There are some who say that the golden age of blogging was back in the noughties.
But that wasn’t the case for me.
It was 2007 before I was encouraged to provide regular updates on the website of the magazine I was editing – to keep a “blog”. In a way it was meant to be “business” but I soon found myself wandering into more personal territory with every post.
Then I discovered other Aussie blogs – Be a Fun Mum, Girl with a Satchel, Diary of a Stay at Home Mum, Styling You and a whole host of other bloggers doing their thing online. From fashion and faith to parenting and random ramblings, there really was something for everyone – and I for one could happily lose myself for hours browsing their blogs!
I began to join in blog link-up parties and found a thriving blogging community! (For those not in the know, “linkies” were a chance to add a “link” to your latest post, so others could visit, read and comment – with the understanding that you would return the favour. “Linking and running” was frowned upon, and most people entered fully into the spirit of the link-ups.)
And then it was time to start my very own blog – this month marks eight years! Originally known as “Redland City Living”, I re-branded my virtual home on the web to Middle Aged Mama in 2014 when I realised I didn’t want to be restricted to writing about my local area.
After having written for magazines for over a decade, I loved the immediacy of blogging. There was no need to pitch a story idea, or wait for an editor to give the go ahead. I didn’t have to wait for months to see my words in print.
Instead, if I had something I wanted to write about, I wrote it and hit “publish”, there and then. My words were out there for the world to see! I began getting comments and some devoted readers.
The blogosphere was filled with hope. We read books on blogging, and made a point of dropping everything to attend the annual Problogger conference.
It was such a thrill to actually meet people we’d previously only met online! We connected with other bloggers, learned more about our craft, and in particular, discovered ways we could monetise our blog. Yes, there was money to be made in blogging and we were inspired by success stories of other “ordinary” humans making the big bucks online. A lucky few won blogging awards, much to the envy of the rest of us! (I don’t even know if there are any bloggy awards nowadays!)
Personally, I got to work with some amazing brands, was invited to try different products, and enjoyed some amazing opportunities. I became an ambassador for a fashion brand and was gifted numerous items every season. I was flown to Melbourne courtesy of Princess Cruises, for a day of pampering on board the Golden Princess. I went to high teas and workshops, and received goodie bags galore.
Truly, it was the golden age of blogging!
But things change.
I’ve seen an awful lot of blogs (and bloggers) make a splash, only to disappear without a trace. Many of the bloggers I once followed have stopped blogging, or closed their sites altogether. Many of the ones that are still around started out as personal blogs, but have now gone down the “professional” route, and just don’t have the same appeal to me anymore.
As my business thrived, I had to pull back on blog link up parties – I just didn’t have the time to commit to them any more. Blog link up parties aren’t what they were, or maybe that’s just me as I’m no longer an “active” member of the blogging community. Actually, is there even a blogging community anymore?
I no longer treat my blog as a business or money-making activity. Now, I blog for the love of it. I may not win the search engine wars, or get lots of comments, and I haven’t gone viral. But I’m still here!
However I don’t think I’m the only one that feels that the golden age of blogging is over. Instead, we’ve entered the era of podcasts – Youtube channels – Instagram influencers – TikTok – to name just a few.
Is it a bad thing that the glory days of blogging are over?
Not necessarily. For a long time every (wo)man and his (her) dog was doing it (a bit like podcasts today). Now it’s left to those who do it for the love of it!
How long have you been following my adventures here at Middle Aged Mama? And do you think the golden age of blogging is over?!
I have several thoughts on this! First, I started a small blog a few years ago just for my own ramblings, and that’s when I found you. I’ve always enjoyed your take on things, especially being from the US. And I love, love, love that you are not monetized! I honestly think that is a big reason why a lot of blogs may be going away. People don’t want to try to read content that’s jumping around as advertisements load or pop up. Second, and unfortunately, this world is run by media. The written word feels like it is going extinct. This is very sad and I hope I’m wrong. But visuals do rule these days. Third, I feel the most successful blogs (and some of the ones I enjoy the most) manage to hit the sweet spot between monetized and personal posts. Have you ever read A Cup of Jo? She absolutely gets it, and has a dedicated following. You feel like part of a community. Just like I feel like you’re a friend of mine, and I’m catching up with you!
I think you’re right on so many levels! Sadly, I agree that the written word is no longer valued by most. It’s all text speak and emojis 😉 though I don’t mind an emoji or two myself LOL. As a blogger, I still pinch myself that people all over the world are interested enough in my ramblings to stop by regularly (and particularly when they comment) – so THANK YOU Denise!
I think it’s morphed for me. I’ve very much focussed on doing book reviews of late but miss my ‘personal’ posts and think I’ll go back to doing more again. (I’ve gotten out of sync with some study recently!)
I no longer assume I’ll make money from my blog though. I do like the idea of being paid to write elsewhere – features or articles – but like that my blog space is my own.
And sooooo many memories there. And you’re right about how many people have come and gone. It’ll me 12yrs of blogging for me in January but weirdly my blog has far fewer readers than it once did. I realise of course that’s because I engage less in the blogging community as well.
Like I said, I miss it sometimes and would like to do a bit more personal writing. xxx
I enjoy the personal writing that I do, and that I read, on blogs. And don’t worry, you’re not alone I think that just like Denise has also said here, the written word is in danger of extinction, many people just don’t seem to have the time/patience to actually read a blog these days. I’m so glad we met in the blogosphere and IRL Deb! And I love your personal posts!!!
Given that I’ve taken the plunge and just launched my own blog I’m not sure how I feel about this. Like you I enjoy writing and I do it for the love of sharing information and making connections, not for Google ads! It seems as though blogging has evolved into something less anonymous with the age of podcasts and YouTube which is not for me, but never say never 😉 So, I can’t say whether the golden age of blogging is over, but I’m really hoping it’s not!