At Progress U. - Blogger Summit one week ago today, we asked our lunchtime panel two questions: Are blogs dead? Why do people keep asking that question?
The consensus, as might be expected from a room full of bloggers, was "No, blogs are not dead." Why did our panel see hope for blogs and why is this question still being asked?
Blog status report
Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project reports that only 32% of online adults read blogs, whereas twice as many use social networking or video sites. When the press sees numbers like that, it leads to sensational headlines: Blogs are dead!
Leaving aside the hyperbole, why are there so few blog readers? Maybe it's a perception issue. Many older adults have a limited familiarity with blogs. They see blogs as a place only to rant about politics or dish about celebrity fashion, not as serious resources for professional development. Plus, with the melding of blogs into websites, some readers may not even realize they're reading a blog.
As panelist Jeff De Cagna pointed out, older generations are digital emigrants, not digital natives like Millennials who know only a world of enhanced technology where learning, communicating, and building relationships is done online. According to Pew, 49% of teens and 43% of Millennials read blogs, compared to 25-34% of older generations. However, teens are using other social media platforms, instead of blogging, to express themselves. The number of teen bloggers dropped 50% since 2006, while the number of older bloggers increased. Will teens return to blogging as they grow older?
From clay tablets to WordPress
Blogs are the latest in a long line of content containers. Long ago, papyrus rolls and parchment manuscripts delivered knowledge. For many, people blogs have replaced magazines and newsletters.
Maddie Grant sees blogs as living things. A dynamic form of communication, blogs evolve as new widgets, formats, and delivery methods are invented. But, Jamie Notter added, blogs aren't entitled to stay alive. If we find another mode of expression, another container, it's okay if blogs die, as long as we continue to learn and advance.
Are other social media platforms killing the need for blogging? Not yet! Blogs are alive and well because they provide value that other platforms don't.
Benefits of blogging for associations
Your blog, said Ben Martin, along with your website, is your homebase. Blogs, with pages full of keywords, are search-engine friendly, bringing people to your homebase and giving you the opportunity to educate and engage them with your content.
Blogs act as a trusted filter, said Ray van Hilst, helping members wade through information overload, a role ASAE plays with its Quick Clicks posts. ASAE's blog also hosts and sparks conversations about critical issues, like innovation.
Ray showed how the National Wildlife Federation uses their blog to get their stories out and extend their fundraising and political reach, turning readers into donors and activists.
Blogs are a platform for associations and individuals to share knowledge, build a community and market subtly. Maddie's blog posts about social media led to her reputation as a thought leader and speaker, and, eventually, her consulting business.
Bloggers as change agents
Shelly Alcorn measures her blogging success by the feedback and inspiration she's received from readers and the relationships she's built. What about influence? Are bloggers change agents for the association community?
Bloggers are the voices who question traditional narratives in the association industry. Stefanie Reeves uses her blog to amplify voices that aren't normally heard, bring her unique perspective to the association community, and teach the community about ASAE's Diversity Executive Leadership Program.
Blogs are alive and kicking
Blogs aren't dead because organizations use them to fulfill their mission and achieve their goals. However, many associations don't take advantage of blogs and other technology. They don't experiment and innovate because they don't see it as an imperative; after all, they're not failing, yet. Maddie believes that if everyone on staff is invested in and has a role to play in innovation and the strategic use of technology, be it a blog or social media, associations would be more successful.
Jeff asked, "Are we oriented toward the past or the future? Not using more technology in our business plans is killing us." Technology empowers and transforms associations. It allows staff to spend time on meaningful work that creates value for members, and provides platforms for knowledge delivery and relationship-building. Now that's progress!
What do you think is in store for the future of association blogging? Is death imminent?
Stay tuned for more reports from Progress U. - Blogger Summit.
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