With the rise of TikTok, Instagram reels, and YouTube shorts, it feels like people want nothing but videos. Specifically short videos. So where does that leave blogging? Is it still relevant, or has video taken over the world?
Will blogs still exist?
It’s impossible to predict the future, but it’s safe to say that blogging isn’t going anywhere. You’ve probably heard that blogs are dead for years now. When YouTube first became a thing, blogging was supposedly done. But it’s not. It’s still here and probably will be for a while.
But blogs have changed. Ten years ago, blogs were like journals. Obviously, they’re not anymore. If you read a business blog, you won’t find what the CEO ate for dinner last night. Nowadays, blogs are more like digital newsletters. They are polished, focused, and viewed as pieces of content in a marketing strategy. And that’s exactly what will happen this time around. Blogs will change. Again.
How will blogging change?
The short answer: in multiple ways. Generative AI will become more popular, which means storytelling will become more important. Blogs will become a tool for someone’s personal brand, so it’ll be harder to make a name for yourself. And finally, blogs will probably transform into digital publishing businesses.
Let’s go over these in more detail.
Generative AI: Why write it yourself?
Everyone’s talking about it. Or everyone’s asked ChatGPT to talk about it. It’s becoming increasingly harder to tell whether AI or a human wrote content. Of course, there are still tells, but that’s because the technology is still in its early stages. Who knows how quickly it will evolve?
Sure, Google wants to crack down on AI content. But the algorithm they want to build is also still in its infancy, meaning it’ll take awhile before Google can prioritize human-made content. But who’s to say that a post written by AI and modified by people isn’t human-made? It’s a gray area. But one thing’s for sure: it’ll make it easier for people to start blogs.
AI can’t fake human experience
As a response to more generated content, storytelling will become more important. But wait, you might think. People don’t want to read stories. They want to watch videos. Yes, but part of why people prefer video content is because it feels more genuine and authentic. And that’s exactly what you should focus on in your blogs.
By sharing personal stories, experiences, and insights, you can create that sense of authenticity readers crave. It’ll also allow you to build trust and eventually a relationship with your readers. The result? A loyal audience and a successful blog.
Bonus: You’ll appeal to Google
Sharing personal experiences isn’t just great for your readers. Google likes it too. That’s why they added an extra E to their previously E-A-T system. They stand for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
These raters determine whether you provide helpful and relevant content. If the answer is yes, then congrats. Your rankings might increase, so people can more easily find you in the search results. And since we established that people want to watch videos, why not add a few to your posts? If they make your site more relevant and helpful, that’s a win-win.
It will be harder to make a name for yourself
Creating a blog is easy, but it’s becoming increasingly harder to grow popular. Just look at the numbers. According to Web Tribunal, “there are more than 600 million blogs out of 1.9 billion websites in the world. Their authors account for over 6 million blog posts daily, or over 2.5 billion annually.” This means that around one-third of all current websites are blogs, which is huge!
Years ago, you could write a series of 10 to 15 decent blog posts and rank for their target keywords in many niches. Now, you need to find your specific niche, then publish more and better content. And you can’t forget the visuals (photos, images, infographics, videos). That’s why becoming a successful blogger is increasingly harder when it’s just you.
Blogs as digital businesses
Most successful blogs (that generate decent income) are actually run by a small team of people. Even if it’s just one person writing the content, they probably work directly and indirectly with web hosts, email marketing platforms, photographers, ad management companies, social media managers, graphic designers, etc. Because doing all the work by yourself and generating a lot of great quality content is nearly impossible.
Furthermore, you must go where the people are to market your blog. And the people are mostly watching videos. That’s why most blogs also have YouTube channels, post reels on Instagram, launch podcasts, or even produce online courses. Even if your passion is writing, you can’t escape video content.
Is the rise of video such a bad thing?
Not necessarily. It even makes sense, if you ask me. If you’re a reader, consider how to choose your next read. Chances are, you look at the cover (visual), you read the blurb (short and enticing content intended to lure you in), and you might ask the bookseller if it’s any good (authentic content). Or perhaps you look for the little cards that say, “Alex recommends this book!” Again, authenticity. Is that really so different from watching a short reel from a blogger before reading their blog? You tell me.
