Hello everyone it’s Zainab here, welcome or welcome back to my blog! I can’t believe that one month of 2023 has already passed – it’s been so fast. I thought that I would write today’s post on a topic that could really interest everyone, which is the current relevancy of blogging. This post has been inspired by Pooja’s post from Lifesfinewhine, so do read hers aswell. For now, let’s jump into it!
THE BEGINNINGS OF BLOGGING
I think a common misconception I had around blogging was that it didn’t begin until the early 2000s, but actually it was slightly before that time. One of the earliest bloggers, Justin Hall, launched his blog in 1994. Back then, the word ‘blog’ wasn’t even used wisely – personal blogs were seen as online diaries. Which I believe really encapsulates the simplicity that blogging was meant to have. At the time, everyone was just writing about short highlights of their day or life – and people really seemed to enjoy that look into other people’s lives.
By 2000, there was a rise in platforms for bloggers such as Blogger or WordPress, which was launched a few years later. This acted as a catalyst for personal bloggers – who were finally able to start their online diary, blog, much more easily. These platforms provided the accessibility to do so, and in my opinion, I think this is really what created the rise of blogging. Because now, in 2023, it is estimated that 70 million posts are posted to WordPress every month.
WHO IS STILL BLOGGING TODAY?
During the rise of blogging, it was really personal bloggers who were shining the most. But, as it’s reached more people while the media industry is simultaneously growing – users found ways to utilise blogging in their own ways.
As innovation has grown, many bloggers no longer write just to share their personal interests, but rather write posts that they know will be able to drive them traffic and then eventually monetise their blog through platform schemes or working with brands. Instead of writing about how their day was, bloggers specifically write about topics that they know they can add a fresh perspective on or add value to – because they know it will be a popular, and profitable, post. And honestly, it is working because only 33% of bloggers have never earned any money from blogging.
It’s not just people now either, I think most people have now seen businesses have a small ‘blog’ section to their own sites where they can write about their products in action, or even work with bloggers on a commercial level!
When it comes to blogging or consuming content, there’s no doubt that it’s becoming increasingly difficult. Now, there’s a huge demand for video content – and most of the time blogging won’t satisfy this need. Purely because watching a video is much more convenient then sitting down to read a post. Which is why a lot of the time, you’ll see bloggers start a Youtube channel or even a podcast, to retain their audience or because they know it will probably be more relevant.
CHOOSING INTENTIONS WISELY
So, when you really think about the overall question regarding a blog’s relevance, it really comes down to why someone is blogging. If you go back to the beginning of blogging, personal blogs, those are still here today – and while they may not be as relevant from a commercial standpoint, these bloggers write because they genuinely love it and have that passion. I believe that this joy is going to keep blogging going, through it’s community and relatability of the personal blogs!
In terms of influencers or content creators with blogs, yes I still think those will always have a place. Bloggers build genuine connections with their readers, so enterprises really want to use this for marketing strategies such as product placements or reviews.
Social media has also changed intentions for bloggers, therefore it’s no surprise that it’s one of the most popular generators of traffic for bloggers. This fact in itself is peculiar, blog posts tend to be long – with a lot of all content – but social media is all about short form content. Pictures with a short caption, a 30 second video on TikTok, or a tweet with a 280 character limit. So, this really puts forward the question of how you want to blog. Social media is an effective method of sharing your blog, but with it’s rising prominence and some people even blogging on their accounts entirely – that isn’t necessarily what people think of when it comes to blogging and may start to alter what a blog truly is.
Honestly, I think blogging will always have a place – but the question really is, ‘What do you want to make of your blog?‘
SOURCES/LINKS
History Of Blogging by Hubspot
History Of Blogging by Wikipedia
Thank you so much for reading this post, I really enjoyed curating this – I do believe that blogging can still remain relevant. The community speaks for itself! Let me know in the comments what you think.
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Have a lovely rest of the week!
Zainab Chats 
Really interesting post. And thanks for linking to mine. I think social media more than anything has influenced bloggers and is the reason some bloggers have decided to stop blogging. However, those that enjoy will always continue to do so. The community we have here is like nothing else I’ve seen online.
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No worries Pooja! Yes, I’ve definitely seen what you have seen – and yet the community is still the best too! :))
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This was a great post and I learned a lot. I totally agree that blogging will continue to have a place!
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Thanks so much Sophia – yess agreed!
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I do think people have reduced reading blogs but as long as people keep writing, some people will keep reading! 🙂
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Love this point! 😆
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Really well written post Zainab!! A lot of the time when I say I blog peoples minds go to me being on other social media platforms like instagram or even vlogging and that really shows how new social media uses have really affected blogging
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Thanks so much Zahra! Yes I feel like now a lot of people just set up social media accounts that they consider blogs – which is still perfectly fine! But something about writing on a website makes it more fun for me 😆
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I know! The website has more space to actually “write” and as you said it’s just kinda cool!
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Terrific and wonderful blog post Zainab. As I was reading it I was actually in awe and impressed that at least there is a Blogger who has addressed the “RELEVANCE OF BLOGGING” which guides us as Bloggers with the reason why we started blogging in the first place
As a Fashion Blogger, my reason for blogging hasn’t changed as I am writing to influence and help men dress better. I am happy with my niche being Men’s fashion and style.
I am stunned also to find out that ‘Justin Hall’ was the first man to have a blog in 1994. Blogging back then were diaries but today people write blogs to add value and others even get paid to be a Blogger(myself included, I have a blogging side hustle, I charge clients a fee to create a blog for them).
Lastly, what’s your take on ChatGPT that seems to be a threat to the lives of bloggers since this chatbox creates a blog, writes articles and music at a much faster rate than a normal human being🙌
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