You’d be surprised how often I get asked this kind of question. Here’s the short answer: NO! It’s actually a great time to be blogging, even if you’re just starting.
I’m excited to tell you why—I’m really passionate about this subject!
The internet isn’t dead. In fact, more than ever, the internet is where people turn for both information and inspiration. It’s estimated that Google processes over 8.5 billion searches a day (!!!!!!!). It could be your blog that shows up in those searches, answering someone’s question.
As long as people are using the internet, searching websites for answers to common questions, everyday dilemmas, or needing inspiration for their lives.
They could be looking for inspiration about a home renovation, what winter coat to buy, or maybe they want to change up their hairstyle, etc.) Blogging continues to have a place in the world.
People (now more than ever) actually know what blogs are. There’s less of a barrier to get people to read your blog. Back when we first started blogging, people did not always recognize this type of site as a source of information they felt was legitimate.
I think this sentiment has changed. People would rather get information (like home decor advice) from an individual they like more than a corporate website. There’s more trust for bloggers than there used to be because it’s become more common and accepted over time.
There are SO MANY user friendly tools to start and maintain a blog. There are tools we only dreamed of when we started! This is, to me, the number one reason why it’s easier to start a blog now than it was before.
There are different website platforms, plugins, and whole companies of developers who are familiar with (and ready to meet) the needs of bloggers. It’s awesome! You don’t have to cobble together website features. It’s like if your first car was a Porsche instead of a go-kart.
And along with more tech-savvy tools, there’s also just more of a community and more readily available information on how to get into blogging and how to make it work for you.
Is blogging worth it?
Monetizing strategies exist for the community, so you don’t have to build your own model. You can monetize a blog many different ways, but there are so many more readily available options than when blogging first started.
At A Beautiful Mess we monetize mainly through four ways:
- CPM-based ads (the ads you see in our sidebar and throughout our site in between the content)
- Sponsorships
- Affiliate marketing (like the LTK network, formerly called RewardStyle)
- Selling our own products (we’ve tried several, from T-shirts to iPhone apps)
And for each of these four ways we monetize our blog, there are SO many more tools and options available than when we started!
Is blogging still profitable?
For us, yes. Think about this: Sponsors are aware of blogging and social media. Most big companies now have an annual budget to work with influencers. That could be you!
It’s there for the taking to anyone who is consistently showing up, publishing quality work, and building their audience.
Is blogging hard?
Yes. While it’s maybe a little easier to accomplish (with the rise of so many blogger-friendly tools), it’s more competitive than ever. You have to stand out.
You can’t just post whatever little thing is on your mind with a semi-blurry photo … like some of us were guilty of doing in 2008 (raises hand sheepishly).
I think this is the big mistake that people make. It’s not that blogging is dead (it’s not), but rather it’s that blogging is more competitive and takes a lot of hard work over a long period of time.
It’s not something you can start and expect to be making an income from in the first few months. It takes time to not only get good at blogging, but also to grow your audience.
Is blogging still relevant in 2022?
Yes! It’s probably the most relevant/worth it that it’s ever been, but it’s also more competitive.
Your blog will likely not blow up overnight like it could have in the old days, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create something worth value to both yourself and your readers. xo, Emma
I agree with you, blogging is far from dead. It’s actually my favourite platform besides Instagram. xx
Zoey | www.zoeyolivia.com
I blog too and I know it’s not dead yet. I blog as a hobby and although monetization is hard, I press on since reading my blogs motivates me. I feel mysel in writing and it’s cool!
Yes! Yes! Yes! Please keep blogging. I’m one of your older (senior) followers and I much prefer blogging with tutorials and/or descriptions of DIYs, information, etc. I am not fond at all of Instagram, though I enjoy finding ideas on Pinterest. Please continue blogging and emailing your ideas. Thanks so much.
I totally agree. I think people are tired of the lack of nuance that comes from social media. A trend I have noticed is the emergence of personal newsletters, which I see as a pared back form of blogs. The long form content isn’t going away for sure!
I agree. While I don’t think social media is going anywhere, and I do think there are many positives of it, one of the negatives is how short a form of communication it can be; which leaves no space for nuance. Newsletters, podcasts, and long form blogging are the internet alternatives as they area much longer form to write or talk through whatever content or conversation the creator wants.
Thanks for sharing this Emma! This motivation is definitely helpful for those of us in the early blogging phase feeling like is all this work I’m putting in worth it?? Love your Blog Essentials course too!
Xo Rachael
www.entertainidea.com
Thank you! It is a lot of work to put in, but it can be so beneficial to the blogger. I also kind of just wanted to share to hopefully encourage reading blogs. Again, while social media is awesome, taking the time to scroll to your favorite blogs actually still means a lot to those bloggers.
It’s going to take a LOT to kill blogging in my book, I agree.
In fact as folks become less enamoured with social media + look for other places + communities, blogging (I think) will step in even more to cultivate those networks.
Like you I started my first blog c. 2007 – took a couple of your early courses on such too – and for me it is the number one way I like to share + express my ideas + voice online.
Cannot beat it.
::
*not including said blog here as things are right in the middle of evolution 😉
As someone who doesn’t use social media anymore, blogging is how I keep up with people! I love blogs more than ever!
I think more + more folks are moving in that direction again too…
A friend of mine recently started a blog. She also posts on other social media platforms. She said she did this rather than only posting on Instagram and Facebook because this way she owns the content instead of those platforms owning/controlling it. I hadn’t thought of that aspect, but I thought it was an interesting point.
She’s right. I do hope other social platforms find more ways to allow the creators in their spaces to monetize their work (even if they can never truly own it, like they can their own website). It’s kind of weird when you think about how creators spend a LOT of time making and posting engaging content on those platforms and those platforms are running ads in between that content and the creators don’t get paid by the platform in anyway. It’s just a little strange, or at least I think so.
I’ve been blogging 10 years this year and I still really enjoy it, plus I make a not-unreasonable side income from it each month. It’s definitely one of the most satisfyingly creative and worthwhile things I’ve ever done, and I love having a site that is just ‘mine’. I do miss the fact that the blogging community in the UK isn’t as social anymore, as there used to be lots of blogging conferences etc, but I guess things have just moved on. Still definitely a place for blogs though!
That’s awesome Becky!!!! Thank you for sharing your experience.
Couldn’t agree more .Blogging is still viable – and very much needed. But it’s more like a marathon than a sprint. I think to really make money you need to be in it for the long haul.