In December 2013, I went out for fondue with two friends from college one afternoon. One of the girls told me about this website called foodgawker (RIP) that was like a collection of recipes from all around the web. She knew I loved to bake and recommended it as a source for original recipes.
Naturally, foodgawker led me to discover this thing called a blog that I had no idea existed. I returned occasionally to look for something new to bake. Eventually, I started poking around the blogs linked on foodgawker beyond the recipes. My “gateway blog” was Southern In-Law, specifically her banana bread baked oatmeal recipe, still bookmarked on my computer.
In January 2015–did I tell you I’m indecisive?–I finally launched my first blog, gal in bloom (also RIP) and though I’ve taken breaks here and there, I’ve been writing online ever since.
I do feel like 2013-2017 was the heyday for blogs, food and healthy living blogs at least. The landscape emptied out, as the bloggers I used to read graduated from college, got jobs, and started families. It feels a little empty around these parts sometimes!
Regardless, I still think there is a lot of opportunity and fulfillment to be found in blogging, whether you are just starting out or wondering whether to keep blogging in the future. Here’s why you should start a blog (or keep blogging) in 2024.
1. Longform content is making a comeback.
The top reason why you should start a blog in 2024 is this: blog post-type content is coming back. The past few years have been an era of soundbites, seconds-long videos, short-form content that’s designed to grab attention and go viral. It’s been a period of polarization and provocative captions as influencers tirelessly compete to see who can be more extreme.
Readers are getting tired of this type of content, which provides little value beyond entertainment. Even within my own circles on Instagram and Facebook, I’ve seen several people quit these social outlets because of the mental health impacts. I never made a TikTok account because of this. Many content creators are focusing more on YouTube or blogging (or both).
Blogging isn’t about aesthetically pleasing pictures or going viral. Nice pictures help in some areas–like fashion or food blogging–but you can learn and hack it quickly and cheaply, as I did when I posted more recipes. Sometimes “unprofessional” photos make a blog post more relatable.
Successful bloggers know that it takes time and hard work to create an arsenal of high-quality content that ranks in search engines and keeps readers coming back for more. Bloggers with dedicated audiences don’t sell out to any old brand or guest blogger who will pay to self-promote. They write with a sense of higher purpose–sharing experiences, original content, adding value to the lives of their readers. This type of content is “evergreen”; and, it is always worthwhile to create.
2. When there are fewer bloggers, there is less competition for brand collaborations.
I have seen a huge uptick in my own opportunities to collaborate with brands over the past two years. Is this why I blog? No; I reject 95+% of the opportunities. Is it a nice result of putting in my time over the years? Yes–I enjoy discovering new-to-me brands that reflect my own values, and being able to share those with my readers occasionally.
My blogger friend Kristy wrote a great post about collaborative posts a while ago, Would You Like to Work for Free?. It’s a great read for potential bloggers re: working with brands. It’s also a thought-provoking piece for readers who might get irritated when they see that “gifted product” or “sponsored post” disclaimer on a piece of content. Blogging is hard work, and it’s not immoral to make money from a hobby (or even blog as a part/full-time job, as long as you are staying true to your values).
3. As a stay-at-home parent or if you are considering changing careers, a blog can be a great way to showcase your skills.
Writing and maintaining a blog involves many different skills. Writing for your audience, writing to a brief (if you are collaborating with a brand), content/social media/email marketing, SEO, graphic design, knowledge of WordPress/blogger/whatever interface you use to publish your content, etc etc.
Blogging helps keep you grammatically and technically sharp. You might want to return to the workforce in the future. Or, you might want to move away from your current career, towards something related to communications or marketing. Now you have a nice portfolio wrapped up in a neat package: your blog.
4. You have something to market.
Here are two great examples of bloggers who organically incorporate marketing for their products into their blogs: Posie Gets Cozy (who sells handmade soaps) and How to Be Chic (who sells her self-published lifestyle books).
When people discover your products via a high-quality blog, you communicate that you are not just in this for a quick buck. You are showing potential customers that you know your stuff, too. I am personally much more likely to buy a product I discovered via a blog than via social media.
5. You want a hobby outside of work or parenting.
You know those X/Instagram memes that go, “stop romanticizing the grind and start romanticizing whatever this is,” with a picture of a whimsical cottage in the woods? Yeah, that. Stop romanticizing turning every hobby into a side hustle. Start romanticizing doing what you love for the heck of it again.
When I started my first blog, it was full of crappy graphics designed on free websites, all sorts of content that didn’t fit together, terrible food photos and nobody really read it. To be honest, I miss it. I was a carefree college student figuring out who I was, and it showed. I was having fun with my blog. I didn’t care about metrics of success.
Now as an almost-30-year-old, I feel pressure to make my hobby “worth it.” When people as me about it, they want to know–am I a “real blogger”? Do I make money from it? (Very occasionally, is the answer.)
But I know, deep down know, that it’s worth it even if it’s not aesthetically pleasing, SEO’d to the nines or making me a cent. Because as a mom, it’s a place to exist outside of family life. I love my kids and they are not my whole purpose in life–actually, I think that would be a huge, unfair responsibility to put on them. Everyone needs a place to play and be themselves outside of work or parenting responsibilities. For some people it’s the gym, a book club, a class–for me it’s this blog.
In Summary
So there you have it, five reasons why you should start a blog in 2024 (or keep blogging). If you’re a fellow blogger, drop your website in the comments (you have to start writing the comment and then it will give you the option to comment as a guest). If you’re thinking about starting a blog… go for it and let me know, I’d love to read it!
xx Claire
