Bloggers should be optimistic about the craft they love
2023 has been a funny year for anyone in that world called “content creation.”
For the last few years bloggers have taken a bit of beating from all the other options out there.
Some have even suggested that blogging is dead.
But with YouTube having battles over adblockers, LinkedIn deleting content from features they’ve only introduced over the past year, and whatever the hell is going on with Twitter this week (too many to link), I take a bit of smug satisfaction of stubbornly pushing on with blogging.
The social media conundrum
Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter… sorry ‘X’ has made many question around the stability of the platform.
Killing a brand name that transcends across popular culture seems bizarre, it’s like if McDonald’s one day decided to tear down the Golden Arches, and replace it with a logo that looks like a generic standard font you’d find in your Microsoft Office pack.
In my day job I’ve seen a drop in engagement which I put down to numerous policy decisions from reinstating decisive accounts, to the saga of the blue tick premium plans.
People are waking up to the fact that social media is borrowed space – when you setup an account it’s not yours, even the content you post you can’t claim ownership (take the time to read the sign-up disclaimers).
And I’ve not even touched upon the growing self-awareness what social media is doing to our health, wellbeing, attention spans and ability to focus.
People want a change – this is the first opportunity for bloggers.
The SEO and Artificial Intelligence problem
You might not like what artificial intelligence has done to the writing process, but you can’t deny the impact it has had on the digital writing process.
One million people signed up to join ChatGPT in its first five days of operation, and it’s quite difficult to go a day online without hearing something like “make $1000 a day using ChatGPT” or “You’re using ChatGPT wrong” or “Use ChatGPT to cure haemorrhoids” or whatever…
As a writer I’m growing to appreciate its uses – it’s nowhere ready sophisticated enough to write interesting posts, and to be frank I have no interest in using it to write for me, but it is a useful tool to bounce ideas off.
In my opinion ChatGPTs advantage comes from being able to think about taking a topic in directions you didn’t consider, and when you know what you’re doing it’s like having a writing buddy available at your fingertips.
It gives feedback, re-writes (which I always ignore), and can pull out key points – it’s effective with a good editor, but taken at value on its own it creates nothing but dull generic search engine optimisation content (SEO).
The problem is – I don’t think a lot of people have a strict editing process and just put it’s content on their websites, or their client websites, and the end result is the front page of Google being filled with nothing but boring, lifeless content.
In searches now I find I’m spening less and less time reading articles and just getting straight to the point of what I’m looking for, Google has even changed how it works by providing snippets and ‘People ask’ questions so you don’t even need to visit webpages.
In many respects the content creators focusing on SEO and nothing else reaping what they sow – they’ve been playing the game to hack the algorithm for years, and now as their writing is devoid of all personality the attention (and the revenue the comes with it) has started drying up.
People have had enough of flat content, they’re not even comfortable calling it content anymore.
They want personality, they want stories – they want to laugh and cry, they want excitement, sex, romance and heartbreak (in no particular order).
They want to see the person behind the writing is a human, not a machine – this is the second opportunity for bloggers.
Blogging is the next vinyl revival
Something that’s kept me going with a blog for over the last ten years is how reassuring and comforting you can make it.
Pick your style, pick your colour.
Have pictures, or don’t
Widgets? What are all these? What do they do?
The opportunities are endless.
You don’t have to follow a uniform look like social media platforms do, with profiles that look like everyone else’s.
When you start a blog you can make it a bit… well you.
And then if you get a whiff that your blog providers unstable, or it’s brought in some charges you don’t like, or you just want to find somewhere else that better suits your need, you can download everything you’ve spent the last several years creating and set up shop elsewhere (you can even keep the same domain).
There is value in blogging I believe similar to the vinyl record.
With the release of cassette tapes, and CDs it became much easier to take your music elsewhere, and with smaller stature took up less space.
Vinyl was out.
But then something happened, I don’t know how, I like to think it was nostalgia, but it turned out there were always dedicated collectors stubbornly refusing to let go.
They loved the feel of that dusky plastic disc with a modulated spiral grove.
They loved carefully removing it from it’s cover, placing carefully on it’s Spindle: (that’s the little metal part that sticks up, and yes I did Google that, and yes I did find out it’s name without having to click onto boring website that would drone on and not get to the point)…
…Where was I going with this…
Yes, they loved carefully removing it from it’s cover, placing carefully on it’s Spindle, having the satisfaction on the needle carefully drop down, and hearing that crisp sound.
And yes… who could forget the fact that the vinyl record cover was a piece of art in itself, good enough to display on a wall.
Sure it wasn’t as clear as a CD, and later the digital mp3 files, but there was something that created that warm feeling for those who love it, a sound that can’t be replicated anywhere.
That is where I think is blogging is, it’s loved by those who are going to love it regardless, we’re the type of people who’ve slogged away for years, and yet somehow still manage to make typos which we don’t spot until months after publishing.
It’s the medium where it won’t give you guaranteed money or fame, but there is nothing like it, we still have so many stories to tell, opinions to share, life lessons to be learned.
In a world wide web full of same old – same old, our competitive advantage over all the rest of the drudge will always be the passion and personality we put into our work.
As long as there is a group of people passionate enough to do it, then the future of blogging is secure.
For the naysayers who doubt bloggings potential, I say:
Blogging isn’t dead – it never died in the first place
In an online world that seems chaotic and all the same, blogging offers that creative reassurance.
Wishing you the best in your success
James @Perfect Manifesto
Perfect Manifesto 
Well said, James. In the ten years I’ve been blogging, I must have heard ‘Blogging is dead’ as many times as I’ve had beans on toast (I like beans on toast). I can not understand those bloggers who say they hate blogging changes. If blogging had not changed in the ten years I’ve blogged, I’d have found it dull and boring long ago.
I value things like ChatGPD because rather than see it as a threat, I use it in a way that helps me write better material without changing the writing style many of my readers have become used to.
If there is anything I find dull in the blogging world, it’s those meaningless comments like ‘I enjoyed this’ and those bloggers that always leave those types of comments all over the place.
Keep on Blogging!
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Hi Hugh, I think a lot of the changes in blogging are good and has helped it move with the times. An example is the block editor – I disliked it at first and held back using as long as possible, now I couldn’t go without!
ChatGPT has its merits though I’d always recommend bloggers to have a good read through of its out puts for accuracy and make sure to inject some personality- I’m becoming familiar (and skipping over) posts that are autogenerated.
It seems a bit rude, but I don’t bother responding to the vague compliment comments as there isn’t much I can say apart from ‘thanks!’
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I’m with you on not replying to comments where I can only say ‘Thanks’, James. From the New Year, all I’ll do with comments like that is click the ‘like’ button next to the comment. I’ll inform my readers about that decision (and other changes) in the new year.
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It’s a good idea, I’d do it out of politeness, now I guess I’ve being doing this so long that I’m cynical that it’s just people trying to get themself (and the link to their blog) out.
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That’s true, James, although many claim they do because they don’t have time to leave a proper comment but they want to please you by showing you they have visited your blog even though they may not have read the post. In my opinion it’s blogging gone mad.
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Interesting post and I do hope your prediction is right. We understand why blogging is ‘different’ to other content. However, so many people seem happy sharing their thoughts and creativity (and often their entire lives) using social media. And they like to do so because they don’t need to think too much and it is quick and easy. Often they want to reach as big an audience as possible without trying too hard and working at establishing common interests and intelligent relationships. No one in my family or close circle of friends blog but one or two friends of friends are Vloggers. They like to be seen! Also I’m not sure that the majority of people are bothered about ownership of their content these days. We are moving towards a society that will own nothing i.e. homes, cars, music, and creative content. It’s a bit depressing. But I think you’re right…there will always be a hard core who value bogging!
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Hi Paul, it’s interesting to note you know more people Vlogging. I’ve always liked using the written words so recommendations to join Instagram, YouTube, TikTok whatever don’t appeal!
The thought of having to mess about with getting lighting right, cameras at the right angel, having to edit listening to the sound of my own voice doesn’t appeal!
Plus when you consider a lot of content is being made out in public, I couldn’t make a spectacle of myself, much rather write in the privacy of my own home!
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I agree with you. I couldn’t do vlogging. I’m too self conscious. Also I think some vloggers are too confident and too blasé about what they reveal. You have to be careful and self critical to make it real.
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The too confidence is a bit cringe. On my professional Instagram account their is a marketing agency I follow which they probably think is great for business, and they do provide great tips, but the playing up to the camera is embarrassing (doing the conga round the office) – it wouldn’t want to make me work there or hire them out with all the clowning about!
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