Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Do People Read Blogs Anymore?

I’ve been blogging for years. And when I say years, I mean at least eight. In that time, I’ve made a lot of really amazing friends and connections, some who are writers, some who are readers, others just fabulous support for those of us braving what was—at one point—new territory.

At some point, blogging was the “in” thing. Everyone who was anyone, or who wanted to be anyone, or who was hoping to someday become someone was being told to start a blog. To promote that blog. To gain followers for said blog. Not only that, we were told to set a blog schedule and stick with it. Blog consistently. Do whatever it takes to keep your readers interested.

And it was awesome. Bloggers all over the world suddenly became well known. They made money talking about the things that most interested them. Some of those bloggers are still making good money, blogging daily, and have a consistent and loyal following.

Enter Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Pinterest.

Suddenly, blogs feel a lot less popular. And it’s no wonder. These other places are a quick and easy way to connect with people and have actual conversations that don’t involve writing essays and leaving comments. And yet, some of us have kept at it. We’re seasoned, we’ve built our audience one by one (or some of us have) and we’re determined not to let our audience down. But as I’m looking at the future, at the amount of time/energy/dedication it takes to remain consistent, I wonder. Do people actually read blogs anymore?


If you’re here reading this, obviously you do. So why are you here? What keeps you coming back, and what do you forsee in your blog-reading future? 

6 comments:

Angie said...

I only read a few blogs and that rarely, sorry to say. FB just gives me so much more bang for my (time) buck!

Michelle D. Argyle said...

I will probably always blog, but it's not to gain followers. In fact, I feel like it doesn't have much to do with my writing career at all. It's my little corner, my outlet, my place where things are kept in a more permanent place ... and better perspective. Those other places are so fleeting, and I'm sorry to say, for the most part, shallow. I feel blogging is the last place where we actually share more of ourselves than fleeting thoughts, pictures, etc. And that's why I'll continue to read them and write on my own. I would never feel like printing out my FB statuses and binding them in a book to remember my journey later on. My blog posts ... those I want to keep.

Michelle D. Argyle said...

Oh, and I should say it's the blogs where I feel people are sharing real parts of themselves that I read. Others, not so much.

Stephanie Humphreys said...

I agree with Michelle. When I read a blog where someone has really said something and there is a good conversation in the comments, I feel like it is time well spent. I also print out my posts and keep them as a sort of journal of my thoughts. Generally, I don't bother to say anything on Facebook at all.

These days, I don't read many blogs at all. When I check my blog feed, I feel like I am just seeing the same thing over and over as people all promote the same books and authors. There is certainly a place for that in blogs, but I miss the way blogs used to be. Through blogs, I met some of my favorite writer people and felt like I got to know them a little. So when I finally met them in person, it was like running into an old friend.

Anonymous said...

Sadly people dont read in general. The attention span of the average person has dwindled to a lab rat with ADD.

Offley Tan said...

the best part about having a blog is to see your statistics. it gives you the pleasure knowing people read what you wrote no matter how silly your post is.

I yearn for good reads. That is why i keep on coming back.