So the short answer…NO! If it’s so easy then why does it seem like everywhere I turn people are saying that blogging is dead?! If you’ve been on social media lately then maybe you too have heard other share that they believe blogging is dead and blogs are dying out left and right. Well…I think there’s a LOT more we should dig into and a LOT more to consider before writing blogging off the communication map!

Let’s Dig In!

Blogging has changed. There’s no doubt about that! When I first started blogging – I was a senior in high school, and I started a small photo journalist blog. At the time, seven years ago, social media was VERY different. Instagram was a thing, but people didn’t use it to fully promote their businesses or designate a lot of marketing money or time to it. If I can remember correctly, people were still using the free filters in the IG app, and IG stories weren’t even a thought! IG was focused on sharing things “Instantly” and “in the moment.” Seven years ago, blogging wasn’t a career, but it was a way for individuals to share about their lives and businesses in an open format. Influencers needed a space to communicate, and since all social media platforms were for short-response/short-messaging, starting your own blog was the BEST way to communicate. Today, things look VERY different. Social media is very different and the way consumers respond to messaging is different.

While things might be different – there’s still a need and a desire for blogs.

While customers enjoy short messaging on social media, the best way to share long-form text content is still through a blog. The best way to find information as a customer is often through blog reviews. While Instagram and FB might up their Google searchability – right now, if you search for “Simplified Planner” on Google, it will show the officially website and websites/blogs that mention this item. You might be able to find some photos from Instagram in the Photos search on Google, but you’re limited in your search. For one, most IG posts are short and sweet – they use very little searchable key terms, and secondly, a lot of influencers use their stories to share about brands. Instagram stories are not searchable, and they disappear after 24 hours. While it’s GREAT to share about items in Influencer’s Instagram stories (for high exposure) – there’s no way for new people to find this content, and even though these stories can be saved as a highlight – there’s no way for even followers to search for them.

But Blogging…

You can search on blogs and you can search for blog posts. While it might seem redundant to post on both your Instagram Stories/Instagram Post AND your blog – do it. Your blog is SO much easier for potential and existing viewers to read, save, and share your content. It’s important that if you do post on social media and on your blog that you reword the content just a bit so it doesn’t feel like a copy and paste.

Right, right, but why did YOU join Youtube?!

Okay, so maybe you’re getting mixed signals. Yes, I recently relaunched my Youtube, and y’all, I’m SO excited about it!! If you haven’t checked it out – here’s a link! Yes, I am now putting efforts into my Youtube, but that doesn’t mean I’m pulling the reigns on blogging. I don’t think you should either. Adding Youtube into my marketing mix is strategically so I can communicate with my viewers in a NEW way! I firmly believe some content is better on Youtube and some content is better on a blog! While you will be seeing more videos on my Youtube in coming weeks, it doesn’t mean you’ll see any less content on this blog.

Blogging takes time…is it really worth it?

Well, that depends…is your business worth it? Do you desire to have a successful business? If yes, then, I truly believe you need to be blogging. Blogging is another touch point for customers and viewers to find and connect with you. Who knows how many connection points you could be missing by not blogging. Yes, blogging is time consuming, but I will be sharing tips and tricks with you on how I efficiently run my blog and how you can too!

Happy Blogging!