JUST LIKE THAT WE’RE BACK!!!
Oh how I believe in this revival of blog websites.
You guys, we’re seeing it. We’re seeing the return of long-form, thoughtful expression online. Call it a newsletter. Call it your “beehiiv”. Call it what you want.
Dissatisfaction has grown in social media algorithms, TikTok is hanging in the balance, and Twitter(x) is being Twitter(x). It may or may not come as a surprise to you that “other” (branded new) forms of creativity are beginning to pop up.
For the longest time, the concept of a blog seemed to be a lost art an endangered species replaced with faster, bite-sized content platforms promising instant gratification but kinda leaving little room for depth.
Blogs were such a hit to me around the early-to-mid 2000s. Think Blogger and WordPress. Tumblr was in and out of both worlds. But this was such an era when people carved out their digital niches, sharing everything from personal anecdotes, fashion finds, travel diaries to serious reflections on politics or social aspects of life.
Blogs were intimate in a way, raw, and incredibly individualized. I’d even venture to say they defined the early creative atmosphere. Then, as social media soon took over, blog sites were abandoned to fade into the background. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter shifted the focus from long-form writing to more instant, image-driven content. They catered to the need for quick consumption that fed the shorter attention spans of the intended audience. (Microwave generation anyone?) Algorithms determined what we saw, and aesthetics were everything.
Recently though, personal blogs have come back. By different monikers but all the same I couldn’t be more excited about this. While quick hits of content are still actively consumed, there’s a counterbalance of increased desire for deeper, more reflective online spaces.
People want to read thoughtful essays again. People want to write thoughtful essays again ❤︎ A trend I am wholeheartedly here for.
Why the Return of Blogs?
I can see several factors speaking to this resurgence of personal blogs. Here are a few
The Need for Ownership and Control
The biggest and most powerful reason people are going back to their own blogs is the frustration towards social media in general. Influencers and regular users have equally shared their unfavorable views about how their content is being distributed and how their audience is controlled by ever-changing algorithmic manipulation. Why is it we can no longer find the people we’re meant to be following?
On personal blogs, creators regain that sense of ownership over their work. They control not only the narrative, how it’s shared but also the design and the context/flow of their writing.
It’s like having your own room on the web.
The Desire for Niche Communities with Deeper Conversations
Now that virality, broad reach, and mass engagement have taken over smaller, niche neighborhoods have been the much sought after greener pasture.
People go to places like Reddit, Discord, and other independent forums for deeper discussions on specific topics nowadays. You can even see in the growing length of Instagram captions and thread counts (part x of x in 140 characters or less) people want more out of their content and utilizing a blog instead brings back this missing layer.
Blogs cater to the unique interests and values of their creators allowing a space to write about anything they want ⎯hobbies, politics, lifestyle personal growth journeys, and for as long as they want.
Sure there’s some value in bite-sized/short form content on platforms where brevity reigns, but it’s not for everybody. After a certain point it gets too much and it gets old. People are breaking out.. looking for thoughtful storytelling and carefully articulated ideas. Giving that breath of fresh air from aimless scrolling and double tapping.
The Appeal of Authenticity
The typical blog post isn’t created with the intention of going viral or impressing an algorithm. But let’s face it whether or not you want to admit spaces like Instagram and TikTok give the intimidation factor of posting something beautiful before posting something for the sake of posting being authentically yourself.
Blogs give way for imperfection. They’re created by the writer for their community because there’s something they truly want to talk about and posts are not stifled for the sake of fitting a pretty mold. They usually feel more personal and sincere. If there’s an aesthetic it’s one that is effortlessly a reflection of the writer.
Even the engagement appears deeper throughout the blog. Contrasting the often fleeting and shallow, comments like “yasss queen” “work”. Your IG caption could have a thought provoking sentiment and still “😍🔥🔥” is all you get in return. People are looking for meaningful discussions and relationships with their audience again.
Maybe this is where I talk about how I’ve been here for years… still here don’t plan on going anywhere…
As we have now marked TEN YEARS of SimplyAmarachee.com this month I’m simply amazed I’m still here myself.
We’re in a movement where people are pushing more discernment regarding where and how they consume content. The long-form, more personal touch that blogs offer is bound to grow as a hotcake. Better get you one of these.
Yes the internet is becoming more saturated by the day, but there's still a vast, unexplored space for those willing to put in the work and add a touch of themselves no one else can possibly pull off.
For those of us who grew up on blogs in the early days of the internet, this revival feels good. It’s nostalgic. And for a new generation of creators, it represents a way to challenge a different more in-depth avenue of creative expression. A blog can be your canvas a place to express your ideas, your passions, and your experiences, away from the pressures of algorithmic demands.
Mine has been my journey journal for literal years and years and years.
