Is Blogging Dead? 10 Year Veteran Blogger Answers! (Backed with Market Data)

There is a lot of evidence (such as Google Trends) that suggests blogging is declining.

So the big question is – Is blogging dead?

Should you pursue blogging or is blogging a sinking ship?

I’ve been blogging (and making a living from it) for nearly a decade now. And, that gives me the advantage of knowing a thing or two about the potential of the future of blogging.

But, you still don’t have to take my word for it.

So, in this data-driven post, I’ll settle this question for all.

Let’s get started.

Quick Navigation

• Is blogging dead in 2022
• Current state of blogging
• Are blogs still relevant
• How much do bloggers earn
• How to futureproof your blogging venture?
• Final words
• FAQ

Is blogging dead in 2022?

The fact is that people still love reading blogs.

Here are some of the statistics to prove the statement:

• 77% of internet users read blog articles
• Internet users spend 3 times more time on blogs than they do on email.
• People read around 10 blogs/ day.

Not only that, blogging is still a great way to monetize the blog and earn a handsome amount of money online.

Almost 28% of people start a blog to become either self-employed or earn some extra money, according to FirstSiteGuide’s blogging survey.

And, the reason is simple.

You have an endless list of blog monetization opportunities such as, 

• Affiliate marketing
• Sponsored ads
• Selling digital products
• Display Ads
• Consultation services
• And many more.

Yes, the opportunities are real but there are some questions as well regarding the decline of blogging in recent years.

Let’s also figure out the reasons.

State of blogging in 2022 and beyond

It’s not a hidden fact that the popularity of blogging is declining.

And, some of the possible reasons behind this downfall are listed below.

• Growth in social media user base

Back in the 2000s, there weren’t many social media channels where content creators can build an audience.

But now, to drive traffic and build a loyal audience, you don’t necessarily have to do blogging. You have platforms like LinkedIn, and Instagram where you can start seeing results faster.

As a result, the daily time spent on social media sites is increasing year after year.

Clearly, social media has taken the place of personal blogging as followers are more likely to get updates about influencers via social media.

• Rise of video and audio content format

Back in the early 2000s, content creators were bound to create text-based content. There wasn’t freedom and flexibility to produce video-based content.

But now, the time has changed drastically.

In fact, Youtube has grown its monthly active user base from 0.8 billion to 2.3 billion by the end of 2020. 

That’s an increase of 187.5%.

• Blogging is more competitive than ever before

Thanks to over 600 million blogs, there are 100s of articles on almost every topic on the web.

That means, to rank on the first page, you need to compete with more blog articles than ever before.

Are blogs still relevant?

So, can we say that this is the end of blogging?

Well, my honest answer is NO.

Of course, the strategies and tactics to start and grow a blog has changed a lot.

For example, writing random articles without any keyword research or making your site SEO and user-friendly, is hard to get traffic. As a result, there are fewer opportunities to monetize the blog. 

So, there has to be a balance between user experience and SEO to make your blog successful. Also, you need to be flexible to follow the latest and even upcoming algorithm guidelines to avoid huge traffic loss.

Relevant read: Avoid these 10 common blogging mistakes

How much do bloggers earn?

There are many successful examples of businesses that started as a blog and then became known brands.

One of them is PracticalWanderLust, a travel blog that guides curious travelers all over the world.

In 2016, Lia and Jeremy quit their job and took a year off for their honeymoon. While traveling, they started a travel blog and started sharing their experiences and advice.

Over time, their blog becomes so successful that it becomes their full-time job.

Because of the success and unique journey, Practical WanderLust got featured in CNN, Forbes, Washington Post, and many more publications.

In fact, they made $22,000 on their second year of blogging journey.

Surely, this is an inspiring real-life story that teaches us the potential of blogging.

So anyone thinking that blogging is near the end, it’s time to look out for the amazing stories of solo bloggers who started from scratch.

Here’s what Joseph Lapin, creative director at Circa Interactive, has to say on the future of blogging.

“I think we’re going to see a lot more high-quality writers–journalists who are looking for career changes–and the quality of blogs are going to skyrocket. I think that the search engines – and blog readers – will continue to demand higher quality content.”

In a nutshell, blogging is still alive, and if done right, it can be the most profitable business idea for you.

Now, let’s dive into the different ways of making your blogging journey future-proof.

How to futureproof your blogging venture

Here are some of the top ways to ensure your blogging journey stays future-proof.

1. Don’t just solely rely on Google traffic

In the early days of blogging, people had almost no choice but to rely on Google to drive traffic to their site solely.

But that’s not the case anymore, thanks to social media channels, podcasts, YouTube, etc.

And, bloggers are already aware of the benefits of other traffic sources.

In fact, social media, email marketing, and SEO are the three most used content promotion channels for bloggers, according to the 2020 blogging survey, by Orbit Media.

Another important reason why you should combine your blogging efforts with social media marketing, podcasts, and even YouTube is; The rise of zero-click searches.

Almost 64% of Google searches ended without a click, according to SparkToro’s study.

That means, that even if your website ranks on the first page for relevant keywords, users may not visit your website.

Take this example.

For the above search query, Google shows users the answers right away without visiting any web page.

Yes, that’s a good experience for users, but not for all bloggers.

So, it’s time to start expanding your blogging efforts with other content channels.

Possible content channels to consider in 2022

• Leverage social media

Build the online presence of your blog on social media channels like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Also, plan a content calendar to repurpose and promote your blog articles on social media.

• Start a YouTube channel

With over 2.3 billion active users, YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world.

One easy way to get started on YouTube is by turning your blog articles into video format.

Ahrefs is a great example that repurposes blog posts to YouTube videos and vice versa.

In the following examples, Ahrefs made a YouTube video from one of their blog posts.

As a result, they got 54,000+ video views for almost the same content with a different format.

• Start a podcast channel

Podcasts allow you to connect with existing and new audiences in a new way. One benefit of starting a podcast is that you can cross-promote your content easily.

Just like YouTube, you can turn your articles into audio content.

Here are some tools to convert text to speech:

• Voice Maker
• Notevibes
• Naturaltts

2. Diversify your income streams

If you’re relying on only one or two income sources, then it’s time to rethink your blog monetization strategies.

The reason is simple.

Having multiple blog income sources will allow you to present any financial crisis.

For example, many bloggers earn over 90% of their revenue only from display ads (Google Adsense, etc.).

But what if Google Adsense bans your account without notice?

Here’s a real example where a guy lost $46,000 from the Google AdSense program.

And, the fact is this same incident can happen to anyone.

So, my advice will be to have multiple income streams from your blog.

Some of the common and powerful ways of monetizing a blog are listed below:

Affiliate marketing

Not just affiliate marketing, but also partner with different affiliate programs such as Amazon, Commission junction, etc, to diversify your portfolio even more.

Direct sponsorship ads

You can contact brands relevant to your blog with sponsored content offerings. Show them stats like traffic, audience demographics, page views, etc. 

Selling digital content (courses, pdf, templates, etc.)

With this strategy, you take 100% of the income as digital content takes one time of investment.

Consultation services

Look for your expertise and offer consultation services. Make sure you have a consultation page and relevant CTAs on your site.

Freelance works

Freelancing will give you a lot of flexibility in choosing work types. Website design, content writing, SEO are some of the freelance works to consider.

3. Build your audience

No matter how much traffic you drive from Google, social media, and even podcasts.

You have little to no control over your audience.

Your blog traffic may drop significantly with an algorithm change in Google or privacy reasons in social media platforms. 

Likewise, Instagram may decide to lower their organic reach of content just like Facebook.

The solution is to own your audience to reach out to them anytime you want with the most control.

Yes, building your audience on social media, YouTube is all good, but you should have a strategy to own your audience.

When it comes to building an audience, an email list should be your priority.

Yes, building your audience on social media, and YouTube is all good, but you should have a strategy to own your audience.

Other benefits of building an email list are:

• “Email subscribers convert 40 times better into paying customers than Facebook and Twitter.

As a result, email marketing may improve your affiliate earnings significantly.

• Email marketing can drive recurring traffic to your website. Based on a study by Conductor, email and organic traffic bring the most traffic to the website.

Now that you know the benefits of building your audience, the question is where to get started.

Learn more about email marketing statistics [updated]

Tips for converting website visitors into your own audience:

• Optimize Home page

In most cases, your home page gets the maximum number of visits. But many bloggers make their home page a place for the latest articles.

If growing your email list is a priority, start optimizing your home page with sign Up form or offering any lead magnet.

One example is Backlinko’s home page.

• Content upgrades

A content upgrade is a type of lead magnet, but the difference is that content upgrades are extensions of blog posts.

For example, offering a blogging checklist at the end of an article, ‘How to start a blog’ could be a content upgrade option.

• Pop-Ups

Even if you hate popups, the fact is: that it converts well. In some cases, you may even get 10% conversion with the top pop Ups.

So, the idea is to try your website and test the result over time.

Conclusion: So does blogging have any future?

Finally, the answer to the most common question, “Is blogging dead?” is a NO. 

But the way of growing and monetizing a blog isn’t as same as it used to be ten years back.

To futureproof your blog, follow the strategies discussed in this guide.

Now, I am curious to know your opinion on the future of blogging.

Share your thoughts in the comment.

FAQ: Is Blogging Dead?