Over the past few months I’ve seen several posts about blogging being dead or dying.
And I’m not talking about people who stopped blogging for other business/life priorities.
I totally get and respect that.
I’m referring to those who say people don’t read blogs anymore.
Oh geez… here we go with the generalizations!
That sort of reminds me of email marketing. In case you haven’t kept up, it’s already died several times.
First, RSS/blogging supposedly killed it in 2005. Then social media became the next assassin a few years later.
Let me play devil’s advocate here.
If it’s really “dead”, then why are there new email products like Nathan Berry’s Convert Kit (no affiliation) killing it in 2016?
Email might seem obsolete for certain demographics, and yes, average open rates have declined across the board.
But email is far from dead. My daily subscriber count is still in the double digits, which indicates people still subscribe.
The bigger challenge is optimizing open rates, and that’s a whole other blog post! 😉
The Truth Behind The “Dead” Declaration
The reason people often declare that something is dead is simply because it’s not working for them anymore.
For example, if you lost most of your Google traffic over the past few years, you might feel that SEO is dead.
I disagree.
To say SEO is dead would mean there is no possible way to optimize a site for any kind of organic traffic.
SEO is still alive and well. You might say it’s “dead.” I prefer to say “it’s evolved” because off page factors now have more weight than on-page.
Now we can get into the whys, but I’ve ranted enough about that. Let’s just keep it short and say “It’s Google’s business, not mine.” 🙂
Back to Blogging
If you started blogging when SEO was easier and social media was just starting to blossom, you probably noticed that the more you blogged, the more traffic and comments you received.
Not to mention, people were encouraged to comment because there was potential “link juice” that would help them with search engine optimization.
Blogging was a quantity game in many respects.
Also, we didn’t have many places to get information from our favorite people online. So blogs became the preferred option.
Fast forward to today where we have Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Vine, Periscope, Blab, and probably 246 other sites I’ve never heard of.
Some bloggers are even using Facebook Notes or Live Streaming as their “blogs/vlogs” because they realize FB will prioritize content and video hosted on their site.
As you probably know, Facebook wants to keep people on Facebook.com and lowers the reach on external links, while increasing the reach on content hosted there.
The dilemma people are facing is, “Why blog when I’m getting better engagement on social media than on my own site??”
Can you relate?
My Journey & Blog Evolution
Honestly…
I can’t imagine NOT having a blog.
It’s my direct line of communication to my most loyal followers.
It’s my home base.
Now, I may not blog on a regular basis like I used to (and thank God I no longer feel the pressure to put something out if I really don’t have anything newsworthy to share), but it’s still a very important part of my business.
- It’s synced up with my email list so I always have an audience for new posts
- It’s how I keep you informed on relevant issues in the industry
- It’s where I announce (a.k.a subtly promote) projects I’m working on like selling courses with MemberMouse
But my blog didn’t always have a defined role.
When I started back in 2006 (Holy crap! I just realized that it’s been 10 years!), I really had no strategy for how I was going to use my blog.
I was also openly critical about total-post site layouts because of the way the content is arranged by default. It was, and still is not optimal for navigating and SEO because of how posts are arranged and displayed.
(Of course, that can be fixed.)
If I can be honest, the main reason I started a blog was because it was “the thing to do” at that time. You know… that good ole’ shiny object syndrome!
So I jumped on the bandwagon.
Well, let me tell you. For the first 18 months, it was like a ghost town up in here! 🙂
And I foolishly thought because my main site already had thousands of visitors per day that people would just flock to my new blog posts and start commenting.
Boy, was I wrong!
Then in 2008, I changed my voice to a more personal, relaxed tone, which instantly made the task of blogging more enjoyable.
I also started using social media to announce my new posts. A few years later, I synced it up to my email list.
Equipped with a new voice and a more direct traffic funnel that was NOT reliant on Google (thankfully), my blog started to have more of a purpose.
I also saw an increase in conversions with affiliate links on my blog over the years.
And if you think about it, that makes sense. Your most loyal followers are going to be the ones who sign up for your list and trust your product recommendations, right?
And since my list is tied to my blog, when I launch posts like this, it was nice to see the affiliate sales coming in immediately. (Thank you, by the way!)
I also became much more selective about what I blogged about… especially since I send out an email with every new post.
Not only do I enjoy blogging more than I did years ago, but it’s how I keep you, my loyal followers, up to date on what I’m working on and any major updates in Internet marketing.
And once I launch my new course section, I will use my blog as a platform to share what I learned.
There’s Going To Be a Shift
Get ready… because my content is about to grow up!
I’ve got some revealing, thought-provoking info to share that I know is going to hit home with many of you on a personal and business level.
My blog is going to play a very important role in how I communicate and educate you during this evolution. And BOY do I have a lot to share!
Remember my burnout in 2015? Well, I didn’t tell the whole story because I didn’t fully understand the source of it.
I do now, and it’s directly tied to me doing something you might be doing too. I can’t wait to open up about this in a future post and/or podcast. I know many of you will relate to this.
So to answer the question, no, I don’t think blogging is dead. But if you were only doing it for strategies that are no longer working, then it may be dead…
to YOU!
It’s all relative, of course.
Has Social Media Hurt Blogging?
In some ways I believe it has, but not because people stopped liking blogs.
Social media has changed people’s priorities. After all, there are only so many hours in the day and there’s a ton of content to consume!
And since people spend more and more time on social media, they might not have as much time to read as many blogs as they used to.
Nevertheless, if your content still resonates with them and helps in some way, your loyal followers will make time to read your blog.
Blogging From The Heart
From time to time, I get emails or comments like the one below and they make me smile.
Thanks, Larry! I do blog from the heart, and always hope that comes through in my writing.
One reason I changed up my style years ago is I realized I enjoy reading blogs with a more personal tone.
There’s so many sites with recycled tips on Internet marketing that are void of personality, passion and vulnerability. I appreciate people who are not afraid to mix it up!
Rob Cubbon just did this with a recent rant. This was so unlike him, but I was engaged from the start! And if you don’t like curse words, don’t click this link. 😉
Adrienne Smith does this very well on her blog, and I was so sad to hear about her hiatus. But I totally get it and fully respect it.
Kim George is also someone to learn from in this area.
Kim wrote a revealing post that explained how hiring a coach and getting clarity on her blog has been a game-changer and helped her focus.
I had the pleasure of meeting Kim back in February, and she’s now a new member of my mastermind group!
All these bloggers are great examples of how your blog can be used to humanize your brand so people don’t forget there is an actual person behind the site.
It’s nice to offer tips and talk about the highs, but don’t be afraid to share the lows — especially if you can turn them into a relevant lesson your audience can learn from.
This kind of content is a great way to utilize a blog. It reminds people you are human, but teaches a lesson at the same time.
I used to only blog from the head. Now I put my heart into it too. 🙂
I feel like I’m just now finding my groove with blogging, and I know that sounds crazy after all this time.
What Do You Think?
Have you changed your stance or strategy on blogging over the last few years?
Is it still an important part of what you do, or are you trying to see how it fits in?
I’d love to hear what you think about this.
Why do YOU blog? Or have you stopped?
Richard says
Thanks Lisa, a great post.
It’s half 2017 now and blogging is still developing :D.
How can blogging dead while content is still king now 🙂
If I had your great writing skill I’d have blogged :lol
Vijay Kumar says
Hello Lisa,
Thanks for this awesome and great article.
I was blogging at blogger for a long time, now I’m blogging at self managed WordPress plateform because this is secure and SEO friendly CMS.
darren says
The link to Adrienne’s blog post is now dead, but there is an archived version from the WayBack Machine for anyone wanting to read it:
https://web.archive.org/web/20160611041705/http://www.adriennesmith.net/death-my-blog-now/
Lisa Irby says
Thanks, Darren. Yeah she shut her blog down to pursue some offline opps.
Akinde Hafiz says
Blogging is dead! , Says who? Infact blogging in my dictionary is just a day old. There are boundless opportunities in blogging, only for those that knows. (Am sure Lisa knows). My first blog failed because of my 9-5 job, I thought I was doing the right thing I got sick of “not being me”.
So I started another blog before with blogging, I believe the future is brighter than the star in being an employee.
Families and friends who didn’t see the life in blogging said so many things but I responded with a blog post,here, http://www.expertfreelancewriter.net/10-random-thoughts-on-blogging/, and made more than half of them my first set of subscribers.
If anyone says, blogging is dead. I know for sure, that blogging is dead in their context, not mine.
Great piece, Lisa.
Thanks. ?
akshay says
Superb article lisa, i believe that blogging is not dead and there will be no death ahead for blogging. If blogging was dead then i think no can get the right information needed, bloggers are the heart of Internet. We get lots of useful stuff only through blogs, no one can regret that.
Joshua Nyamache says
Blogging is not dead. Today I see a lot of companies that are using blogs to do content marketing.
Although one can use social media like Facebook to publish content the fact is she doesn’t own t and she can’t do a lot of things she might want to do compared to if she had a blog.
For instance, you can’t install plugins on social media but you can install them on your blog.
I also can’t imagine not having blog. I couldn’t have accomplished what I have accomplished if I didn’t have a blog.
Sam Nichelson says
Hey Lisa,
I found out about you from your Udemy Course. It’s interesting that you made this post just as I am getting into blogging.
That must have been tough 18 Months! I am guessing you must have not had a good promotion strategie or not building a email list.
I finally am starting my blog and I only wish I started sooner it seems like back in the day it was so much more simple.
Everyone just keyword stuffed and boom they hit the first page. In any case thanks for the informative post.
I will look more into your future post since I am more serious about doing the same thing as you. 🙂
Gurunath says
Blogging has never died and will never die. People with a negative mind, impatience, not hard work driven and de-motivated mindset can make it thing like that. Recently I have seen tons of reviews and sponsor posts from my co-bloggers and that itself says very clear that, companies are looking for bloggers to promote their products and all. There are many such things that depend on blog and bloggers. Thanks for sharing this creative and innovative thought, Lisa 🙂 Yo are just rocking!! Have a fabulous day!
DNN says
Blogging is the life and blood of search engines. Bing, Google, and YaHoO! virtually couldn’t live without bloggers posting fresh content daily to their WordPress blogs! 🙂
Enstine Muki says
Ah! Did I just see you and Kim in a pic there? wink wink!
😉
Blogging has never died and will never die. What dies in people are their motivations and once that happens, they rush to conclude mistakenly.
According to stats on hubspot.com,
– B2B marketers that use blogs receive 67% more leads than those that do not.
– Marketers who have prioritized blogging are 13x more likely to enjoy positive ROI.
– Companies who blog receive 97% more links to their website.
– Blogs have been rated as the 5th most trusted source for accurate online information.
And following stats from worldometers.info, over 2.8m blog posts are published per day.
Blogging is still very far from its death 😉
Lisa Irby says
Agree and yes, you certainly did see us. Just saw her again today as a matter of fact. Such a cool lady!
landscapedesignindallas.com says
blogging will not be die, maybe for some blogs out there, google nowadays constantly tweaks search results to return the most relevant source for a topic, I guess competition is fierce when it comes to blogging, but yours won’t die Lisa, you product good quality content people will always be back in here.
Abhineeth Nagabhushan says
Interesting! I do know this, if you weren’t around to show the rest of us how to do it right, my blog might be dead by now… so – from the bottom of my heart – THANK YOU, Lisa! My blog was just a blog when I started. It is so much more now and I don’t see it dying any time soon.
Mohan Desai says
hey, Lisa, this is a good post.
Blogging is not dead, I am following your blog from last 4 years, nowadays competitions increased and now google is also very strict with content so if we don’t produce quality content then it’s definitely dead for our blog.
Elnaseh says
this post came to me at the right time thank you very much to provide me that information
Sourav Saha says
Blogging is definitely not dead and it can’t be, I agree there is always some difficulties in every pathway. We have to deal with that wonderfully. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Rocky Murasing says
Even though, I am new with blogging, I got kind of passion on it. Never thought to stop blogging, neither the topic came into my mind until i drop here in this post of yours.
Edos Ubebe says
Hi Lisa,
Wow, this post came to me at the right time… Not that long ago I’ve been noticing a lot of gurus in the internet marketing world using their Facebook timeline/page to engage with their followers, neglecting the use of their blogs and I was wondering maybe blogging is no longer working, you know. But with this post I now know that just because something stop working for someone else doesn’t mean that the thing is no longer working.
Thanks for the heads up Lisa.
Naocha says
Lisa such a wonderful lines to read. Made me smile and I enjoyed reading it. Thanks a lot…
Chris says
As long as there is a blog, blogging isn’t dead. But Google has made it extremely difficult for bloggers to get ahead in their search results. Big brands get the special treatment now. As a result, it has become less desirable to blog.
lh.louis says
Blogging definitely is a great business to work on, it help people more importantly it help themselves. Blogging is definitely not dead.
shaun says
Hey lisa, oh what a great post! Dead blogging?
I think people who say that need a mental evaluation haha. If blogging is dead then mcds is out of business, basically what I am saying is THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN! LOL.
Great post…I might have hit the pin button and twitter button a few times by mistake!
Haha I actually ment to share this awesome content 🙂
Shaun!
Lisa Irby says
Heeey Shaun! You’re always so generous. Thank you for sharing my content.
shaun says
Hello lisa 🙂
Your welcome! Great content from a REAL online marketer/make money online person deserves to be shared!
I know when one day my site is as great as yours people will say the same thing ( well hopefully) haha.
Shaun!
Lisa Irby says
Awww thanks! Your day is coming!
shaun says
Thanks lisa I really appreciate that 🙂
Give Up is not in my dictionary!!
Keep being successful….!!
Shaun
Cynthia Dixon says
Hi Lisa,
You touched on so many valid points about blogging. You’re absolutely right regarding all of the social media outlets and how people consume information. I’m someone who’s using video as part of my content sharing strategy and want to use it even more in the future.
With that being said, there’s only so much information I can pack into a video, because as we know, if it’s too long or boring, no one’s going to watch it.
I think as content creators, we have to keep in mind who our audience is. Not the audience we want, but who are the people who actually follow, comment, and keep up with us. We have to look at how they like receiving the content we share.
I have a YT channel with over 5000 subscribers, but I could never get those people to my blog. I’ve had blogs in the past, but never really enjoyed them. I enjoyed sharing, but I always felt pressured to come up with something to say and when I did, I wasn’t really sharing what someone needed and/or wanted.
I think we do have to change our strategies and go with the flow, which doesn’t mean to go from platform to platform and jump on ever social media platform, but we have to share in the way people consume. I’m not currently blogging and not sure I’ll ever get back into it fully, but I’ll always have a website. We should always have our own place on the web.
I think as content creators, we have to find the style, environment, and platform we’re most comfortable with, and when we do that, we’ll attract those who want to hear our message and absorb our content right where we are, which mirrors what you said.
Lisa Irby says
Cynthia!! Great to see you here. I could NOT agree with you more. So much of what we do now is less about volume of content, video, etc. but MORE about engagement and CONVERSIONS. And sometimes it’s difficult to make that shift… especially if you started in an age when it WAS about quantity. Trust me! I’m going through that evolution now and cannot wait to share with everyone what I’m learning. Wow, such a journey but I’m so grateful to be out here in this space, as crazy as it is! LOL Can’t wait to share what I learned. Thanks for coming by and I’m going to check out your site now.
Jessica Pruitt says
You’ve made some really good points here. I’ve only been blogging for a couple of years and I have moments where I get tired of it. Writers block maybe? I mostly podcast now and use the podcast show notes as a way to update my site weekly and then about once a month I’ll write a blog but then I’ll occasionally have guest bloggers also.
I don’t think blogging is dead by any means. I just sometimes struggle to find the time to do it and I really enjoy podcasting. However, I also feel pressure to use other forms of media like video. The cool thing is that every video or podcast can be transcribed and used as a blog post so it’s all good. I have to say, because I don’t blog as much, when I do blog it’s typically one that’s really good and inspired, versus me just trying to put something out there.
Lisa Irby says
Hey Jessica, you are so right. Re-purposing content is something I read a lot about, but honestly, never do it as well as I should. Great point! One great video can be re-purposed as a blog post, podcast, you name it!
Clarence says
Talking heads in the Online Marketing News world need new content, and the claim of X is DEAD is a great headline that drives ton of Traffic and adclick/aff sales. Fear also drives tons of traffic. So SEO is DEAD, Blogging is DEAD, Headline about something being DEAD is DEAD, etc..
It’s all hype to get you to click on their Articles, ignore the Online marketing talking heads and see what works for you!
Lisa Irby says
Well said. Clickbait is live and well.
Greg says
Blogging is not dead but I prefer to call it Content marketing.
Blogs were used a lot for affiliate Marketing which I don’t think
works as it did say 5 years ago.
I tell people now to create a low priced high quality ebook that
makes you an authority instantly as opposed to promoting
other peoples stuff.
With platforms like Gumroad people can gain confidence in selling
their own stuff etc.
Having your own website is a must in 2016 and beyond. The amount of
people who have had their Youtube, facebook,kindle publishing, ebay,
udemy accounts shut down is astounding. They all wished they had their
own site.
P.S.
In the next 2-3 years self hosted online courses will become one of the
biggest online industries when 3 billion people from third world countries come online!
So having a blog with your courses on the same platform will give huge ROI down the line!
Lisa Irby says
Hi Greg! Yep! I totally agree and my long term goal is to have products that teach people how to make better videos, courses, you bet! I couldn’t agree more.
Amyt says
I am new in the world of blogging and I am enjoying it a lot. And no, blogging is not dying out, blogging is something that will always keep running with every short term or long term events happening everyday.
Rob Cubbon says
Wow, I got your email today as usual (btw, why is it you’re the only blogger that is successful with an RSS campaign? OK bit of an exaggeration and that’s not the point I’m writing this so leave that there – your emails are brilliant, though).
So, reading it like I have read all your articles over the years and, suddenly, I see my name. Thanks so much for the shout out.
Yes, that ranty article (which was totally from the heart, as you could see) got 10x the engagement of my other recent articles.
I apologise for the cuss words but I found myself unable to really express what I wanted to say without them.
Great to have a few of your following come over and check me out as well. A friend of Lisa’s is a friend of mine. That’s for sure! 🙂
Lisa Irby says
Hey Rob! The curse words don’t bother me at all. Just had to warn those who may be sensitive in that area. lol
I’m glad I was able to send people over to you.
Are you still on my RSS email list? Wow! Funny!! I think most people are now on my AWeber list and that’s how they get here. But it’s good to know that at least one person is still finding that old list useful! Ha ha!!
Thanks for coming by, Rob. I really enjoyed that post you wrote.
Rob Cubbon says
No, I’m on the Aweber list. I mean it’s a list that automatically sends out your latest blog post (I think they use RSS to do that, or Mailchimp calls it an RSS email, I think). Technical terms, huh?
Anyway, I’m delighted you liked the post.
Lisa Irby says
Ah true. Yeah, true…. they both use RSS. I always refer to the Feedburner as RSS when you’re right, AWeber does the same…. just a different feed. I always wondered how many people still get the full email blast from Feedburner vs. the AWeber Blog Broadcast.
Johnny says
Is blogging dead… NO! Is there much more competition than in the past… Yes! I think that people have a lot more choices than in the past. Also, Google continues to change up the game which makes it extremely difficult to game the system. BTW, nice graphic for this post.
Regards!
Lisa Irby says
Johnny! Hey there. Thank you! Funny you mention the graphic because I was thinking after I launched….”Not sure I like that as much as I did when I first created it.” LOL
Yes, Google has eliminated people who are not serious and just want to game the results, and THAT is a good thing. If you’re a new blogger that is blogging just for Google traffic you might be in for a rude awakening at the very start.
Adrienne says
Hey Lisa,
Yep, when people say blogging is dead it kind of ticks me off too. I’m not sure if it’s the headline attention grabber they’re going after or it’s just not working for them the way it used to. Either excuse, we both know it’s nowhere near being dead but it’s ALWAYS changing.
I appreciate the mention here, that was so nice of you. Yeah, I’m taking an entire month off from blogging but as you know it’s because I need to seriously focus on these other income streams. People only think I’m Super Woman but the truth is I’m nowhere near that. I can’t do it all, I admit it.
I do love blogging as well, it’s how I’ve been able to connect with SO many amazing people and I have such a wonderful community. When I come back on the 2nd of May with a new post I’m hoping to have more clarity myself about moving forward but I might end up being like you. Just not blogging as consistently as I was but gosh I do hate to not blog at all. I just know me very well though and I always want to support those who support me so finding the time to do it all will still be an issue. I guess I’ll just have to prioritize things more moving forward.
You are such a HUGE fixture online today and have been for so many years that I think we would all have serious withdrawals if you ever left. You are a fabulous teacher so I think when you stop by and share something it’s definitely worth paying attention to.
Thanks for the scoop Lisa and again for the mention. Can’t wait to hear all the news you’ve got to share with us. I’ll have to be sure to stop back by!
Enjoy your week.
~Adrienne
Lisa Irby says
Adrienne, I TOTALLY get it!! We are all human and sometimes you have to take time to do what’s necessary for your business and personal life.
You and I have more in common than you may know. I’ll have to drop you an email about that later. 😉 I know whatever you do is going to be great because you have a gift and I’ve always admired what you do for people on your blog. Take care and talk soon!
Adrienne says
Hey Lisa,
I don’t doubt that at all, I’m pretty sure if we sat down and had a chat not only would we find out just how much we have in common but how much darn fun we would have. I tell ya, I need to get myself to Dallas and visit both you and Kim. I’m heading to Tyler first though, I’ve got family there but a cousin in Dallas too.
I appreciate your confidence in me and your kind thoughts about how I help those who visit me. I LOVE to help people so I can’t ever see myself not doing something related to that, I’m just not sure what that is moving forward. Basically, what I want to get myself into moving forward. LOL!!!
I’m excited about my future for sure and I would LOVE to chat with you. 😉 You know where to find me now.
Enjoy your week.
~Adrienne
Kim George says
Yeessss Adrienne! That would be super awesome if we could all meet up to hang out and chat. 🙂
#TexasGirlsUnite
Lisa Irby says
Yes indeed! How fun would THAT be????
Abdur Rehman says
“blogging isn’t dead” it’s true. I am not a blogger I am full time mobile apps developer but I am a subscriber of this blog too, one thing I learn in my life “Every thing changing in universe” so If you want to learn everything then don’t stop blogging because it will never keep you old as, not do it seriously but don’t stop it you I am sure you will find success.
Mitch Mitchell says
I was gonna blame my being here all on Mitch since he told me you’d written a new post. However, I have you in a Twitter list so I saw your new post come through and on a topic dear to my heart so I had to stop by and give my two cents.
Of course blogging’s not dead; it’s not even on a respirator. Like you, I’ve seen some of my long time friends give up the ghost because it wasn’t their thing any longer, while I’ve stuck around for at least 10 years (I was writing on sites way before that but I didn’t consider any of it blogging). People come and go, new things that takes the eyes away come and go, but blogging keeps growing. I mean, how many people starting new blogs every day will it take before these “experts” stop saying that?
You know me and how I roll with blogging; I ain’t got to say anything more (yeah, I know that’s pretty bad language, but the moment hit me & I ran with it) except write… just write! 🙂
Lisa Irby says
Couldn’t agree more! To declare something is “dead” is often a buzz phrase that I think people use for clickbait sometimes. Sure blogging has evolved in many aspects but it’s far from dead. Glad Mitch AND your Twitter list sent you on over here! 🙂
Debbie says
Hi Lisa. I’ve just subscribed to your email list and am feeling genuinely inspired by everything I’ve read and listened to so far. Some of your YouTube audio is ‘Priceless.’ It’s 3 yrs old but still valuable content for newbies like me !! As for blogging well I’m about to venture into the whole online business game as we speak and I definitely need insight from someone like yourself. What courses/posts/tips- ANYTHING !! can you recommend ? Debbie (NZ)
Lisa Irby says
Well as far as courses if you just hang on I have some coming out soon! What specifically do you want to do with your site?
Welcome to my blog by the way and thanks for subbing!
Sharon Hurley Hall says
Nope, blogging isn’t dead, but it’s evolving – as everything must. I don’t blog as often as I did 10 years ago (I was on that same site Mitch A mentioned), nor do I blog about the same things, but I still blog, both for myself and my clients. Looking forward to your further insights, Lisa.
Lisa Irby says
Sharon! Long time no see. So good to see some old faces! Wait… that sounded strange. You know what I mean!! LOL
YES! It has evolved. I totally agree.
Sharon Hurley Hall says
LOL – As a 10+ year blogging veteran, I guess I count as an “old” face, Lisa. 🙂
Mitchell Allen says
Lisa, you are the perfect example of a live, breathing blogger. Personally, I think the naysayers are just hatin’ on sites like HuffPo and other massively productive news regurgitators. Who wouldn’t want the traffic they get? (All the Google stuff and affiliate stuff works like magic when the numbers are there! LOL)
I too got into blogging a little over ten years ago. The pitch was perfect: “Write stuff people want to read and [the blog platform owner] will share my AdSense revenue with you!” He had had me at the word “write”, so the rest of it was gravy.
When that platform died, I carried the same themeless mentality to a self-hosted WordPress site and promptly jumped on the make money fast bandwagon. Of course, it was doomed. But, rather than seeing blogging as dead, I saw my lack of focus as dead.
In 2014, I experimented with a lab notes type of blog, but I became bored (it’s more fun to program than to write about programming.)
Finally, I just decided to go back to 2005: story-telling. So, it’s a blog with stories. Am I a blogger? Not really. Comments are off, I don’t pitch products other than my newsletter and, aside from auto-tweeting new posts, I don’t have much in the way of syncing or connecting my other content.
Now, am I happy? Heck yeah. I get to have a blog that I can tweak with Visual Composer (you’re welcome. LOL) I get to write whatever I feel like. And there is no reason I can’t go back to more editorial-like content in the future.
Besides, with all I learn from you, I bet I could flip a switch and become super blogger in a week! 🙂
Cheers,
Mitch
Lisa Irby says
Mitch you rock! Thank you so much for sharing your story. I had no idea you were doing all this now. The big point you made is that YOU’RE HAPPY! I feel for people who are not enjoying what they do. This should not feel like a chore.
Mitchell Allen says
Thank you, Lisa! Yes, we have enough chores without adding unfulfilling web duties.
Cheers,
Mitch
Kimberly George says
Holy Molyyyy Lisa! Girlll you are just too much. Thank you soooo much for the shout out on this post. I am seriously Happy Dancing right about now.
As everyone else has stated, Blogging is far from dead. You just have to make sure that when you do blog that you are strategic about it all and have clarity on what you are blogging for in the first place. 🙂
It was soo much fun hanging out with you this past weekend. I am looking forward to whats to come for ya and hope you have a GREAT day chica….
Cheers
Lisa Irby says
Hey Kim! So glad you joined our crew. I didn’t have any clarity when I started blogging and it’s JUST now coming into focus after all these years. I can’t wait to share something with you guys in our next meetup! *wink*
Kimberly George says
Woooo hooo! I already know whatever it is its going to be the BIZZZZNESSS Girl 🙂 Cheers chica 🙂
Soji says
Blogging is well and truly alive Lisa! I started blogging only about a couple of years ago and I ask myself why I didn’t start earlier. Now my challenge is find the time to actually write and remain consistent.
But all in all it’s been great fun and I enjoy every minute of it. By the way I love Kim’s work too! She’s awesome! And boy you are such an inspiration too!
Lisa Irby says
Hey Soji! Yes she is great. Glad you are enjoying your blogging venture. 🙂
Teresa Schultz says
Oops, I didn’t say why I blog! Hmm, let me see …
I like to give people tips and advice about ways to make money from home starting with nothing etc, I like to “teach” or give tips to others (teach is in inverted commas because I don’t think I’m a good “teacher” but I do like to try write things that help others, so now I’m not sure, hmm, I’m rambling now, sorry. Hmm, maybe that’s another reason I blog, I just like to write, I get a kick out of it – oh and of course I need the little bit of income I get from blogging, so that’s a good reason why I blog too!
Lisa Irby says
Ha ha! Right on. Thanks for sharing that Teresa.
MaryAnn says
No, the Blog is not dead, not by a long shot. The amazing content that is there can be re-purposed in so many ways. And for those who are interested, the blog always has the whole kit and kaboddle tucked away … forever. I look forward to your posts, Lisa. I know I’ll get The Real Scoop.
Lisa Irby says
Exactly. As long as people enjoy reading, I can’t see the blog going anywhere any time soon.
Mike Rogers says
I always enjoy your insightful content. Thank you Lisa! Yours is one of the few blogs I read regularly 🙂
Mike
Lisa Irby says
Thanks Mike! Great to see you here.
Teresa Schultz says
I also can’t imagine not having a blog anymore! Gotta have my sites 🙂
On-page SEO is still working for me (?) – maybe soon not to anymore (?) – I hope it doesn’t get too bad – I suck at the social media thing! Or I find one needs so many followers and to interact there so much, that it takes an incredible amount of time to build up and keep managing – for the odd click through to one’s site – whereas the on-page SEO is “done and dusted” and the traffic keeps coming.
I’ve also slowed down a bit with my posts, but do want to try find the time somewhere (over the rainbow maybe!) to post a bit more again.
Yep, personal sort of blog posts are so much more enjoyable to read – thanks for your post and that reminder! – too many of my posts have just been “cold” lists or instructions or boring info etc, but I’ve been throwing in a bit of more personal stuff here and there – normally in separate posts mostly, though – I need to learn to get more personal and friendly etc IN the usually-more-boring posts too – and I will make that effort, thanks to having read your post now.
Lisa Irby says
Teresa! You’ve been a reader for a long time here and it’s so good to see a comment from you!!!
One thing I’ve learned is it’s not really about posting more, it’s about posting when you have something to say. It’s actually made me enjoy blogging more.
I post much less than I did 3-4 years ago because I wait until I have more meaningful things to share.
So don’t worry if you don’t have time, just save it for those juicy posts! 🙂
Teresa Schultz says
🙂 yeah, it has been some years now that I’ve been a reader here 🙂 Thanks for the reply to my comment, Lisa – you’ve been an inspiration to me for a long time, and still are.
patricia says
That’s great Lisa Your information is always priceless keep on being you!!!!
Lisa Irby says
Aw gee thanks Patricia!
Kelara says
Great article. I agree that blogging is not dead. We must be so careful about following every notion that appears on the internet. I like what you said about being more personal in your blogging. I’ve been working on that myself. It’s so easy to become sterile and lifeless when trying to convey a message. People relate much more to someone who feels approachable. Thanks for sharing, you always inspire. Regards, Kelara
Lisa Irby says
Thanks Kelara! So true about following every notion from the “big gurus.”