I'm a big proponent of blogging. I tell my clients to blog. I write on my blog here. And I read other blogs regularly. Blogging is a great way to gain exposure and tell people who you are. But somewhere along the way, blogging became synonymous with writing.
Here's a secret:
Not all bloggers are writers. But all writers are bloggers.
ok, that's not really a secret. But it's something to think about.
The word “blog”:
1) Is overused
2) Has a word association that takes us back to 2004
3) Means different things to people
4) Hasn't evolved with the times
The word blog is like a meme that never disappears.
It's like laughing at the same joke for years. Will we think gangnam style is funny next year? Probably not. In fact we'll probably look back and think “what were we thinking?”
Which is why we need a new word for “blog.” (and how about we retire all “keep calm” spin-offs for now too, while we're at it?)
Now, there are plenty of well-respected writers who refer to themselves as “bloggers.” And their writing may or may not be published in a “mainstream publication.” And I quote “mainstream publication” because it's just that – the common current thought of the majority. It doesn't mean it's the right or wrong thought. It just means that it's the most common. Which is exactly my point: Just because someone isn't “mainstream” doesn't mean they should have any less of a voice.
The Overplayed Top 40
Mass media is what I chose for my education and how I began my early career in news. Mass media means that it's available to a lot of recipients. It's not exclusive. It's like listening to the Top 40 station. Everyone is listening. Which, to be honest, is why the mass media (and the Top 40 playlist) has become so unappealing to me over the last few years (go ahead – call me a hipster).
And it's why I appreciate finding unique voices using social media. Because everyone has a voice. Even the quirky ones. Especially the quirky ones.
Words reflect a unique time and place.
It's quite interesting how people define the word “blog.” Because there are so many different types. There are personal blogs, microblogs (Twitter, Tumblr), and corporate blogs. And now there's the rise of the multi-author websites.
Our reality molds and changes by how we use words. The word “blog” is feeling pretty dated because many blogs (not all) have become pedestrian and formulaic. They often regurgitate the same one or two perspectives. How very mainstream.
I don't like blindly following rules because “that's the way it's always been done. Which is why it pains me that we're still calling blogs “blogs.”
The 2004 concept of a blog gives the 2013 blog a bad name.
Thankfully content marketing is what will keep blogging alive. It's starting to pick up steam.
But before it does, for the love of blog, we need a new name for the word “blog.”
Any suggestions?
Am I the only one that thinks this? Please leave your thoughts in the comments.
