Thursday, January 26, 2017

What Is Happening To Blogs?

I haven't had a lot of time to get around the internet to check out blogs. 
I did that this afternoon. 

What has happened to some of the big league blogs?  
It wasn't the ads.
It wasn't that the blog was hard to navigate. 
It was almost like picking up the women's magazine in the check out line at the CVS. 
There is no story. 
None. 

Top 10 Ways To Get Organized
Storage Solution Ideas
Color Trends For 2017
Living The KonMari Way
10 Bathroom Makeovers
Hygee
10 Living Rooms

All that is well and good but plucking others' images off of the internet and plopping them into a blog post isn't blogging. 
It just isn't. 
I need a story. 
I need background. 
I need personalization. 
If it isn't there, then why should I be?

I may be off base but there is more to blogging than just one whirl wind Christmas home tour.
There is more to blogging than using the same posts over and over again. 
If so, you are just an idea website. 

This isn't directed at any of my regular readers or the friendly blogs I visit each week.
This is an observation. Some of my favorite older blogs are not the same.
These were the ones I wanted to be when I "grew' up. 
Comment below and let me know your thoughts and if you have noticed the same thing.
I'd like to be wrong about this. 
Katie 

9 comments :

  1. I have noticed the same thing and it is so disappointing. I have recently unsubscribed from several blogs that I have followed for several years, because of this. I have to admit that all of the advertising is getting to me,too. The blog loses it's "personality" and is also very hard to read. some ads are plastered right on top of the blog photos!

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  2. Oh mercy, me too!! I don't have a blog but visiting is one of my favorite things to do since I've retired. But too often they all look alike now and the sponsored posts are not something I read. All too often now I see the title so I know how it will go and I just delete it and move on. The personality of the blogs are a big part of what made them so popular so to have that gone too often isn't appealing to me. I know some spend a lot of time and effort taking the perfect pictures with their DSL's but I have to say I still enjoy the casual pics that are taken with their phone or Point & Shoot camera. They may not be as slick but they are still fun to see. And for heavens sakes how many Tours can we look at when all the homes are decorated essentially the same? The magazine blogs are probably discouraging new people which is a shame because it is so fun to see everyone's point of view. Sorry for the soapbox! But I miss the personality

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  3. Blogland has changed drastically since I first started blogging 6 years ago. It was much more personal. A bunch of people sharing decorating ideas, crafts recipes and making friends with people you would never ever get to meet. Giveaways were a small crated item , made from the heart. Now it seems that everyone is out to make money on their blogs, get noticed for a magazine shoot, etc. Don't get me wrong, there are still bloggers that blog just to share ideas and to make friends with people who have the same likes. Blogging is less personal and far more professional. There have been times when I thought of quitting but then I get an email from someone who does not have a blog and tells me that she likes visiting and likes how personal my blogs are and that is why I keep doing it.....
    Hugs,
    Deb

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  4. Katie, I have felt this way for some time now. There are many that I have quit visiting. No longer the personable connections that drew me to blogging in the first place. They never return a visit or leave a comment. It's the sweet connections that I have made with wonderful people like you. If you ask me, that's what blogging is all about! But then I am not trying to make money off of my blog, and maybe that's the problem.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  5. Some of the "popular" ones do seem like that

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  6. Hi, Katie,
    Every blog reflects the personality and goals of the blogger. Some of the bigger bloggers I follow have shifted their blogs' focus over the past 2-3 years, and some have ads that interfere with reading their posts. Some I read for their commentary/stories;some I read for their DIY ideas; some I read for their beautiful design. There do seem to be "trends" with some blogs to share very similar posts just like TV stations tend to show the same kind of programs. You know, doctor shows were popular for a while; criminal science shows are popular; reality shows are everywhere.

    I would rather see a blog post filled with a blogger's photos than to read a blog post that is composed of a collection of photos taken from others on the internet. My mind always thinks for fleeting moment about copyright. Citing a photo's source is not permission to use a photo. I think many bloggers do not understand copyright very well.

    All that said, I love reading blogs! Like most people I do get bogged down with everyday living, getting food on the table, laundry done, etc... and fall behind on commenting.

    Judith

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  7. Hi Katie. I always seem to be around when I can get on my soap box!. Personally there are a few blogs that have lots of advertising that I still do check out because I really like their photos, and commentaries..That being said, I don't think it is particularly polite that they don't ever read my blog or bother to comment. I know life is a busy proposition, but if blogging is turning into such a big money situation for some than I will continue to read the ones I like but I DO NOT comment so as to raise their status. Sometimes life is alot more than a number!!. Happy Weekend..Judy

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  8. Some blogs exist just to try to sell you something. Others are really nice and helpful, doing their blog to share, teach and inform. I have no problem with those trying to earn some dollars to support their blog, but there is a difference in that and those who have begun existing just to make money.

    I certainly don't mind those blogs who list their items and where to get them - many will list the sources at the bottom which I appreciate. You can tell who spends time on their blog and who doesn't. Very easily. Just look at the content they offer and their interaction with those that comment. Many don't bother to even come back and answer questions. I watch and if they don't, I unsubscribe.

    Maybe this is just a phase, and most will find their way back to what made them successful in the beginning - the personal touch with good information and how to's.

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  9. You asked, so here goes. Yes, I agree, several big bloggers are recycling material (or their virtual assistants are, who knows?), or compiling inspiration posts plucked from images seen on the internet or, worse, from magazines I have already read. I pass right over those easily identifiable posts and have stopped reading several blogs for the same reason. I've even unsubscribed from several.
    I am not a revenue producing blog, but I have connected with a number of readers, and for that I'm ever grateful, considering those people my friends (even though we've never met). For those bloggers who are revenue producing, my only advice would be to strive to always be high-performing, and to keep it real. Most people have an intuitive feeling as to when something (or someone) is genuine or not. And, just as it was when I was in corporate America, and it becomes apparent which [blogs] are truly performing and which ones are coasting. They probably know it too.

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