There has been a trend going on for the past three years - old bloggers struggling to keep on blogging, with some eventually giving up, new bloggers coming up, and taking over by storm.
I have been blogging CONSISTENTLY for 8 years, and some things have happened in the course of those years.
Blogging is not what it used to be. Old bloggers ran a close knit operation. They had a community called blogsville, cos it was like a real village, only that it was online. They were passionate about one another, competing to be the first person to comment on one another's blogs. That was the era on Nigerian Blog Awards (a feat that is getting more and more difficult to pull due to the dynamism of social media). Being a blogger was as easy as ABC. As long as you had content (mostly personal), and you had internet, you were good to go. There was no need for aesthetics or world-class photography. Non bloggers were always jealous, and always stood outside, looking in, praying they could join this virtual blogsville. New joiners praised God for every new comment they got.
Then came blog enemies like twitter. It competed for the attention of bloggers, some falling off the wagon, while some others juggling between both, never for once realising that they served two totally different purposes.
During this period,
bloggers were complaining about how blogsville was becoming dry, boring, etc,. how it was emptying out. But now we know it wasn't emptying out, it was just changing. Personal and Anonymous bloggers were going down, and lifestyle and gossip bloggers were on the rise. The fictitious village was burning down. Morale became low, so some people disappeared completely.
A new generation of bloggers came from nowhere, a group that did not need any community to generate traffic, that knew how to give readers what they want. They know about SEOs and keywords. They take blogging as serious business, not a smalltime personal hobby. They do not joke with the visual appeal of their blog, and they stay far away from tacky photography. Canva is their best friend, and they do not joke with blog publicity tools such as Instagram, bloglovin, etc. Facebook and twitter are not competitors of blogger, they are platforms for blog exposure. It doesn't matter whether they are making money from their blog or not, their brand is not something they toy with. These bloggers are not joking. If you do not come to them, they will come to you.
And have you noticed that there are no more anonymous blogs? They used to be rampant years ago. Now, no one cares about the scandalous lifestyle of an unknown face. If you are not ready to put an identity behind that story, then it is not worth anyone's time. There's no way to generate the traffic needed for such blogs again, since there's no community to thrive in, and an anonymous blogger cannot publicise his/her blog on other platforms,
Now, here's the problem with old time bloggers. Just like in real life, change is difficult, it is also difficult online. When blogsville started crashing, it was difficult to swallow. It was either we continued blogging in oblivion until we gave up, or we made a switch to the new ways, but that switch is not an easy one to make. People like Sisi Yemmie did it without blinking, but such examples are few and far between. I personally found it very difficult to switch, but there's as far as interesting personal content can get you. And so, I decided to make the switch, and take my blog more seriously, despite the tight schedule.
If you are an old time blogger, you can relate with what I am saying. If you are stuck in a rut, and want to come out of it, it will be great to take a good look at the changing times. I heard that Technology is changing every two minutes, and it doesn't take much effort to become obsolete in any area of life. I don't know what will become of blogging 10 years from now, but I know that as at today, it has become very serious, and if you are not ready to take it serious, it might not be worth it in the long run.
What do you think about this topic? Are you an old or a new blogger? How have you been able to adapt to the rapid changes in the blog world?
I enjoyed reading this post because I can relate to it and I have given plenty of thoughts to it, even discussed it with another blogger recently. I really wanted to put out my thoughts out there in my blog, but I didn't want to come out, sounding like a whining baby begging for readership and comments, especially, remembering an old post I wrote on it in my old blog after coming back from my 'first leave', and I read a post by another blogger who made mockery of it, because I did not support gays!
ReplyDeleteYou captured the right words Atilola, without sounding like one is asking or appealing or lamenting the fate of blogsville. You stated fact without emotion.. which I would have done woefully, since I wear my heart on my sleeves...as I am doing right now. The only constant thing is change itself, which is dynamic...the old must always give room for the new..that is how growth is achieved...but, as you said, change is not easy..Nigerians can testify to that with this recession.
I personally avoided other platforms, though I was invited to twitter and Instagram the first time it berthed on the social media platform, I even set up a twitter page, but I did not understood jack about the abbreviations and @! And I get quickly tired of nonsensical or trivial talks! And I was a passive follower of FB then, until Jummy, pulled me out of my shell 2 years ago. Even with that, with the current state of happenings in other social platforms, I am glad I did not join. I like controversy and drama, but not that kind!
I am of the old school and loyal type, that like sticking to certain good things, until they become obsolete. Like a friend once said, I am a keeper, because, I am faithful to people who were good to me regardless if the spark or friendship is no longer existing. Blogsville was or should I say, is good to me when I started in October 4th 2009. I learnt a lot and made both friends and foes.
I initially started to blog with the idea of making money being a SAHM then, but later pushed that aside, when I saw that it was so much fun to be meeting and reading about virtual people. I remember asking how one can make money from blogging and a commenter said, it would be like squeezing water from stone.{but not for the 2 most popular entertainment blogs then}.
I don't want to join the other blogs because as much as I put my personal affair out there, I don't want it to spread out! The internet never forgets...I don't want anything to come and bite my butt later in future. When I get tired of this blog or it has run it's course or fades into oblivion, I will delete it like my old one and close that chapter of my life quietly.
I have written a post in your post....a thousand apologies :D I do get carried away whenever I read an interesting post. Best of luck on your new path of blogging. Change is the only thing that is constant.
oops! reading through, i saw plenty errors..ignore please..didn't proof read........
Deleteunderstood=understand.
get=got tired quickly.
join other blogs=join other platforms.
...hmm..what else?.....correct the rest o jare! :D
Lol at written a post o, lool. Where do I even start replying you from? Please don't delete your blog oooo. Never knew you had the initial intention of making money from blogging. I never had such.
DeleteAnyone who doesn't adapt to change in life will eventually have to step aside.
I belong to team old school, and I understand the dynamics of the new school bloggers. Just that some of us do not blog for the money and only see it as an outlet for us. Let's see what the future holds, maybe like you wrote, we might fall by the wayside and move on to actually living our lives.
ReplyDeleteLet's see how it turns out. Though I don't actually see you going into oblivion.
DeleteI miss the "blogsville" days a lot. I haven't turned the corner because...well...idk why lol. I think i was truly in it for the community and not so much the blogging-business. The only reason I even really check my own blog these days is for the handful of people still typing like you, IB, Sisi Yemmie, and Vera. I miss so many people. Some days i go through my feeds hoping some of the old heads just magically reappear and update us on their lives lol.
ReplyDeleteLol at magically appear. I guess the earlier we accept that it's gone forever, the better for us.
DeleteI can totally relate!!
ReplyDeleteI joined blogger between 2010/2012 and while I didn't blog so much, I enjoyed reading and commenting on blogposts. it was so much fun then. I wasn't really part of the community but I was such a silent member that it also took me time to adjust to the "new blogsville"
anyways out with the old and in with the new, I just started blogging again this year.. from the scratch and I am enjoying it.. :)
becomingyeva.wordpress.com
Ohh great. Welcome. I'm off to check your blog out.
DeleteOh Atilola, I really loved this post! Read it like three times.
ReplyDeleteI miss the old blogville!!
Back then I was a newcomer sef and mostly silently reading most blogs but I loved the personal touch and content.
Geebee, Beautiful,Sting, Doll, Gretel, Tnotes, Myne, Simply Mee /Nitty, 9jagreat, Luciano (been bugging her to come back) ..etc..
I remember that series you ran...putting up a post about a blogger and letting blogsville members guess the blogger (can't remember the title...but remember comimg tops and winning a number of airtime ��)
I had abandoned my old blogger blog for almost a year, and wanted to just shut it down cos I thought it was just occupying space and I remember you telling me not to.. And I could put even if it's one post per month. And you wrote a post along similar lines.
Our blogsville head girl ����
Before porting to WordPress I used to look at my dashboard and check on some of these blogs to see if they are back or have recent posts. But since moving I've lost most blog addresses.
I miss those days sha.
The new Is cool too. Not so hard to keep up with. But less personal and sometimes feel 'over done'.
I think at the end of the day it all depends on the real reason one blogs. Old or new.
Forgive my epistle oh. I usually don't talk plenty. I just really liked thE post.
Yeah, I love that meet the blogger series too, where we could guess and win. Geebee never finished his series, and I am beefing him for that. It was easier to be a family on blogger, than on wordpress.
DeleteHmmmmmm. Speechless but so much bottled in right now. You've made so much sense, Atilola.
ReplyDeleteLol. Thank you. When will you finish your series?
DeleteSo much nostalgia about the blogging 'world' back in the day. I got so emotionally attached to certain bloggers that the withdrawal pains still lingers a bit since they've stopped blogging. So much has changed to a more commercialized focus that its just not the same personal and community focused touch as before. I wish you patriarchs would organize some type of blog reunion campaign for a specific upcoming time period using social media to call back old time bloggers to even open up their blog one more time and give us an update or some closure. Perhaps that would generate a revival? (wishful thinking)
ReplyDeleteHmmm. I never saw it from that angle. Yes, it might generate a revival. I will really be nice to know the update on people's lives.
DeleteHa Atilola
ReplyDeleteI can relate to this post well although I had stopped blogging before the 360 change went down
I find it so hard to read a lot of the new blogs now so I stick to the old faithfuls or those on between
I remember the days when blogging was like an addiction for me. First thing I did every morning was to read the blogs i was following. I was invested in the lives of these anonymous people I dint know personally.
Also was excited to share my personal life and this community helped through the tough times especially dating.
Oh wel, change is the only constant thing in life. I am happy for those that have been able to make good money from it. Linda for example, I was one of her initial readers, same as Bella. But even those I don't read faithfully again
Now when I see what instablog9ja is doing I worry for how long Linda's business model will stay sustainable
Anyways too much epistle. More grease to you guys still keeping the flag running
I'm happy I have a good part of my life documented online and I read it for kicks. Iv sure changed and matured a lot.
Lol at 360 change. I got to know your blog much more later, when you were preparing for your wedding, and you left not long after that.
DeleteThat instablog9ja is just sonmething else. It's a testament to the fact that all things are evolving. There's no forever-star
Thank you for this post! Could totally relate... I just might adopt the change and come out of hibernation :)
ReplyDeleteOMG OMG OMG! This post is so nostalgic. God! How i missed Naija mum in London (NIL) Let me not even start naming names
ReplyDeleteHi Atilola.
ReplyDeleteMy first blog was anonymous, I remember that era of Blogville. I actually miss it, the quality of content back then had depth, it was much more cerebral.
These days, it's mostly about bright lights and perfect angles... the content is very engaging too but not as deep, if I'm totally honest. I blame the decline in the reading culture.
I've had thoughts of deleting my blog,it use to be fun reading comments and contribution from readers.
ReplyDeletei have so much in my draft but i feel swallowed up by the fear that no one will read them.
Funny enough there's no published post that has 0 views........lol
too much worrying and waiting for the perfect setup(words,pictures,experiences etc)
Well done sis, i enjoy reading your blog. Great content!
I'm not sure why I misunderstood the title. I thought you were going to write on how to change the layout from your regular boring Blogger template to something more fun. LOL.
ReplyDeleteI can't say I know any of the old school bloggers like that. I don't think I even started reading blogs until I started blogging myself. If I read anything, it was Linda or BN.
Well, like you said, times change. Even since I started blogging a few years ago, so much has changed as well. You either find a way to adapt or say buh-bye.
Berry Dakara Blog
I think this issue should be on the frontline for every blogger. To me the old bloggers did good to the system with the force they entered 'This Village' with but some of them never maintained the tempo because of 'Lack of Definition of Purpose'.
ReplyDeleteYou are in blogger - yes. You blog out your heart - yes. With the foregoing, can you tell us why you blog - emmm.
They get lost.
I compare the scenario to that of friendzone issues we have in relationships. You get into a relationship. After two years, you can't figure out what you want. You get friendzoned. Then you are hooked.
Let me go and think first then I will come a say what group I am, whether old abi new.
Adios!