Social Media blogging has become very accessible for businesses. With the advent of easy to implement content management site systems such as WordPress, the business blog is now a staple on many business’s websites – ours included! The business blog has provided one way to make that first impression count on many levels.
With the introduction of social media blogging, digital first impressions took on a more dimensional tone. Businesses created a voice and personality through the content creation on their blog. However this content didn’t necessarily have to be in the form of words. Blogging included videos, how-to demonstrations, photos, instagram pics, infographics and of course written posts. It’s safe to say that the blog has taken over the “consciousness” of many businesses, propelling thought leadership, significant and qualified content and delivering a new way to develop relationships with potential clients. This has allowed for the first impression to have more dimension and interaction.
A decade after it began, social media blogging is undergoing a shift in its perception and its fundamental measurement of success.
Having had its day in the sun, social media blogging, like everything new, is no longer as “in” as it once was. Being “on-trend” and the “must-do” initiative for many businesses may have contributed to the demise of the popularity of social media blogging. It could also be that there is now just too much information online, too much good content (and still loads of not-so-good content) that people are simply overwhelmed.
Much like the introduction of digital ads, which in their infancy experienced double-digit click-through rates, only to spiral down to less than 1% and are now selling on “impression counts” – social media blogging is now maturing and is experiencing a growth adjustment. The same thing can also be said for the emergence of websites. Many early adopters of the social media blog enjoyed robust conversations with their subscribers/viewers/readers. Although now, site visits to blogs in general and comments on posts are slowly ebbing and are no longer touting the excellent traction rates they once had. This may be the result of blog sharing via other sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook or Reddit etc.
Does this mean that social media blogging is over and done? My feeling is no. People are still searching for information and are still reading, so the business blog is still very viable. It just has to work harder to attain the numbers and the feedback it once took for granted. Like everything new, the “craze phase” is over. Now the real work begins: to refine, to hone, to stay the course and achieve the long term objectives originally set forth. Ultimately, like everything else in business and marketing, a long term view is necessary. Consistent application is the only sure way of achieving success, no matter how it’s defined.
What do you think about social media blogging? Is it here to stay? If you can spare the time, I would like to hear your views and opinions.