At a recent gathering of our local writers’ group, the question came up: “Is blogging dead for authors?” I found the discussion interesting because while I’ve hosted a variety of blogs in the past (you’ll find at least some of them by searching “penandpapermama”). But due to a variety of unexpected life events, I haven’t been writing for quite a while.

I do want to start writing again, including blogging. Still, I wonder … which of my blogs should I continue with? If I continue, should I change direction? What should be my purpose? Who will be my audience? What do readers want to know? What do I want to share? So I decided to do some serious research and thinking … and decided to share it with those of you who might be wondering the same kinds of things. The following are the topics I’ll be covering in separate posts; I’ll add links as I post them:

1. Is Author Blogging Dead?
2. Blog or Website or Both?
3. Social Media
4. Author Blogs
5. Connections and Audience
6. Content Tips
7. Goals
8. Layout
9. Types of Posts
10. Specific Pages
11. Promoting Your Blog
12. SEO
13. Ideas for Posts
14. E-Mail Newsletters
15. Author Blogs: My personal conclusions – and series resource list

IS AUTHOR BLOGGING DEAD IN 2023?

Blogging Back In the Day:

Originally (20 to 30 years ago) blogs mostly focused on topics like politics, travel, cooking, technology, families and parenting, and other personal interests. Many of them had a casual “journaling” style, reflecting the author as a person, with self-expression and even self-therapy. But as time has passed, there has been more emphasis on blogging as a marketing tool, often combined with a business-style website.

Author Blogs Now:

For authors, blogs have come to serve as a kind of portfolio, a way to showcase and market your writing, advertise your books, and also reflect your writing skills, knowledge, and experience—in other words, build your platform and brand, and thus build your writing business. Your author blog can attract like-minded individuals, create a community around your niche and interests, and grow engagement, connection, and community. Your author blog can also provide a space that becomes a skill-building component for your more serious writing goals and skills.

Blogs are Still Popular!

A Hubspot study showed that 60% of people read a blog at least once a week. Web Tribunal reports that there are more than 600 million blogs out of 1.9 billion websites worldwide. Collectively, these blogs generate 6 million posts daily. WordPress and Tumblr are currently the most popular platforms.

Blogs Succeed Especially Well With Technology Use:

Google Trends shows that in the past 5 years interest in traditional blogs which focus on written material has declined, while video and podcasts have risen in popularity, as have Social Media platforms. Wise bloggers take advantage of technology to make their blog stand out.

How? By linking together their blogs, social media, courses, podcasts, and videos. In fact, you can even include videos and podcasts right in your blog, and draw attention to them through social media. And don’t forget to sign up your readers to your e-mail newsletter. These all work together as you pull compelling points from your posts to use in your social media, videos, courses, and podcasts, and at the same time use those social media posts to drive traffic back to your blog and other technology you may use.

What are Some Advantages of Blogs? Check These Out:

• Blogs can be a top marketing channel for your website
• Blogs are one of the best ways, using SEO (Search Engine Optimization), to push your author website (including your blog, of course) to the top of Google and other search engines. Your blog helps potential readers find you and your books.
• Blogs are a great place to share your values and your stance on social issues. Many readers want to know where you, as a writer, stand on important issues. Blogs create loyalty this way.
• Blog posts can be a great lead source long after they are published. Organic traffic (through your posts) is mostly free and self-sustaining long-term, while paid ads drop traffic as soon as the ads end.
• Blog posts are a great channel to create interest around your books and other products and services. You can be a thought leader and gain the trust of your readers, which in turn will build your book sales.
• Your blog can focus on both your personal persona and also on your readers’ personas. Get to know each other. Build community. On your blog you can express your own thoughts and ideas, personality, expertise, experiences, and passions. And your readers can share theirs, too, through commenting threads and guest posts.
• You don’t have to depend on just yourself to come up with blog post ideas. Check out what other authors are doing with blogs, videos, podcasts, and so on. Adapt to new technologies and trends. Try out AI like ChatGPT, too, as well as editing tools like ProWritingAid and Grammarly—not to write content, but to generate ideas for content, improve your writing quality, and come up with keywords for your SEO.
• Readers still want your personal touch and unique perspectives as a blogger. They want your personal stories. They are looking for relationships and a sense of community. Blogs provide that through your writing, through commenting, through use of videos and other tech on your blog, and through social media connections.
• Blogs build your personal brand and platform. Agents and publishers want to know how many people follow you. Followers on a blog, especially those that interact and read regularly, are more important to publishers (and to your book sales—whether traditionally or self-published) than most social media accounts.
• And if monetization (making money!) is important to you, blogging can help with that, too. Yes, it takes effort. There is lots to learn about advertising, sponsored content, affiliate marking, and products and services you create and sell yourself. But if you work hard at it, you can succeed!

What’s Next?

Be sure to read the rest of the posts in this series. And TAKE ACTION on the tips that are provided. Your blog—along with your author website, social media, and other technology (video, podcasts, classes, etc., within your blog or alongside it) can help you build a wonderful community of readers … and help sell your books, too.

And Share Your Thoughts in the Comments!

Are you debating about creating or building your author blog? What have been your experiences with blogging? Click on “Leave a Comment” in the top left corner 🙂 Let’s chat!

Meanwhile, also check out this other post I shared in the past about blogging:

More Ideas About Popular Blog Posts