For me a blog is a way to express myself beyond an Instagram post or tweet. In a digital world we find ourselves constantly checking our phones and keeping up with each-other via social media. While blogs are still online and often marketed or accessed through social media, there is still something different about writing out a whole post like the one I am currently writing.
Blogging used to be for stay at home moms and 40 year-old women with free time. Blogs used to be about recipes, crafts and social lives.
Times have changed.
When someone said blog, I used to immediately think of a deeper more personal message than a website post. But lately businesses and companies are using blogs to their advantage by posting content in a blog style. It is becoming more and more popular and isn't always a deep personal article. Some give business tips, or green companies will make blog posts about eco-friendly alternatives.
Social media is my job so I am constantly thinking about how things like blogs can accentuate a brand, company or product. Blogs are usually updated once a week or on a specific schedule, and depending on the style of blog, have a different topic each week. People are looking for companies that are more than just a product, and having an active blog makes a company seem more personable.
Lots of people today consider themselves "bloggers" and it is easier to make money in the blogging world than ever before.
When I look for a blog I think to look on Pinterest, Facebook or on a friends Instagram story. Even if someone has no background in communication, media or writing, they can create their own blog and with the right marketing techniques, even go viral. Lots of people do it on their own for their personal brand not just for work or a business.
Overall, blogs can benefit a brand or a person whether its a personal blog and means getting something off your chest in a creative way, or its an addition to a companies social presence. Blogging has changed drastically over the last 10-15 years and I believe it will continue to evolve along with technology.
I would encourage everyone to try it because blogging and I look forward to trying it myself this semester. It might be the creative outlet I need. It is also a skill a lot of companies look for now, so why not?