Blogging is dead, right? Spoiler alert: not at all

As you know, video content is everywhere. We are watching more YouTube than ever. Instagram stories suck up hours of our time each day. There’s also the continual growth of podcasts. You might wonder if it is worth starting to write now. Did you already miss your chance? Is writing on blogs on the decline?

However, the numbers tell a different story:

• Tens of thousands of new blogs are created every single day.
• According to Statista, the number of bloggers in the United States alone is set to reach 31.7 million by 2022.
• Content marketing leaders experience 7.8 times more site traffic than non-leaders. (Content Marketing Institute)

In other words:

If your goals are to build an audience and make money online, the question isn’t should you start a blog in 2022 — it’s why wouldn’t you?

So, yes, you should start writing. Right now. I know this begs the question.

What Should You Write About?

Well, the first thing you should do is pick an umbrella. What do I mean? I mean figure out what area you want to write about.

What topics will you cover? How will you know what is on-topic vs. something you don’t write about? That’s where the umbrella comes in.

For example, my umbrella is story. I write fiction stories, and whenever I talk about other areas, the focus is still on story. Even in this post, the focus in my mind is having you share your story.

Okay, once you know what you want to write about, I know the next questions.

How Often Should You Post?

As much as possible. I can’t tell you the answer here unless I look at your schedule. But here’s a rule of thumb: A good post should take you about an hour or two. If you’re just starting out, it might take longer.

And I want you to spend at least half an hour on your headline. I know that sounds like a lot, but I promise that it’s very important. More on crafting headlines here. You will never get the writing impact you want unless you focus on writing great headlines.

Where Should You Post?

As many places as possible. I know that doesn’t help. Okay, let’s get specific. At a bare minimum, you should consider posting on Medium.com. You’ve got a great opportunity here with well over 60 million active users on Medium.

Next, you need a website. Why? It’s a lasting asset that will serve you for years. Tons of websites come and go. Myspace anyone? AOL? Yahoo Geocities? Vine? The only certainty is change.

Next, you can also post on LinkedIn. If your content doesn’t fit your profile, there are groups there. Next, post on Facebook. Experiment there. Don’t just link-drop. Try posting some of the content directly. Try your personal Facebook page. Try your personal business page. Experimentation is the key.

Sign up for a free service like RecurPost and make sure your content isn’t just one and done. Seriously, RecurPost allows you to get more views than you otherwise would on Facebook. You need as many eyeballs as possible. You don’t know who your peeps are yet. That’s the key.

Read your content aloud and use it to create a podcast. Compile your blog posts and make them into a book. Maybe you want to take your content and make it into a course.

You can do so many different things with your content today. The opportunities are endless!

The Takeaway

Right now is the best time in human history to be a writer. But here’s the catch. You can’t wait. Competition is fierce.
Technology never stops changing.

The demand has never been greater for great writing.

But you have to start now. You cannot wait. Procrastination and perfectionism will tell you that you need to do some research, buy a book, take a course, or something else.

No. Start now. Write. And share your story with the world.