2020: The Return of the Blogger

There haven’t been many bright spots since March, when half the world was forced to lock down to curb contamination from a deadly virus. But one has been blogging. Journaling in its various forms is making a strong comeback in the wake of a novel coronavirus pandemic. That includes blogs. 

 

The newest annual survey by Orbit Media shows a similar uptick. That survey focuses on corporate blogging, but I’d argue that many running blogs are now so enmeshed with sponsored content and affiliate links that they are as commercial as those produced by a brand. And there’s nothing wrong with such promotion if the author is crystal clear about those business relationships and provides valuable content. 

 

Journaling is also up, as people return to paper or keyboard to express their thoughts, process their issues and document their journey through troubling times.

 

The evolution of running blogs

As someone who’s been reading running blogs since the early 2000s, I’ve noticed a familiar arc. Runners and triathletes tend to initially seek a space to track their training for accountability and community building. They review races based on both courses and their own performances. The best of them add introspections to provide both context and interest. Those posts draw fans and comments and additions to blogrolls. That engagement then triggers the Pavlovian response that is designed within all social media platforms.

 

I recall adding a widget around 2006 to show the number of unique visitors, and when it hit 100,000 sooner than expected I was thrilled. But I also became consumed with metrics—in part because that auditable, magic number drew the attention of companies eager to do business with me. I formed relationships with just three brands for whom I’d already been a paying customer. That, for me, reduced the risk of promoting something I didn’t truly believe in. And, it minimized awkward intrusions in the flow of content.

 

I showed restraint, but some other running bloggers did not. Their sites evolved into collections of flattering product reviews or race appraisals when they had been compensated with free product or entries. Again, there is nothing wrong with that as a focus so long as there's full disclosure. But that type of content limits engagement and, unless you have an interest in that product or person, is a bit of a turn-off. 

 

Some of the bloggers that have returned admit their past corporate alliances or obsession with traffic pulled them from posting as their authentic selves, which was the original draw of blogging as a creative outlet. And other bloggers have left until races return, given these competitions anchored entire seasons of posts. 

 

What the numbers show

Returning to that Orbit survey, results indicate:

 

·     People are spending more time composing posts (from 2-1/2 hours in 2014 to almost 4 hours now)

·     They are writing in long form (like short story or book chapter length), with good results

·     They are asking other people to review their work before posting 

·     They are considering imagery, especially video, for each post

 

It makes sense that if you write a longer post, you’ll need more time to compose it. And it’s always a good idea to triple-check for typos and awkward sentence structure. I blog both professionally and personally. In fact, I ghostwrote for a LinkedIn influencer until this year. I can tell you that trolls love nothing better than to discredit because a misspelled word somehow throws the entire composition into question.

 

Be authentic. Be unique. Be consistent.

Every blog is different because every blogger is different. Some lack writing skills to produce polished prose, but it’s exactly that stream-of-conscience, first-draft-feel that their readers enjoy. Others are great runners who share tips and tools for improved performance. Still others blend their roles as brand ambassadors with more telling posts to drive traffic to their sites. And, finally, there are those that treat blogs like private journals, with deep dives into their inner thoughts representing the bulk of posts.

 

I personally like running blogs that combine all of these, which has narrowed my own private blogroll in recent years. And, as you may have noticed, continues to heavily influence my own.

Photo taken a couple of years ago at Armstrong Woods in Sonoma County. The connection? Sometimes we all need to see the trees from the forest, and vice versa.*

*OK, in the spirit of this post I really just wanted to post something green and groovy while everything remains brown and poopy.