Got Blog? Yes, Some People Still Read Blogs

It’s a weird old world we’re living in these days, especially online where traditional forms of media are falling behind in favour of social media, and the news sites that still exist care more about clicks and views than producing interesting content.

I realized recently that much of what I read on an average day is often a rehash of another story or article from a different site, likely posted a couple of days before. And even then, a lot of what I’m coming across (aside from local, breaking news) is just variations on the same theme. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of truly original content out there.

So, I went looking for blogs. Because there must be some people out there who haven’t moved their content to Instagram or podcasts, right? There must still be people who are writing for the pure love of writing, instead of concerning themselves with monetization or how to become an “influencer”.

Blogger Rodrigo Olivares says that people do still read blogs, and that’s reassuring, even if his post talks more about SEO rankings and growing your traffic.

But when I went looking for interesting stuff to replace the flood of lifestyle articles that usually filled my Pocket feed on a daily basis, I was sad to hit BlogLovin’ (yes, it still exists) and discover that many blogs have been abandoned, probably as people have found more interaction for less effort on sites like Instagram.

Olivares also points out that blogs are easier to monetize with a consistent theme (food, fashion, home decor, etc.), but if you’ve been on the Internet for any amount of time, all of those themed sites start to blend together. I don’t want more step-by-step recipe posts for something that I already know how to make. But I’d love to read a good story (sans recipe) about a food that someone loves and why.

What I’m actually looking for is good writing, about lots of different topics (well, maybe not race cars or sports), something genuine and from the heart as opposed to part of a themed marketing campaign. I know personal blogs that cover a bunch of different topics tend not to do as well as themed sites that hit high in the Google rankings, but those are the sites that interest me the most. Blogs about the person, their life and experiences, not just their lipstick haul or their white-on-white decor.

I’m about writing, not videos or podcasts, because while Olivares points out that many readers only skim written articles these days, that’s still better/easier than trying to figure out if a half-hour podcast is actually ever going to get to the point of the story.

So I’m on the search for cool blogs. Must have unique, quality writing on interesting topics — and be updated regularly. I’m not looking for fancy, slick influencer sites, or more of what’s already out there.

When I find some blogs that rock me, I’ll start sharing them. Because I believe in sharing good stuff, and I believe that the DIY spirit of the early internet has been lost in the race to make money out of something that most people started doing just for fun. I want to find the fun in reading and writing again, and supporting people who blog without the end goal of making a buck seems like the best way to find the good stuff.

Know of a fun, interesting blog? Get at me in the comments.