Writer: Helena Bergström
Suddenly everyone started blogging, and just as suddenly everyone stopped. Or well, not at the. Some even continued. But who still writes… and why? And why is it that ‘My 15 best tips for Paris’ is no longer presented as a blog post… but as an Instagram carousel?
“Old-fashioned bloggers”
When the travel bloggers came into the spotlight, the travel journalists got frustrated and threw rotten tomatoes at us. I wish I could write that this is of course just something I mean purely figuratively, but the fact is that this happened just once. Really and truly.
Maybe the tomatoes weren’t rotten (and maybe they weren’t even tomatoes?), but Peter and I were on stage talking about travel blogging in a journalistic context. One of the journalists in the audience got upset, found fruit in a bowl and aimed…!
At that time, travel blogs were ‘hip’ and journalists felt (perhaps) a bit ‘old school’ and surrounded by the future. Ironically, on a press trip recently, we met a blogger who described herself as an “old school blogger” because now it’s the blog that feels overwhelmed. TikTok Reels and Youtube Shorts are moving at breakneck speed and sometimes we barely have time to perceive the content…
In “the good old days” (?) it was quite easy to blog. They started their small blog space and were able to quickly find communities. The blogs were on various collection sites, subscribing to blog feeds was easy, various companies handed out prizes to the best blogs and the bloggers themselves tipped each other wildly. Everywhere you looked, you saw a blog.
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If you start a blog today, it will probably be a bit more upwind (or in a dark forest). You can write great copy and spice it up with great photos… but how do you get someone to see it now that there’s no longer the same active blogging community to join?
The blog died. Long live the blog!
Once upon a time (no, not in the Stone Age, but 10-15 years ago) blogs were the hub of inspiration and information – whether it was about fashion, travel or home decor. There was even a demand for blogs about the daily lives of ordinary and unusual people.
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Blogging gradually changed. The blog noise was drowned out by other noise. Many lost weight. Those who stayed stayed for two reasons (I think). 1) “It’s a fun hobby and I have great friends in my little corner of Bloglandia.” 2) “I want to niche and develop my blog even more within my topic, while still trying to make contact.”
Instagram has become the new blog, but on other people’s terms
At the same time this was happening, Instagram was growing and everything that was once on blogs suddenly moved here. First it was “a photo from my daily life + a line of text” that moved from blog to Instagram. Then the more curated photos, and then: “My 15 best tips for Paris”.
Now you can meet entire guides on Instagram. They are like blogs in mini format, which require a lot of work: each Paris tip is accompanied by a location description, explanation of the route, price information, inspiring text and a wonderful photo. Just like in the days of the blog, there is commitment and creativity behind the creation. The difference is that the content is no longer the property of the creator, it quickly disappears in the flow and it is more difficult to update and deepen it.
And then the daily blogging (“this is what I ate for lunch today”) – well, it has been moved to Instagram Stories!
Social media: faster and more fragmented
So if everything that used to be on blogs is now on Instagram, what’s the difference? For content creators, who no longer own what they created, it is pointless to update or deepen their work. On the other hand, if they are a niche player and have a lot of knowledge, they may be able to create some kind of expert role in their field: become someone who gives lectures or is invited to TV couches.
For readers/followers, the new world means that content flies by faster and faster. The emphasis is more on aesthetics and less on nuance. You scroll and scroll. “Save this!” it says. But even if you save, and even if you can search to some extent, it’s clear that the content has become more fragmented before your eyes. The tips become more superficial and often the same ideas, angles and destinations return – which is optimized and works well for the algorithm.
Who is blogging today? – Moving content, demands and fatigue
Suddenly it’s no longer enough to ‘just blog’ to reach an audience. Now (?) you also have to make videos, talk on camera and record podcasts. “Now it’s moving that counts!” “Roles have more potential!” “Why don’t you start a podcast?”
Everyone should be a writer, photographer, video editor and presenter – all at the same time! Many bloggers and content creators today experience demands and sometimes even feelings of exhaustion. It’s not uncommon for us to hear from bloggers who think they’re on the receiving end of certain parts of the process (e.g. Instagram!).
While some work hard for a niche and professional appearance, we also experience that there is a desire to ‘do what is fun’. We’ve seen examples of influencers leaving an account with relatively many followers to create a new account, with fewer followers but more creative joy. We have also heard some who long to return to writing as such, regardless of readership.
AI – threat, help or background noise?
It’s impossible to talk about blogging and texting without mentioning AI. Suddenly, artificial intelligence is available to the common man and anyone can create long, articulate texts in no time. While chatbots can provide writers with practical assistance – for example by helping with ideas, layouts or research – the new technology also means competition and a completely new digital landscape that is difficult to oversee or predict.
No human can be as efficient or powerful as a super-fast robot that never sleeps. However, we can be… human! We can tell you about our personal experiences, experiences, failures and progress. We can share our thoughts and feelings.
Perhaps personal storytelling, whether in the form of a blog, podcast or video, will continue to have important value, with the personal voice being the most important.
The blog in the future – a resistance to speed?
What will happen to blogging in the future? Are there any left? Perhaps it is now more difficult than ever to predict the future, given that changes are proceeding at such extremely rapid rates. But even in the future there will be a need to express yourself, participate in collective conversations and share in the experiences of others. Maybe bloggers will continue to be a resistance to speed?
#blog #posts #Instagram #carousels #happened