Is Blogging Dying? Must Read Before You Blog in 2023
The Short and Long Answer
If dying means getting injected with black label coffee, (coffee with the highest caffeine content) then yes. There has been more content posted on the internet in the last two years than all the years before that. Blogging has only increased in popularity and scale.
The word blog is derived from a weblog. The latest stats show that in 2021, 7.5 million blogs were posted, daily. That is a staggering amount. So, if you planning to start a blog you will have much more competition to get traffic to your site. That is combined with the fact that 1% of bloggers, which is roughly 300k to 400k of active bloggers post content several times a day.
That and more stats from here: https://firstsiteguide.com/blogging-stats/
Intimidating isn’t it. The fact is more technology is available and the generation that grows up with smartphones are now parents so naturally, it would gravitate towards higher online activity overall. However, this should not deter the determined blogger. The higher the online activity the more likely someone may see your blog. That closely balances out the previous figures.
Want to Start Your Own Blog?
Starting a blog is like a blank slate, an open-ended endeavour with the freedom to explore ideas or topics. Whether you plan to write a blog for money or fun or both, it requires you to be inspired enough to think ahead yet diligent enough to stay within the guidelines below.
Content
Write about something you know. If you divert from your expertise regularly to write blogs, it is not going to be an efficient use of your time. You’ll spend more time, fact-checking, overly researching and trouble to construct an acceptable train of thought.
Write enough
This means writing enough for your blog to be useful to someone else. More than six hundred words in most cases but not too much that bores the reader. You could always split it into two different blogs if needed. If you are struggling to make the 600+ words, then don’t be afraid to change the topic or heading so it allows you to stay within a topic. This may not make sense now but unless you know exactly what you going to write about, the heading is a guideline to keep you on topic. Though this is not ideal, it isn’t wrong. It can sometimes be an improvement because as you write you start to fine-tune your ideas.
Structure
Slightly more important than the rest, in my opinion, the structure is key in keeping readers interested and engaged with your blog. The truth is most of your readers will not read your entire blog and merely skim through them to search for valuable information. Using labels, headings, lists, bullet points and spacing will add significant value to your content. Using tables, columns with CSS styling will help with this if you can.
Research and reference
Exactly that, research, and reference where you got the information from as a courtesy to the original author or source provider. Readers know when you have put in research time when going through your content. Apart from adding value to your content, it shows the reader that this website or author is reputable or trustworthy (possibly). References also help with your SEO ranking by providing external sources (URL’s) within your blog. How much and how exactly is Googles blend of secret herbs, spices, and algorithms.
Keywords and Google Trends
These help you determine what keywords or phrases you would need to use to gain an advantage over others with similar blogs. In other words, they help your SEO ranking by letting you know keywords/phrases to use in your blog.
Apart from these five points to guide you, double-check your language and grammar and use images. If you are using an SEO tool that reads your blog and provides suggestions, all the better, just be mindful that you don’t always need to have it 100%. I use Rank Math which is a great tool for your WordPress site. Installed and set up for free if you are using Web Force with any package.
As a courtesy to those reading this blog, if you contact me and mention you have read this blog post, I will personally provide you with tips and tools to help you on your blogging adventure with a purchase of a package from us intended for personal blogging. I will show you which tools to use to optimize and publish your blogs, provide you with a comprehensive list of guidelines (an extension of the above list) and three custom-designed images for your posts.
The use of AI for Blogging
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in writing blogs has emerged as a transformative tool, revolutionizing the way content is created and delivered. With AI-powered writing assistants, bloggers can now enhance their productivity, creativity, and efficiency. AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data, gather insights, and generate topic ideas, helping writers overcome the dreaded writer’s block.
Moreover, AI can refine the writing process by providing grammar and spelling suggestions, improving overall clarity and coherence. AI-powered tools can even optimize user generated posts for search engine rankings, suggesting relevant keywords and metadata to increase visibility. Additionally, AI can adapt to the writer’s style, learning from previous content and generating personalized recommendations.
However, it is important to strike a balance between AI and human creativity to maintain authenticity and originality in blog writing. While AI can streamline and enhance the writing process, human creativity, critical thinking, and subject expertise remain indispensable for producing compelling and engaging content. In summary, the use of AI in writing blogs empowers bloggers with valuable assistance, efficiency, and optimization, ultimately enhancing the quality and impact of their content.
Conclusion
If you enjoy writing and see yourself doing it regularly, start your own blog and build a space for yourself. Over time you could build a successful blog site earning money or connect with like-minded people and that can never die.
If you decide to go ahead with a blogging website, read this article on how to choose the right domain name: https://webforce.co.za/what-domain-name-should-i-use/
