Any content creator lamenting for the “good ol’ days” is one who’s just not ready for change.
The digital landscape isn’t one that’s ever still. We’ve come a long way from blogging’s humble beginnings, where we had these stand-alone sites that held all the content. I’m sure the bloggers back then couldn’t have seen any of this coming—in a world where you got your video from sketchy Russian sites instead of the juggernaut that’s YouTube in 2018, you just had to have a very different view of how everything worked.
But change was afoot, and soon social media would alter the way things worked forever. While we’d still have a handful of creators who stood out from the rest, now we had access to them like never before—everyone had a voice.
Bloggers simply weren’t ready for all that came next.
A Brand New World That Rewards Bad Behaviour
It feels like almost a lifetime ago that we used Twitter just for the kicks and giggles. (Hey—I am a parent, after all.) Back then there weren’t any rules—we had a select few who figured it out early and made names for themselves—but for most of us, it was our digital watering hole where we bantered back and forth into the wee hours of the night ’til there was one left standing.
But something that popular can only stay small for so long. A couple of years in we got corporate sponsorships and higher stakes—there was no turning back once things got going!
And thus, this set the tone for our futures.
We were digital dinosaurs in a brand new world, woefully unaware that the meteor already hit. First came Snapchat, giving a new generation impunity with their content since it only stuck around for twenty-four hours.
And honestly? I don’t know if we thought it’d catch on—after all, a personal brand was something to flaunt. What good was it if it was literally here today and then gone tomorrow?
But this new generation changed the rules—they could express themselves in ways we never imagined without fear it’d come back to haunt them down the road. Damning photos. Unspeakable videos. The new influencer had both the social evidence to be cool and the ability to share it without getting caught—social media was suddenly everywhere, and there was a new sheriff in town.
Get Ready for Another Shift — It’s Coming!!!
Instagram is over. https://t.co/IIVOV9hVa8
— CASIE STEWART ☀️ (@casiestewart) September 25, 2018
Nothing lasts forever. Nothing. Even as we speak, Instagram’s co-founders have parted ways with the company, leaving its future uncertain as Facebook continues navigating the ever-turbulent waters left from their questionable decision-making. Everything feels like they’ll last forever when they’re hot… until they’re not. We’ve seen it play through time and time again—you need to make sure that you’re ready for change, because it’s going to come!
Blogging’s not dead—the game’s just changed, and it’s time bloggers change along with it.
Polish your skills up. Find new ways to tell your stories. There’ll always be a demand for content—it’s just up to you to make sure you’re creating the content people want.
Good luck out there everyone, and until the next, I remain,
–case p.
2 replies on “Blogging’s Not Dead, The Game’s Just CHANGED.”
In the last 9 years I’ve been blogging I’ve seen blogging is dead click bait articles each and every year. But I agree with you, the way we communicate has just evolved and those that do well evolve with it.
That’s just it, Ayngelina — people want to herald the end of an era over and over again, but people still want good content; the form it comes in is often just window dressing. There will always be an audience for great stuff, as long as we remember to keep it relevant for the world we’re in.