BLOG BOG

Something struck me as I researched the benefits of and the skills needed for blogging for this assignment. And that was how much blogging has become a business. At least half of the hits on each page of results referenced marketing, making money from blogging, or being a “pro” blogger. Instead of individuals blogging solely for friends and family, it began to encompass professional and personal/professional goals and became a way for people to promote their personal brand and their business (Minaev, 2021).

As someone who was part of the “blogiverse” (as a reader, not a blogger) from the early days, this hit me hard. When I think of blogging, I think of how advances in online technology (high-speed internet access, online software programs, and feed readers) were allowing people to express themselves, share their knowledge and their passions and to maybe make a difference in an area they loved (Dekmezian, 2016).

This was back in the days when Blogger required knowing at least a bit of html and other blogging sites were still clunky and hard to use, yet these people were not only sharing their passion for their personal hobbies with the rest of us, but they were also taking the time and making the effort to learn how to use these new technologies to do so.

Back in the early 2000s, my blog roll consisted of dozens and dozens of fellow crafters (mostly knitters/fiber artists) who shared their projects, their journeys, the thrill of learning new skills, and what amazing new yarns and fibers they had discovered and wanted to share with us. There were no sponsors, no affiliate links, and no ads…just the joy of building relationships with like-minded folx.

While some of my old blogging favorites are (surprisingly) still blogging away and haven’t gone the “pro” route, there’s more than a fair share of bloggers who have. And still some who have gone so “pro” that they’re not even blogging anymore, just designing/knitting and being featured on others’ blogs. I may have fallen out of touch with these people, but back in 2004/2005, which was pre-Ravelry, pre-Facebook, pre-Instagram, and pre-Twitter, back and forth commenting and sharing via blogs was THE way to build relationships and expand your knowledge.

When I compare blogging then to blogging now, it’s a night and day difference. It seems like I can’t visit a blog these days without the page being bogged down with ads and pop-ups and the text itself being littered with product placements and affiliate links. There’s little interaction between author and readers in the comments section and it’s really lacking the back-and-forth communication it used to have.

However, the basic benefits of blogging remain the same, regardless of intent or whether they’ve “gone pro”, it allows people to utilize technology to nurture new forms of creative expression and share knowledge. Blogging fosters communication (even it is one-way,) interactivity, and relationships and makes good use of modern technology. I suppose turning it into a business/career was inevitable.

For those who DO go the career blogging route, you need to be more than a good writer…you need to be good at search engine optimization (SEO,) networking, marketing, coding and photography. Even videography skills and some knowledge of the graphic arts are helpful. The video below outlines some tips from a blogger who started out just blogging as a creative outlet and it morphed into a career for her:

And finally, blogging faithfully can also help you to become a better writer.

Keep on writing and happy blogging!