There’s a belief being spread by some (mostly Gen Zers mesmerized by the glamour of social media) that blogs are dead.

 

You may find yourself in a situation where you overhear some of them, maybe while they thrift for overpriced vintage clothes or in between their rehearsed attempts at the latest dance trend. 

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With the confidence that comes from accessible, concise, but sometimes out-of-context information, they may regurgitate the following to one another:

 

“Nobody reads anymore.”

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“Blogs are for old people with no lives and too much time.” 

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“Why would anyone choose to read when they can learn the same information in a 15-second video?”

 

Well, they’re not entirely wrong. 

 

Social media is the future, in regards to many things, including marketing. There’s no doubt about that. 

 

From the moment we wake up to that final moment before drifting into sleep, most of us (from Gen Zers to Millennials, to even the more internet-inclined, Facebooking Baby Boomers) are on our phones switching back and forth between various social media feeds, scrolling and lol’ing our way through amusing videos and exposing ourselves ad nauseam to ethically-questionable placed advertisements.

 

But despite the reach and power of social media, blogs are very much still alive.

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The Old Blog

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The reality is that traditional blogging methods, the Old Blog (the ones that according to many nobody reads), have proven beneficial to brand development since the coupling of the internet and marketing. And despite a recent decline in popularity (due to that cunning aforementioned social media), the Old Blog remains relevant, beneficial, and profitable for many (even though it may not seem like it).

 

But for how much longer?

 

Hmm. Probably for a very long time. 

 

The idea that nobody reads anymore is simply not true. What is true, however, is that people are willing to read short-form content much more than long-form. This is the reason why Twitter, a micro-blogging service (that’s right, blogging), continues to be popular and successful. In the same way, some people subscribe to news updates rather than watching full segments of televised news or reading an entire newspaper. 

 

But regardless of the need for quick and easy information, there are still those who would rather watch the nightly 9 O’Clock news or spend their entire morning reading the latest issue of The New Yorker (whether digital or tangible). This is the same reason, despite what many believe, the Old Blog has not yet flatlined on a digital deathbed.

 

However, during the Old Blog’s downfall, an opportunity to satisfy a demand was created. To bridge the gap between brand marketing and audience, a new, evolved, collaborative, and engaging blog began to emerge. 

 

We can call this modern blogging method the New Blog.

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The New Blog

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Much like micro-blogging, the New Blog understands the current digital literacy atmosphere and the audience wishing to inhabit it. By taking the template of the Old Blog and infusing it with the simplicity of microblogging, the New Blog provides the evolving audience (viewers and listeners, not only readers) exactly what they need, a dynamic source of quickly digestible, engaging content, and media.

 

But not all brands are the same. With different products, services, and target audiences, it’s impossible to create a one-size-fits-all approach to blogging. 

 

The marketing, and thus the blogging method, for an organic apparel brand and a luxury landscaping service can be starkly different from one another. They can both use blogging, social media, and other methods of advertisement, but their strategy and success will undoubtedly differ. 

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However, a commonality for all brands, regardless of size or kind, is the need to provide a source of connection where the audience can engage and ultimately advocate. That’s why blogs are beneficial – and why it continues to be important, in both the Old Blog method and the New Blog method. 

 

In essence, what differentiates the New Blog from the Old Blog is its strategic approach to brand development and marketing.

 

While the Old Blog focuses on delivering extensive information, images, and hyperlinks, the New Blog focuses on being a dynamic source of information, providing super concise content artfully interconnecting with relevant media snippets to create versatility and the ability to be translated into other progressive formats, such as podcasting (an increasingly-popular channel for connecting with an audience). 

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In other words, the New Blog values quality over quantity, providing a concise amount of information in the most scannable way designed for the intended audience.

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Ending The Blog With A Platitude 

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Like many things, change requires change. That’s a pretentious way of saying that digital literacy is constantly evolving. 

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As such, some things about blogging will remain the same and some things won’t. Different forms of blogging, from microblogging (like Twitter), to traditional blogging (the Old Blog), to modern blogging (the New Blog), can exist at the same time and benefit your brand in different ways. It really depends on your brand — and how you define it. 

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Regardless of the blogging method, the power of the blog continues to be vast.

 

So when you overhear someone saying blogs are dead, you can kindly inform them that they are seriously misinformed (or if it’s easier, you can refer them to this old blog).