An ode to blogging…..
Since the Trump administration, there has been a constant threat of a TikTok ban. TikTok (ByteDance), owned by a Chinese internet company, has been a “concern” for the U.S Government. Main concern being that the app could be a gateway for the Chinese Communist party to spread pro-China propaganda or worse gather information on Americans. TikTok has denied these claims.
Although I have seen the panicking all over my FYP, I have remained unfazed. It’s like “The boy who cried wolf.” We’ve been through this twice before. Let’s be honest, banning TikTok isn't about data privacy. It's propaganda. Especially after watching how TikTok’s CEO was treated like a petulant child by congress at capitol Hill. I have never seen a bipartisan grilling to this extent.
I personally don't think it sets a good precedent on freedom of speech in a democracy to ban social media applications. There are 150M active U.S users on TikTok daily. I can’t imagine TikTok will go down without a fight, understanding that there are a lot of young users who are essentially controlling the votes come November.
Between the constant TikTok ban threats, Instagram making it blatant that they do not care about their creators, and YouTube competing with other apps in lieu of focusing on nurturing their community. Creators are being played like a ping-pong ball between all these apps. The truth is these apps don't owe us creators anything.
The main reason that I have remained unfazed and refuse to fret is that I have a blog. I’ve had specsandblazers.com for 10 years. It is my sanctuary & when all the OG bloggers stopped blogging and moved to instagram, I remain steadfast in my belief to continue building my audience on my blog. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. If you started out as a blogger, you should NEVER stop blogging. As influencers, we don’t own anything else but our blog. Think of your blog as real estate, a property you own. Pushing out content once or twice a month is essentially paying a mortgage on it every month. Something, we can cash out in the future.
Blogs are a good way to nurture your audience, and build a cult following. Nobody knows what the future holds. So, you ask “Is it too late to start a blog?” It is never too late to start anything. If you start a blog today, there's a bigger chance of success than if you start 5 years from now.
Here are 5 reasons you should start a blog NOW:
1. Ownership and Control: When you have a blog, you own the platform and have complete control over the content you create and share. This is different from social media platforms where the algorithm and policies can change, and you risk losing your audience if the platform shuts down or bans you. By having a blog, you have a permanent online presence that you can build upon and expand over time.
2. Professionalism: A blog gives influencers a more professional image and allows us to showcase our expertise and knowledge in their niche. It allows for longer-form content that can dive deeper into a topic, and can also include multimedia like photos and videos that can enhance the content.
3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): influencers can optimize our content for search engines and increase our visibility online. This means that people searching for topics related to your niche can find your blog and become a part of your cult following.
4. Monetization: A blog can also be monetized in several ways, such as through affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, and advertising. This provides additional income streams for influencers and allows us to diversify their income sources.
5. Building a Community: A blog can also help influencers build a community around your brand. By providing value through your content and engaging with your readers, influencers can create a cult following that is almost impossible to have on any other platform.
In conclusion, buy that domain name. Start documenting your pictures. If you are a mediocre writer like I am, write. Write. Write. If you are a photographer, document your photography. Blogging has been around for many years, and it’ll always remain relevant.
