Blog Blues

Is blogging still worth it?

This is the question I’ve been asking myself these past several months. Let’s face it. People are busier than every and their ‘in-boxes’ are over run with posts, social media, notifications, newsletters… you name it. Who can actually READ a blog post any more?

Well, apparently, lots of people. Blogs have taken a downturn in popularity since their inception, but even if they aren’t the newest thing on the web, there are still millions of people who subscribe and read blog posts. It’s still a really easy and effective way to get your message out there – instagram or no instagram!

I started my first blog in November of 2009 – that’s almost ten years ago now! ‘Expression Express’, as it was called, had a great seven year run until I decided to switch from the ‘Blogger’ platform I was using to ‘WordPress’. I loved blogger, make no mistake,  but it was complicated in that I also used a different platform for my website end the two didn’t always talk nice to each other. I haven’t regretted the change, although sometimes I think I was a better blogger back then than I am now.

For awhile I used to post six days a week. I admit that these days I try to manage once a week and sometimes that doesn’t even happen. I’ll also admit that I don’t mind re-using content on occasion. The likelihood of someone noticing is minimal – and heck! If it’s a really good post, why wouldn’t I use it again later to reach maximum ‘viewage’?

For instance, I found a post written back in 2013 on the InScribe Writers’s Online Blog that addresses many of the same questions. it is called Is Blogging Really Worth It?   and I have included some highlights here. (To read the entire post, click on the link.)

…the blog is still the central way for writers to build a platform. My blog is certainly the backbone of my online activity. I can write about what’s on my mind, share news, offer advice, and link and share it everywhere. If I was to think of a metaphor, I’d say my website is the ‘wheel’ but my blog is the hub of that wheel. It’s the thing that keeps things moving. Everything else is linked to and through it and goes out from there. 

I’ve also come to value my blog for the sense of satisfaction it gives me beyond its use as a marketing tool. I enjoy the planning that goes into each post as well as the writing part. I like keeping it up to date, adding new pictures and gadgets to my sidebar, and revamping the look. It’s fun to connect with readers and to leave comments on other blogs that I frequent. I’ve become a ‘blogging’ junkie, of sorts – it’s something I actually take pleasure in. 

Even without any new books or plays to promote, I think I would still be blogging just for the fun of it. For me, blogging is SO worth the time and effort.”

So… it looks like I won’t be giving up any time soon. Here’s to another year (or ten?)!