I’ve noticed a small but growing trend over the past several months. More and more bloggers are burned out on the professional side of blogging and are expressing a desire to return to what I would call old-fashioned blogging.
If you were in the blogging world in 2005 and 2006, you will know what I mean. That was when blogging really took off and people were loving the opportunity to connect with others online. Comment threads were lengthy, full of friendly chatter and the making of friends.
Social Media Took Over Old-Fashioned Blogging
Social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram turned it all upside down. Non-bloggers loved how instant it all was. For bloggers, it became all about followers and Pinterest worthy images and SEO and all things social media.
To be sure, some people never quit blogging in the traditional sense. But I’ve been so immersed in the business side of online work with this site, my printables business, and the business I own with my husband that supports our family that during the past ten years my reading of blogs for pleasure dropped off to virtually nothing. Between parenting, homeschooling, health, and business… That was it. Add to it the decision to finally and reluctantly join Facebook primarily the sake of business and reading regular blogs pretty much dropped off my radar.
Until this summer.
Rediscovering the Joy of Old-Fashioned Blogs
One evening I was restless with all of the online “stuff” that I’ve been contemplating for the better part of a year. I started surfing around via linky parties. (Do you remember those? Professional bloggers will tell you they are waste of time now, but I’m not convinced.) But do you know what? I found that there are still lots of bloggers who are blogging the old-fashioned way. It blessed me and made me homesick all at the same time to read their blogs. As much as I love what I’ve accomplished with my website and I’m thankful for the way it provides for our family’s needs, I felt a tiny bit lot envious when I saw an extensive blog on Blogger with the same theme I started with in 2005.
One of the blogs I “happened” across is Afternoon Coffee and Evening Tea. Billie Jo wrote Bring Blogging Back in August and when I read it, I knew that my hunches and musings were not just my own wishful thinking. In reflecting on what she likes about blogging versus her experience on Twitter and Instagram (in particular), Billie Jo wrote:
Blogging takes place in a slower paced world. I feel at ease when I open a favorite blog and read a post. I sit down and even drink a cup of coffee as I spend some time visiting. And if I miss one? I visit later, when I have time. It may be me, but I find blogging to be mindful and cozy. Please note, I am not against Instagram. I am simply putting out a plea to others to not view it as a replacement for blogging.
She’s so right about the slower pace. There are some traditional blogs I found this summer and when I read them I can actually feel my body relaxing. It doesn’t have to do with whether or not they include Amazon links or ads. Some of the blogs I like to read have both. One in particular has a lot of ads, but I enjoy the content so much I don’t care. (I also understand how much it costs to keep a busy blog going and the money has to come from somewhere.) Blogs are cozy in a way that Facebook can absolutely never be.
The Future of Blogging?
I’m not sure where blogging is headed. Social media is both a blessing and a curse. I have a partially finished post about why it’s so difficult to quit Facebook so I’m going to address the Facebook phenomena separately. (Finished post is now here.) But I do know that there is a shift happening. I can see it. I’m just not sure yet what is going to develop from it.
All that to say is that I plan on doing more old-fashioned blogging mixed in with the other posts I write. Posts where I don’t worry about SEO and perfect images and whether or not the topic fits with the overall theme of my site. I’ve spent the last five years in particular chasing all the “right” ways to do things according to the blogging professionals and, in the process, I feel like I’ve lost something of beauty along the way.
And hopefully you will stop by with a cup of coffee or tea and feel your body relax while reading. 🙂