Blogging has been around since the late 1990s but in recent years it has undergone changes. The blog is not the same as it was twenty years ago.
While I have been writing for a long time, my blog presence is newer. I study other blogs, trends and teaching voraciously. I will be sharing what I know here with the hope that it will light the next few inches of your path.
The word “blog” comes from a shortening of the word “weblog.” The weblog of years past was an online journal where a writer might post to their site a couple of times a week or more. Now, the blog has become a robust system of content creation and engagement across multiple platforms including not only the site itself but social media.
How Blogging Has Changed
Blogging previously focused on consistent and frequent posting, in part to boost search engine optimization. However, this strategy has largely been abandoned today, with bloggers focusing instead on quality over quantity. A blogger today posts less frequently but writes content that is more highly targeted to their readers and their needs. Awareness is more likely to come from social media shares and other forms of engagement on the part of the audience, rather than reliance on search engines.
Bloggers used to grow their readership by interacting with others on the blog platform. They would comment on other blogs, write guest posts, add blogs to their blog roll, and so on. Today, bloggers still use those methods to grow their readership, but they’ve added more tactics. These activities have expanded to engaging audience members, tagging, liking, sharing, and so on.
The rise of social media has meant the blurring of lines between social media and blogging. You can blog using social media directly, writing “microblog” posts on Twitter or longer-form content on Facebook.
Finally, blogging used to be a hobby or leisure activity, but today it’s a viable career.
Want to take a peek at what is possible in blogging? This site will blow you away! Makingcentsofcents.com.
Until next time, start making some notes on the topics you would like to write about. Search for some blogs on your target. You will develop your unique voice, but in the beginning it is exciting to see what others are doing.
Here is a post with links to come of my favorite blogging resources: Best Blogging Resources
