It seems as though I'm always late to the party. In September 2010 I launched a personal blog called Dating Dementia. At that time there were already over 200 million blogs in existence. Now, just as I begin to hit my stride writing about my life, baby boomer issues, relationships, politics, and caring for an aging parent, I learn blogs have probably had their day in the sun and may soon fade away.
Damn.
Evidently, fewer companies and individuals are starting blogs, and more existing blogs are being abandoned. I do come across a lot of blogs that haven't been updated in a year or more. These "blog orphans" always make me a little sad.
From the corporate standpoint, only 37 percent of companies even have a blog today, down from 50 percent in 2010. Recently, in USA Today, a headline proclaimed "Blogs are slogs, so companies just quit."
Ouch.
In this same article USA Today reporter Roger Yu writes, "With the emergence of social media, more companies are replacing blogs with nimbler tools requiring less time and resources, such as Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter."
Not to mention, Google+, Pinterest, Quora, as well as whatever will be the next big social media thing. Yu writes in his article that the obvious downward trend, "...is consistent with the broader loss of interest in blogging among all consumers."
Sigh.
Yu reports that some really big companies, like Bank of America, have dropped their blogs entirely. OKCupid, a dating website, published a popular blog ranked one of the 25 best by Time magazine in 2011, but this year it stopped posting.
Yikes.
Personally, I've noticed bloggers I follow are narrowing their focus in order to better market their writing. Others, who were maintaining several blogs, have parred down to just one.
It's certainly true that blogging takes time, energy, commitment, and a bit of money. At first I was looking at my personal blog as a potential source of income. Could I make a modest living from my blog? As I near completing my second year of blogging, I know the answer.
Nada.
Adjusting my viewpoint, I now view my blog more as a labor of love. It's a terrific outlet for me to express my creativity and my viewpoint. I can write whatever I want, when I want, which means I am the boss of my own blog. Plus, I get to connect with other writers online and in person at conferences. I also have to admit that blogging is really, really cheap therapy. Other bloggers will know what I mean.
For now, I'm going to hang in there with my blogging. Perhaps the natural weeding-out process is good and those who keep slogging away will even attract larger followings. Wouldn't that be nice?
Absolutely.
So, yes, I was once again late to the party. However, "better late than never" has always been my mantra. I'm enjoying every single minute of my own blogging party, and I'll probably be the last to leave.