook, there was no Instagram, and there certainly was no TikTok.
There are different percentages thrown around for how to properly divvy up your time, but in general, you should be spending MORE time promoting your content than creating it.
Crazy right?! If you haven’t been doing that, try changing it up in the next few months and see if you notice any results.
Pin it!
Pinnable graphics for this episode.
Today: Focus on STRATEGIC Content Strategy
You want to be STRATEGIC with your content.
Everything that you publish should have a PURPOSE and be alignment with your brand. If it doesn’t, you are wasting time — and content that doesn’t serve a purpose could potentially hurt you, too. Remember that every piece of content should be created with the goal of growing your business.
This is one thing I see a lot of business owners fail at, and I’m not really sure why. I mean, I’ve been guilty of this myself years ago, but I have since corrected course. I think a lot of people just feel the pressure to produce: they feel like because they’ve committed to this once per week posting schedule, or whatever it is, that they NEED to put something out there no matter what it is.
While being consistent with your posting schedule IS important, I would argue that it’s MORE important whatever you are publishing is in alignment with your brand.
Let’s take the Byte Sized Strategy podcast, for example. It’s all about providing you with digital strategy tips and tricks. We talk about branding, copywriting, website design, user experience, and so on. We’re all about the tech. It’s all about that talking nerdy stuff.
So, how completely random would it be if, on our next episode, I totally shifted gears and started talking about healthy dinner recipes? Or zydeco music? Or how to survive holiday travel?
All of those things interest me and they may interest you as well, and heck, you may even pick up a thing or two. But they are not in ALIGNMENT with anything I do, so those episodes wouldn’t strengthen my brand.
Sometimes, it’s a little sneakier than this and maybe isn’t quite so obvious when a topic is out of alignment. And that’s why you really have to check yourself to make sure everything does actually make sense for your brand.
Create Content With PURPOSE.
Some people do this by picking a theme for each month, and then making sure the bits of content that they create and publish is based around that theme. If that works for you, go for it!
What I usually have my clients do is create a few specific categories that are topics that are related to A) what they offer to their audience, and B) things their audience is interested in. Then I have them brainstorm individual post ideas that fall within these categories. I like this because it gives people enough to work with, and it keeps your content robust and varied enough but still on point.
What format of content is right for your brand?
You’re not limited to just “blog posts” anymore! You can also create videos or audio versions of your content.
So which one is right for you?
Well, I can’t answer that for you, because everyone is different. Everyone’s audience is also different as well.
As you determine what type of content you are going to utilize — and keep in mind, you don’t necessarily have to choose only one type! — make sure you:
- Choose a format that is going to work for your intended audience
- Make sure you actually ENJOY creating that type of content too, and…
- It’s DOABLE for you to do on a consistent basis. It fits within your schedule.
It all goes back to that being in alignment thing.
Video can be time consuming
It can take a while to get the perfect set-up, and even longer to edit and render, export, add captions, etc.
You can outsource this process, but of course that’s going to cost money.
If you choose to do it yourself, you may need to acquire some skills to feel comfortable with everything, which is going to cost time.
Basically, everything costs some kind of resource, so make sure you have them available.
Creating a podcast is challenging, too
Take it from me!
I am super, super picky about my sound quality and let me tell you, it takes a while to get everything properly set up…I also have to plan well in advance and be selective when I record, because I live in an apartment with paper thin walls.
On the other hand, I am a very efficient writer, so written content is a breeze for me. But, I chose a predominantly audio format because I think it’s a better way for me to keep it conversational, and relay technical information in an easier to understand way.
Again, it’s all about finding what’s doable for you, what your audience relates to, and also, draw on your strengths! Some of my clients experience writer’s block on the regular, but they don’t even break a sweat when they sit down with a microphone for an hour and improv enough content for a podcast episode.
Don’t be afraid to try a new format of content out
You don’t know until you try it! If you’ve been toying with the idea of adding video to your content repertoire for a while now, there’s no time like the present to take it for a spin and try it out!
(But be prepared for frustrations and challenges. As with trying anything new, there is a learning curve. There were a couple of YEARS between the “hey, maybe I should do a podcast” conception days to November 2021, when I published the first episode. There was lots of trial and error, lots of re-recording, and even some moments of wanting to throw in the towel. But in the end, I stuck with it and it’s been a fun and rewarding experience!)
Wrapping It Up: Keep Creating Content in 2022!
Creating content is a wonderful OPPORTUNITY to grow your audience and your brand, so make the most of it! Remember these takeaways from this episode:
- Spend more time promoting your content than creating it
- Get strategic: everything you publish should be audience-driven (you-centric). Work toward solving a problem they are experiencing, and have purpose!
- Don’t be afraid to try a new format of content out! If “blogging” feels out of alignment for you and your audience, try creating a video or podcast! Why not?