The Return of Blogs

[Charnell]

I don't think blogs are going to make some return to greatness alone, but when used in tandem with video content and audio content are going to form an unbeatable trifecta.

But only when done appropriately for each channel.

For instance, I know people that do YouTube videos that are great, but all they do is rip the audio for their podcast and transcribe it for an article. The audio doesn't work without the visual and the article is all over the place like @MTF said. It's not about creating one piece of content and using it everywhere, but taking that topic and using it everywhere.

It's not just transcribing and saying here's a few thousand-word article, it's formatting it to actually be an article. That means trimming like 80% of the content.

Comments wise, I like to read and leave comments on news pieces in my industry. With a comment solution like Disqus, if people like the comments I leave they can see what other comments I've left on other sites with Disqus installed. My name is formatted as [First_name, URL]. The handful of comments I've left earlier this year have brought in a few dozen dollars shy of $2k this year. Not a boatload, but for simply keeping up with the industry and leaving my thoughts, it's made more than other "marketing" endeavors.

When you see that ghost town in the comment section, be the first resident to move in. Everyone else who looks at the comment section has no choice but to read your thoughts.

And as far as "if Google thinks I'm fake news they'll blacklist my website/email" let's be honest: unless you're out there writing about how to make pipe bombs or how the Clintons are Chernobyl spies or spamming the hell out of random email address with penis enlargement, you have to do some real black hat shit to get a manual action on your domain. Or sending nothing but sales message after sales message when it comes to email.

 

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[AFMKelvin]

I don't think blogs are going to make some return to greatness alone, but when used in tandem with video content and audio content are going to form an unbeatable trifecta.

But only when done appropriately for each channel.

For instance, I know people that do YouTube videos that are great, but all they do is rip the audio for their podcast and transcribe it for an article. The audio doesn't work without the visual and the article is all over the place like @MTF said. It's not about creating one piece of content and using it everywhere, but taking that topic and using it everywhere.

It's not just transcribing and saying here's a few thousand-word article, it's formatting it to actually be an article. That means trimming like 80% of the content.

Comments wise, I like to read and leave comments on news pieces in my industry. With a comment solution like Disqus, if people like the comments I leave they can see what other comments I've left on other sites with Disqus installed. My name is formatted as [First_name, URL]. The handful of comments I've left earlier this year have brought in a few dozen dollars shy of $2k this year. Not a boatload, but for simply keeping up with the industry and leaving my thoughts, it's made more than other "marketing" endeavors.

When you see that ghost town in the comment section, be the first resident to move in. Everyone else who looks at the comment section has no choice but to read your thoughts.

And as far as "if Google thinks I'm fake news they'll blacklist my website/email" let's be honest: unless you're out there writing about how to make pipe bombs or how the Clintons are Chernobyl spies or spamming the hell out of random email address with penis enlargement, you have to do some real black hat shit to get a manual action on your domain. Or sending nothing but sales message after sales message when it comes to email.

Good Strategy on the commenting. But no you don't have to be on the deep end to get the hammer from Google. Like I said on my other posts a lot of right wing creators had their accounts banned on all google platforms because they said something that went against their agenda on Youtube.

 

[Joost11]

OP i think you couldnt be more wrong. Blogging is already being killed by bigger platforms. In almost every niche. Good luck ranking your blog above new york times and the likes, its getting harder every time. Just like early adopters on social media platform there are pro bloggers who have decades of experience. You need to really pick the right niche and pray that the sharks wont eat it. Screw being a beginner in this game

 

[lludwig]

Can you elaborate on Google sending your email to spam and promotion. I know Google will delete your Gmail email if they don't like it. So you're trying ng to say that if Google blacklists your example@yourbuisness.com email they'll classify that email as spam and promotions?

What is there to elaborate on? If Google looks a the email content (it's more than just that as it's also previous history) and determines it's "promotional" it will move it to the promotions tab.

The tabs from my testing decrease the open rate of your email as much as 10%. That's 10% less of your audience seeing your email.

 

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[Black_Dragon43]

The same applies to email BTW. Everyone says own a mailing list. You have 100% control over it.

That's not true, guess who's the #1 email provider?

Gmail.

And if they don't like your email they'll put you in the Promotions or Updates tab. Or worse, send you into the spam folder to die.

Hi, I disagree with you on this. If Gmail puts you under Promotions or Updates (or Spam), you can still get a new email and reach out to your audience. Getting a new email (maybe even on a different domain, but still similar) is much easier than getting a new FB ad account, or building up SEO for a new domain.

The principle still holds that you have a significantly higher degree of control over email than over the other channels. For practical purposes, this is as close to 100% as you can get.

 

[lludwig]

Hi, I disagree with you on this. If Gmail puts you under Promotions or Updates (or Spam), you can still get a new email and reach out to your audience. Getting a new email (maybe even on a different domain, but still similar) is much easier than getting a new FB ad account, or building up SEO for a new domain.

The principle still holds that you have a significantly higher degree of control over email than over the other channels. For practical purposes, this is as close to 100% as you can get.

Yes, you still "own" your mailing list as you should own customer data. My point is though you need to get through a gatekeeper to deliver your emails. If Google wanted to, they can block you outright.

This also applies to your analytic, attribution information, and customer metadata. Instead of letting Facebook and Google own the information you should build out your own information using something like Woopra (like I do).

This information is priceless IMHO yet most either don't care, or let Google Analytics be the owner of this information.

 

[bbar97]

It's weird to me that people are assuming that blogs and social media directly compete. Sure they may indirectly compete for people's time, but I'm pretty confident that they have different purposes and solve different problems. The majority of blogs answer questions or teach you something. There are some that are just kind of like diaries for companies, but from what I've seen those are far less popular than the other kind of blog.

Due to this, blogs and social media can co-exist, and actually complement eachother. Both are likely to evolve over time but I highly doubt either will go away in the coming years.

 

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[lludwig]

It's weird to me that people are assuming that blogs and social media directly compete. Sure they may indirectly compete for people's time, but I'm pretty confident that they have different purposes and solve different problems. The majority of blogs answer questions or teach you something. There are some that are just kind of like diaries for companies, but from what I've seen those are far less popular than the other kind of blog.

Due to this, blogs and social media can co-exist, and actually complement eachother. Both are likely to evolve over time but I highly doubt either will go away in the coming years.

This!!!

When creating blog content you should focus on one of three audiences for the post ONLY:
- Social Media
- SEO
- Existing Audience (say via Email)

IMHO it is hard to create an article that will work with all three.

 

[Beerbread]

I always saw social media as a 5 star hotel, but your blog is home. They're both are meant to compliment each other, but it shouldn't be the end-all. A few years ago, my Instagram got banned from posting topless pride protesters, and I immediately realized that I was building my empire on sand. I'm working on building a blog so I have at least some control of what I'm putting out there.

My only worry is if Google starts banning my content if it doesn't fit their agenda, but for now, their rules are lax compared to other outlets (unless someone wants to make another search engine with me ) I'll still use social media, but I wouldn't invest my time as much in it anymore unless it's to direct traffic on my blog.

 

[Ismail941]

Love this thread.
Video format took over the blogs
Yes I recall the times in 2007 to 2012
A comeback would be great

 

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[MTF]

Tim Ferriss will start writing blog posts again so maybe it will set a new trend to stop turning everything into a podcast: It’s Time to Get Back to Basics

 

[Bekit]

Tim Ferriss will start writing blog posts again so maybe it will set a new trend to stop turning everything into a podcast: It’s Time to Get Back to Basics

I couldn't help noticing that as of this morning, the post has 64 replies.

I think the thing that makes a blog a thriving community is the knowledge that you're contributing to a conversation with a real person.

One of the things that killed blogs was when people outsourced that work to nameless, faceless content writers, just because, well, you really need a blog!! Everybody's doing it! Your blog will make your website successful!!

Problem is, it quickly became a race to the bottom of "who can I pay the least to accomplish this?" Get to the point now where a lot of content writers are just writing a paraphrase of a paraphrase of some other content writer's blog and adding to the collection of the trillions of useless pages on the internet.

Who wants to add to THAT conversation? Or even read it, for that matter?

On the other hand, replying to Tim Ferriss feels a bit like replying to someone you know. Huge difference.

THAT'S the kind of blog I think will still work today.

Although, I do wonder if Tim will find things to be different now than he did in 2006 when he started the blog.

 

[lludwig]

Personal brands is where it's at and blogs help foster this.

 

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