Is Blogging Still a Thing?

I started blogging more than a decade ago but it was only in 2015 when I started to up the ante. I wrote a lot of helpful, inspiring, and relatable posts. I focused on evergreen content. And it definitely paid off. I was able to earn, rake in a few sponsorship, get invited to exclusive events, enjoy premium services at no cost, receive PR kits and blogger mails, eat food I cannot afford, enjoy all-expense paid trips, stay in 5-star hotels for free, won awards, and more!

But it has to a price to pay.

\You see, I get different reactions whenever PRs probe this blog. I am not surprised if a lot of them feel uneasy and retreat at the sight of the title alone. My blog title stinks, I know. Plus, I do not have a huge following that would have been an advantage in luring brands to work with. But I have a knack for writing, or so I would like to believe. So I used that as my strength. Thankfully, there are those who actually read through my posts. Most of them are amused and I love it when they tell me about it. It is one of the things that propel me to write more.

Some of the brands I trust and love working with. With the help of Davao Bloggers Society, of course!

However, I had to be careful with what I write. I created an entirely different blog and revived my Instagram account for professional reasons so I can continue writing gibberish here. But even so, I avoided fingerrhea. My rants are kept at minimum to none. I refrained from using strong language. I delivered my opinions mildly. And I didn't really write about things that are too personal (you know, the TMIs). No one is restricting me at all, but to me, it felt like I had to look good all the time. 

Then this pandemic happened. This more than a month long quarantine period has led me back to the blogging I knew in 2003—when there were no brands to work with and monetization wasn't a thing. I didn't know how much I missed writing about the bad, the ugly, and the nonsense. I know none of these things seem attractive to anyone. And if I keep writing about what I have eaten for lunch three days ago, I would not be surprised if my readership will drop drastically. But to tell you honestly, the perks I get writing for others do not measure to the satisfaction I get in writing for me. Or to put it simply, this is what I love to do. So to all the readers out there who are still stickiing around, thank you for reading me even if I am sure you have better things to do.

And I think this what I need to impart to all those who ask me how to start blogging. You have to love the craft first. Because if you're here for the fame, the money, and the perks that come with it, you're not going to last long, buddy.

It's 2020. I don't know if blogging is still a thing. Social media has probably killed it. But even when everybody's attention span has been cut short to 160 characters, I'd still be here... blogging about crap no one's really interested about.