I have no stats to prove it nor expert analysis to cite, but is it just me or are things quietier in the blogosphere?
Does it seem to you, as it does to me, like there’s fewer new blogs hitting the scene, fewer posts from the established ones, and lots that are languishing without an update?
Has the time you spent interacting with blogs changed in the past year? Do you think blogs will endure and thrive or has their peak time come and gone?
SarahAnn says
I have definitely noticed a slow-down in interaction, even from myself. I think the main reason is the ease of using tools like Twitter and Google Reader. Where I once went and visited each and every blog I read, I know have everything fed to me and can quickly skim through–sometimes, in the instance of Twitter, just read the headline!
Because I'm no longer going directly to sites, I'm not commenting, not creating a "relationship" with the writer as once was the goal.
And I've noticed it on my own blog too. Traffic seems steady (according to analytics) but no one is saying anything.
It's not a bad thing, I guess; but certainly changes the feel and appeal of keeping a blog. I need to be better about communicating!
Ishta Mercurio says
I think the market is saturated. Blogs are great, and I still post and read and comment, but there are so many now that I find that most of them are repeating each other. With a few notable exceptions, of course.
😉
Daisy says
Hi Nathan!
I'm not a blogosphere connoisseur, but I think people are flocking more to YouTube and social networking sites than blogs. For example, Facebook ranks higher posts that feature pictures or video than links.
It's easier to hope around FB, YouTube. Twitter, Tumblr. Going to a blog is an out-of-the-way destination on the inter-webs. It takes you out of the conversation and into someone's virtual living room.
Oh, and nice coffee table, by the way. 🙂
Cheers, Daisy
Ted Fox says
I started my blog a year ago and have gotten a lot more into reading those written by others in the last six months or so. I do confess, however, that my motivation on both fronts has had a lot to do with trying to build a following for my work. I guess that's what happens after you hear "I like your stuff, but you need a platform" from a few agents. All that said, it's turning out to be a fun experience, and I find a blog to be a great creative outlet.
CageFightingBlogger says
I hope blogs haven't peaked… my stats are on the up and I hope they stay that way!
People generally don't have the patience for reading, though. Video blogs might have more success (even though they take longer to consume) because they require less brain power. Sad but true. But if fewer half-arsed bloggers are dabbling, the better chance the hard-core writers have at being noticed. Perhaps.
MIMI CROSS says
There are just too many!
Blogs are wonderful, informative, funny, lovely, but who has time? I don't even have time for my own, lol! That's why I call it The Sloppy Blog https://mimicross.wordpress.com
And yet, here I am, on your blog!
I find that diving into the Twitter stream is more productive, because if I see a link that interests me I click on it. It usually leads to a blog. Kind of random I know, but I just can't get to all the blogs I love each day or even once a week it seems. I used to go to yours every day (-: but then there was this friend and that friend and this agent and that agent, etc., etc. etc.
What do you think? Can't wait to hear.
Sandi Johnson says
I have to agree. I think micro-blogging (Twitter, Facebook status updates, etc.) have changed how we interact with blogs. Market saturation affects that too. You could spend hours just trying to "communicate" with every blog you read. It does make it harder to figure out who "the" bloggers in a particular niche are and who warrants your time.
Tabitha says
I have to agree with Ishta in that a lot of blogs repeat each other. At least, when I finally have a few moments to check out some new blogs, I'm not finding unique content like I did a few years ago. However, I don't have those spare minutes very often anymore, so it could just be my limited exposure. 🙂
My blog is similar to SarahAnn's in that I have steady traffic, but not nearly the same number of commenters. Interesting question.
Nate Wilson says
Over the past year, it seemed like everyone and their mother were starting a blog. Over a dozen friends started them, yet only three still update semi-regularly. Even my mom stopped posting.
So yeah, the blogging era may be past its peak. But there will always be plenty who want to share their opinions and be part of a community, so while the rise was quite sudden, I believe the descent will be much slower and continue on for while yet.
Nicole says
So interesting! I was just wondering this the other day, and I agree with your assessment. I still follow a few blogs religiously, but I've dropped off from others and I no longer spend much time actively searching for cool new blogs.
Author Janice Hardy has a really interesting assessment of her recent "blog tour" results on her very awesome blog: https://blog.janicehardy.com/2011/01/is-doing-blog-tour-really-worth-it.html
It supports your thoughts too.
Jenna Wallace says
I thing there is a definite slowdown. I tried to adhere to the blogging rules (follow and be followed) but it took up so much of my time that my writing suffered. I've seen lots of blog conversations where others are saying the same thing.
MZMackay says
The blogosphere is saturated. Almost all the topics that one can write about, are already being written about.
Plus, with the rise of rss feeds and readers (like google reader), we really barely ever go to the actual sites anymore.
I don't think blogging will disappear, now that it's reached its peak, but I do think blogging is now an important segment of the media.
Bloggers are expected to be credible, and be more balanced in the information they provide, and they will be held accountable for the content they provide.
Blogs aren't the online journals they started out as anymore.
CourtneyC says
You are spot on.
I used to spend every day hitting my favorite writer / agent blogs, but now I check in maybe once a week at the most. I thought it was just me …I'm at a stalemate in my own writing journey. But, I've noticed my favorite blogs are also slow. Some just now post occasionally or have guest bloggers on more frequently, some have dropped out of the biz or quit blogging altogether. And, it seems the same old people are saying the same old thing.
Perhaps also there is a lag as the industry finds its legs with self-publishing and Kindle et al. now a viable option in the publishing paradigm. I'm cooling my heels and seeing what happens (as Borders files for bankruptcy).
Laurel says
In my very unscientific opinion I think the bloggernaut is slowing down. I agree with the comments about other social media competing for our attention, but I also think some of the very public meltdowns and mistakes have led people to be quieter and think harder before posting/commenting.
A couple of years ago it was "if you want to be a writer you HAVE to have a blog." Then we added "You MUST be on Twitter." So everybody did it and then folk started saying "If you have a blog it has to be updated regularly or it's worse than not having a blog" and "Once you put it out there, it never goes away so be very careful what you say."
Blogging has morphed from fun to work to oh, no, can I say that out loud?
Lisa Firke says
Hi, Nathan.
I think the blogosphere is saturated with posts that try to turn everything into a snappy soundbite or a perspicacious list. And I also think blogs ebb and flow seasonally. Blogging fatigue sets in.
I don't think author blogs have peaked or even necessarily reached their potential. As I work with my clients (I design and produce websites and blogs especially for authors), I think more and more that the simplest tools are best (like Blogger).
Even then, the reverse chronological order and post-and-comment format isn't for everyone. It works superbly for you because you blog so consistently and have such an active group of commenters. For other authors it will be better to post less frequently, and organize the content thematically. If a lot of comments aren't coming in, turn them off and enable sharing links for Facebook and Twitter instead. That's my 2 cents…
Rowenna says
I think a lot of people dove into blogging without really wanting to do it or knowing how or why and not feeling really committed to it–because they thought they had to, because it was the thing to do. Writers and non-writers alike. What I've seen–for the most part–the blog chaff is being separated from the wheat, and people who are still blogging are a) good at it b) enjoy it and/or c) have built or are building relationships through the medium of their blog. It's like bunnies' population cycles–when you have a bumper crop of bunnies one year, they don't all make it through the winter. I think we're coming into the spring of blogging with fewer, but stronger, blogs/bunnies.
MJR says
The stats are going up and up on my blog(environmental, not writing blog), but through google analytics, I found out that people don't stay long, don't browse through posts etc. So it might be part of the "Twitter culture"–people only have attention span now to read only a sentence or two.
I love blogs and hope people still keep reading and writing them.
Heather Sunseri says
I've wondered this, too, Nathan. I think it has to do with Twitter. You can RT a post and not take the two or fifteen minutes it takes to compose a thoughtful comment. Instead people RT a link and are left with only eleven characters to say, "Great Post!" I think it goes to show us that if we want a discussion on our blogs, we better be composing a blog post worth discussing. That's just my take.
MJR says
The stats are going up and up on my blog(environmental, not writing blog), but through google analytics, I found out that people don't stay long, don't browse through posts etc. So it might be part of the "Twitter culture"–people only have attention span now to read only a sentence or two.
I love blogs and hope people still keep reading and writing them.
Tamara Hogan says
Between work and writing, I'm digitally overloaded, and I don't think I'm alone. There's too much digital shrapnel hitting my in-box, screen, eyeballs – and a lot of it is promotion.
I spend less time online than I used to, and am more selective about how I spend my time when I DO log on. Too many blogs, too little time.
ThisCommonReader says
I read somewhere that tweeting was short blogging. Perhaps those that want to write in a condensed style have moved to Twitter for writing.
Laura Campbell says
I started to really get into blogging when I participated in NaNoWriMo in November 2010. This January I promised myself I would post M-F, which was difficult because I didn't know what to write. Then came the schedule. I blog regularly and see traffic to my site ride a wave. I've picked up a few new followers and people are commenting a bit more.
I agree with Ishta that many blogs are repeating themselves. For me I think that's ok. It encourages me that I'm not going through the writing life ups and downs alone.
I'm going to continue doing what I"m doing. It would really chap my ass if I'm doing all the work to direct traffic to my blog and the blogosphere is losing its luster. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Carrie says
I see more people taking time off from their blogs or posting less. I think it gets overwhelming to blog, read other blogs, comment, facebook and Tweet.
Anna says
I don't think there's been a slow-down, but then again, I've only been blogging for 6 months. During that 6 months, however, I've steadily seen my stats grow and now regularly receive comments (I love you, followers!). I think that there is over-saturation in our field, but that's ok. There are plenty of options, and I only follow blogs with which I want to stay in touch.
Kathryn Packer Roberts says
I like to read blogs every so often in case there is something I can learn from them, or a bit of news that is exciting about certain authors, etc that I follow. But mostly I'm starting to hate the emphasis on them. I don't mind blogs, but why do we think we need to constantly be updating them? It takes away from more important things we could be doing. I maybe update my blog once a week or once a month. Then I see others who have multiple writers who take turns posting just to keep people coming to their site. OF course there is one blog that has multiple writers, but they all decide to post something nearly everyday and my blog reader is full of feed from them and it gums everything up. (Isn't the point of having multiple writers so that you don't have to post every day???)
It all gets a little overwhelming at times, but maybe I make it that way. Between Facebook, Blogger, and Twitter, I could really spend all day staring at the computer screen. WHY?
Scott Marlowe says
I think it's social media exhaustion. Blogging, Facebook, Twitter, real life… it gets to be too much. The easiest things to cut out are the first three, and, you know what, when time spent blogging, FB'ing, and Twitter'ing are reduced, I suddenly have more time for the lattermost, real life.
Keira of LoveRomancePassion says
I call it the 2 Year Blogging Curse (I wrote about it in a guest series at Blog Traffic Exchange)
Link: https://www.blogtrafficexchange.com/t/2-year-blogging-curse/
I think people start blogs and think just because they opened up shop people will come and they don't make any real efforts. After about a year or two with none of their goals met for the blog, the blogger decides to give it up. They lose interest.
I use Google reader to read and scan my two blog niches and to get inspiration and motivation from other blog niches (fashion/blogging/marketing/twilight <— those bloggers are very active, take notes if you need ideas!)
Jihad Punk XXX says
I have noticed this, too, and I must echo SarahAnn's comment that it might be due to Twitter — so much more social interaction on Twitter. Also, people are more likely to reply to a blogger on Twitter rather than posting a comment on the said blog post that's just been published.
and I think many more people are simply content with READING blogs as rather writing and publishing, becuase sometimes they have nothing to say, except to read and listen.
Neil Vogler says
Blogging as a popular practice may well have peaked and, in my opinion, so has social media use. Everyone I know seems to be pulling back on their FB usage and limiting their time on Twitter. I think we've gotten past the age of net-based communication as novelty, and what we're seeing now is the beginning of a new age of maturity. A whole bunch of early-adopters and previously heavy users are taking a step back and seeking more of a sense of balance in their everyday lives. Information overload is a real enough hazard, and the dangers of sharing too much detail about your day-today movements on the net are becoming more evident as time goes on. Practices change, habits evolve, and individuals become more discerning with their tastes as time goes on. The question is: where does social media go from here?
Ted Cross says
I think that the longer we go with blogging the more we realize that we are mainly just talking to ourselves and not generating interest with the general reading public or with agents or publishers.
P-A-McGoldrick says
For a couple of years, I have been blogging but the pace has changed almost everywhere. One blog expert sums up his experience so well & gives overall perspective at https://bowjamesbow.ca/2011/02/13/ninth-blog-anni.shtml.
Patricia
PM_Poet Writer
Lisa Kilian says
Having just started a blog myself, I think we're in an Out with the Old, In with the New phase. We'll have some down time, the older, already popular blogs will retire, and the new bunch will rise up.
I think it's just an inevitable cycle. Blogs are exhausting and insatiable. I think the best anyone can hope for is a lot of love and retirement done Miss Snark-style.
Lisa Kilian
Magdalena Munro says
I'm not sure if blogs have peaked but there may be a correlation between engagement and employment figures. When I am between consulting gigs, I have the cherished time to read blogs I love and respond but now (because I'm working furiously in the "real world"), even this here response is taking away from my work. My Two Cents-
Rick Daley says
I've slowed down on my posting and commenting, but I'm still a regular lurker on most blogs I follow. For me the slow-down is due to time constraints with work, family, and novel writing (and revising).
Debra L. Schubert says
"Has the time you spent interacting with blogs changed in the past year?" Definitely!
I used to post twice a week, now it's all I can do to get a post out once a week. My posts take 2-4 hours – a healthy chunk of time that could be spent writing/editing. I also read other blogs far less than I used to due to the time-suck element. It's what I love about Twitter. You drop in whenever you've got a spare few minutes and catch up w/people. Quick, easy, back to work.
Mira says
I think I see it as stabilizing – although, this is just guesswork on my part, of course.
I guess I see blogging, twittering, facebook, etc. as all basically the same thing. Interaction on the web. Just different flavors.
Web interaction is very strong, and I predict it will continue to strengthen. If it's not already, it's going to become a staple in communications – there is nothing else that allows for such immediate worldwide intersaction.
But people are drawn to two things – the new and the good. So twitter, facebook and all that will probably eventually stabilize as well, the new flavor, whatever that is, arrives.
So, the best of the bunch, whether it's a blog, a facebook page, etc. will rise to the top, above the competition and stabilize.
I believe blogs will always be around – they offer a space for thoughtful interaction that you can't find on the 'quick bite' social media sites. They aren't as good at community building as something like Facebook, but they are better at thoughtfully exploring an issue and providing information with a personal touch. They are also a good outlet for a fan base – like Neil Gaiman's blog.
So, to summarize 🙂 I think blogs are stabilizing and the best will continue to have a loyal and steady fan base.
And, at some point in the future, everyone will discover blogs again, and they'll explode once more, only to stabilize again.
Rebekah says
I think that it is like anything else, it will ebb and flow in popularity. A lot of people used blogs for things that are now shared on Facebook, Twitter or whatever social network you use, so a lot of people are putting more into those as well. Also, I think a lot of times it is simply hard to maintain momentum – Unless you have a lot of material to draw from, it is hard to come up with actual things to say on a daily basis and stay focused, informative and interesting with all of the other competition out there.
There is another factor too that I think a lot of bloggers don't figure in – interaction. I will not comment on a blog where trolls have free run, or more where a few regulars are the dominant or only commentators -It feels too much like intruding on a private conversation.
Glenda Manus says
I do think blogs have peaked but only for those who beg for comments. I blog to practice writing and to let my family and friends in on what's going on in my life. I'm a reclusive writer and blogging gives me a much more comfortable voice than one-on-one interaction. I can blog and not have to make weekly phone calls. They seem to appreciate it as it's about the only way they ever hear from me. Sometimes I think of quitting but I have followers that I don't want to disappoint.
Keetha says
I'm not sure but I think, overall, quality will win out. Darwinism – the strongest will survive.
John Jack says
Blogs haven't peaked. It's a calm before a malestrom. Fly-by-nighters have gone and done their early in, early out skip and dance and left their ephemeral marks in the candyfloss sand.
They found out, like anything worthwhile in life, to blog well is a chore with demands and a talent for saying something others want to hear and a sense for knowing when a topic has run its full course.
There are middle comers building moment for coming on who will take blogs in a different direction from status craving early adopters' directions. Like, getting to the main course, the main feature after the opening credits, the commercial sponsor spots, the prefatory remarks.
And powerhouse late comers as well will come along, fashionably late to the party types who will lend their celebrity and flair for dramatic entrances and personality cults to the mix when the audience spotlight will fix on them.
Then blogs will settle down into an everyday steady state of the art.
Laura Pauling says
I think it's still very prevalent when done right. Unique, useful and updated. Who cares if it's not every day and just once a week. And I think writers are focusing on their writing!
Tiana Smith says
I think it has a lot to do with blog saturation. Too many people blogging on the exact same topic without bringing anything unique to the party. We all get overburdened as a result.
With blogs, I only follow if there's something in it for me (sad, but true for most of us, I think). People love reading fresh content, but get upset when people don't follow them for their quickly tossed up blog posts (they think, 'but I have to post today even if I don't have something to say!').
There's a golden rule to blogging that many people do not follow. Write blog posts unto others as you would read them yourself. If we do this, blogs will pick up again.
*end of rant* 🙂
Kevin says
I've INCREASED my blog reading and exploring activities…and have added new blogs to my favorites list recently. The blogs I follow update often.
Diana says
I've been putting more time and effort into my blog since December and also spending more time looking for blogs and reading them, so of course blogs have peaked and everyone is now on to the next new thing. Sigh.
All you all are lucky that I gave up on facebook and twitter. If I started up again they would die a painful death. 🙂
word verification: villisol *snerk*
Anonymous says
For me, so many of the blogs I follow have left me behind. The authors are agented, getting published, etc, etc, etc. It's getting harder to find writer bloggers that are in similar situations/positions in the journey to me. I thought blogging would help me find people I could relate to. It did, but because of life situations, I've been left behind. The occasional blog contest has allowed me to get a critique on part of my manuscript, but every attempt at a full-on crit group has fallen through.
Blogging isn't bringing me what I thought it would and I'm beginning to re-evaluate the whole thing. Life is really busy for me right now so I've gone on blog hiatus for the time being.
jim says
whose got the time?
Maureen says
I am not a big fan of YouTube (I don't have patience for videos) and I barely post anything on Facebook but I love reading blogs that prompt thought and discussion. They are filled with information (some useful, some not), personality and even drama. I check in and read the blogs I enjoy sporadically though I'm a scanner so if they don't interest me I skip them. I've recently noticed, on some of the blogs I follow, that a lot more emphasis is being placed on products — producing products, selling products and affiliate products. Some days I feel like I've entered a storefront and not a favorite blog.
While Twitter is a quick way to take the pulse of an issue or idea at any time, I hope it doesn't replace blogs. I think each of the communication platforms has it's purpose and will evolve over time, though I'm also sure there are yet unimagined forms of communication to come.
I know I'm not cutting-edge or an early adopter because I'm still a huge fan of newspapers – I have 2 delivered everyday — but I believe that when it comes to communication and gathering and sharing information that it is important to have a variety of platforms to meet the diverse or niche needs of society.
Ian Tuttle says
why blog when you can tweet?
[28 characters]
Leanne (Ironic Mom) says
Great question. And the comments definitely point to the "saturation" of the blogosphere.
Interesting, though, wordpress's stats for today indicate that there are 495,383 bloggers, 551,261 new posts, 454,268 comments, & 106,732,322 words posted today on WordPress.com" (which is significantly higher than when I started blogging in November 2009).
(Word verification: sesessio, which sounds like a version of cease)
Anonymous says
Interesting you should mention that.
I'm in the process of listing agents to query, and am pretty much looking for an agent without a blog.