The internet is exploding with content, there are millions of articles posted daily and you can’t beat it by posting more. There is no point in adding clutter. Readers and viewers today want quality work. Their time is precious and they want to find something worth looking at. If they cannot find it in your content, they will quickly move on to something else. People are tired of blatant content, and short messages are read while taking a train or waiting in line. Although a time killer, people now want informative and meaningful content.
Most of them have neither the time nor motivation to read books. This is why long posts with more informative content have become increasingly captivating. People prefer to think of blogs as a means for broadening their mindset. Blogs must have more information than found in a tweet or the average Instagram post, but less than in a book. People trust personal experience more than theory and are ready to invest their time in reading.
Blogs are no longer just made up of blocks of text and a few images scattered here and there. “In today’s blogging environment, a variety of content is key. This means not only making sure your images are high quality, but varying your use of different types of media,” says award-winning blogger Devashree Sanghvi of Thecrazyindianfoodie.
Fun and creative videos are the latest and most popular trend in blogging. When you make a video, it instantly grabs attention. One can add all type of content in a video. This attracts more viewers and gets more information across in a very short span of time. Live streaming is a form of video marketing that doesn’t stick around for very long. This volatile quality is what engages social media users. The same goes for the Stories feature on Facebook and Instagram. The very fact that the content would evaporate and be lost after a day or so would have users rushing to view it.
All of us remember that feeling of comfort from telling different stories around the fire, during dinner or staying up late with companions. A similar feeling happens while reading interesting blog narratives. Storytelling is, in some ways, a connection between the blogger and the followers, which gives a glimpse of real life. It makes reading a blog more enjoyable and readers stay with you for a long time.
Among all the trends in blogging, this one is the most dangerous. People are sensitive and in most cases, emotions attract them. When talking about blog posts, it is not the best idea to use emotional exclamations, because of its negative effect on ranking. However, Instagram posts, tweets, images, and short videos are created to share a mood, which involves pure emotion. It is a contagious and impressive instrument which can cause both positive and negative effects. It is a secret weapon for all content writers, brands, and vloggers.
In the last few years, there has been a lot of content, fake and original. “If your engagement is not in proportion to the quality of your content or if your content subject is not in line with who you are as a person, then probably you are faking it,” say Sameer and Parimita from Mumbai Food Trail. As a result, your followers and subscribers will lose interest and walk away. You need to dive deep into the ocean of creativity and work your magic from there. Today’s audience is more informed than ever and they want to get more for every second spent on your page. Show them what you are doing in real time. Who says that the reader only wants to read about a good experience; they are equally or probably more interested in knowing about your bad experience with a product, so that they can avoid it.
A great deal of critique has emerge about the cold and impersonal nature of social media. “You can influence your followers by becoming more approachable. This means that when a follower reaches out to you, you should make an effort to reach out to them,” points out Swarali Kulkarni of Mumbai Food Junkie. It may be impossible to answer everyone’s questions, but you do have the ability to reach out when it’s appropriate. Blogging should be a fun and engaging experience for both you and the audience
Instead of competing with your fellow bloggers, try contacting them for a guest post on something you enjoy. It need not be a direct opponent but you can write for a variety of blogs that cover a vast network of topics. Form relationships with your fellow bloggers and you may be surprised at the following you will gain. “Constantly writing and clicking to make your work look different and interesting every time is quite a job. A pizza is a pizza, how many times can you try to click it differently or try to write about it every time that would make your readers drool?” asks Nikita Gogri from Foodie Punter. Write a little or less often, post less if you need to, but enjoy doing it. Do not dilute your content by doing five posts, when you only have the energy for one. As the number of blog readers and bloggers across the globe is going up remarkably, blogging is here to stay.
