In a series of quick, mindless thumb swipes to the top of my Twitter feed, my eyes notice a tweet of someone I respect—someone who thinks deeply about blogging and journalism and reaching people for Christ via the internet.

His tweet declares that blogs have been killed.

I take a deep breath and sit zombie-like on my couch.

I stare out the window for a bit, contemplating why the book about blogging I’ve spent the last two years working on wouldn’t also die as collateral damage. Who needs a book about blogging if blogging is dead? Though the first draft of the book is already written, it sure would save my coauthor and me a lot of time and money to cut our losses.

Collin Hansen is the editorial director of The Gospel Coalition, and for several years he co-led the now-disbanded group called “Band of Bloggers.” In other words, he knows more than a little about the topic of blogging.

Hansen’s tweet identified what, in his opinion, killed blogging: “Social media killed blogs,” he writes. “Can’t find them any longer, since folks don’t browse sites any longer.” His comment sat in a thread discussing the current fad of writers using e-newsletters rather than true blogs.

As much as I respect Hansen, I’d suggest we not order the autopsy report yet. To tweak the words often ascribed to Mark Twain, the reports of the death of blogs have been greatly exaggerated. I agree that today’s blogger cannot ascend to the levels of influence reached almost exclusively by those who got into the game ten years ago, if not twenty. But I think we’d be wrong to say social media has killed blogs, just as we’d be wrong to say the car killed the bicycle. For exercise and for pleasure and for social interaction, people still ride—just as people will blog. Think how many Twitter handles still have a link to the person’s blog? Lots, I tell you, lots. Admittedly, when I click those links I’m often disappointed by the result: the last post dates from more than a year ago and the post before that is often even further back—hence why we wrote this book. Tim Challies highlights a potential incentive to commit or recommit to blogging as others bail. “With so many people opting out,” he writes, “there is lots of room for aspiring writers to work their way in.”

Samuel James is more pessimistic. He writes,

Blogging is dead, right? At least among the folks in a position to say so, this seems to be the consensus. Many of blogging’s most important early practitioners have either abandoned it . . . or else transformed their writing spaces into storefronts that offer “promoted” content in exchange for patronage. The thinking goes like this: Before Mark Zuckerberg and Tweet threads, blogging was a viable way of sharing ideas online. Now, though, social media has streamlined and mobilized both content and community. Reading a blog when you could be reading what your friends are Tweeting about is like attending a lecture completely alone. It’s boring and lonely for you, and a waste of time for the lecturer.

The full post by James suggests more optimism than that quote belies. For example, after noting many strengths of blogging in our cultural moment, his concluding paragraph states, “Blogging still matters, because it’s still the medium that most ably combines the best aspects of online writing.”

Twitter doesn’t do nuance well, so as I think back over Collin Hansen’s statement about the death of blogging, perhaps he only meant that blogs don’t have the popularity they used to have or that many obstacles are stacked against their success, as James points out and all of us would likely concede.

Regardless, John Beeson and I are still blogging regularly. And so are hundreds of thousands of others. If you’re reading this ebook, we want you to keep blogging or consider starting a blog of your own if you don’t have one yet. Bloggers writing for the glory of God have not saturated the market, not even close. Author Tony Reinke spoke about this in an interview on the Home Row podcast.

Don’t be intimidated by all the books. Everybody is publishing it seems. [But] we have this promise from the Lord in Habakkuk. It says, “The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (2:14). Just think about that. Think about that overwhelming tsunami of the knowledge of God. We are far from that saturation point. . . . There is so much work to be done.[1]

I agree with Reinke. We have work to do, books and blog posts to write, and the glory of God to spread.

But don’t just take our word for it. We asked a few dozen other bloggers to give us their hot take on the future of blogging, because offering hot takes is all we bloggers do. Right? We hope you’ll be encouraged. Blogging may have changed, but it’s certainly not dead.

Is Blogging Dead?

It seems unlikely that blogging will ever be as popular as it was in the late 1990s, but people continue to want to read blog-like content. The form it takes may be different (people, for example, seem to want to turn platforms that were not designed for blogging, such as Instagram, into blogs), but the blog-like intention behind the content persists.
Abby Farson Pratt, abbyfp.com

Although it’s easy to think that blogging has already had its heyday, the demand for long-form content, while tempered by market forces, will always be a factor. Search engines like Google assign more weight to long-form content. While those less serious about writing turn to social media to express themselves, more opportunity now exists in the blogging arena for those committed to persevering in their craft and doing the hard work of building an audience over time.
Alex Kocman, alexkocman.com

Bloggers are in a unique position to inform people that they wouldn’t be able to reach otherwise, and they have the benefit of being able to speak on any topic. If blogs are being used correctly, to build people up in their faith and inform believers for God’s glory, then I believe they will always have a place.
Alistair Chalmers, achalmersblog.com

In my opinion, blogging is not dead. Although the word “blogging” might sound outdated, just call it an “article,” or a “writing,” or even an “essay,” and voila! You’re back to blogging.
Alisa Childers, alisachilders.com

I think that blogging has shifted. Where we used to sign up to follow blogs, we now follow accounts—Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. With the inundation of information, I wonder if we’ve become lazy—wanting our social media to vet our posts for us and to make it easier and quicker to decide what we will spend time reading. I don’t think blogging has disappeared. There are new blogs every day. I think the way that people view and interact with blogs has shifted. I think it affects the reader and the writer at the same time, and it’s a phenomenon that new writers and blog owners will have to deal with. In order to get followings, you will feel the push to promote, promote, promote. That being said, I do wonder as Facebook, Twitter, and others all come under fire for their filtering, if more and more people will start to take control over what content they want to see. To be honest, and perhaps this is more cynical, but I see the majority of people complaining but then continuing on with what is easiest.
Brianna Lambert, lookingtotheharvest.com

Not at all! Social media has its place, and I know microblogging is on the rise on those platforms, but I think they serve different purposes. First, there’s the issue of space—you simply cannot flesh out a nuanced idea in the narrow confines of social media in the same way as a longer blog post. Second, your reach on social media has become so dependent upon algorithms. We see what the platforms want us to see, and we don’t have control over that. Blogging allows us to curate our own sources and see every post by visiting specific sites or using an RSS reader. Blogging occupies a crucial space between social media and books, and we’d be poorer without it.
Cassie Watson, casswatson.com

I think a website is still essential, and including a blog is a helpful way of demonstrating commitment and credibility. But a blog no longer seems to be enough. Podcasts and YouTube are becoming more important platforms because they possess greater attention.
Chase Replogle, chasereplogle.com

Blogging is still an incredibly important means of communication, especially in the Christian space. Its day is not over, even if it looks a bit different.
Chris Martin, chrismartin.blog

Blogging has a future, though like many mediums in this age, it may need to find new iterations. Even in the short time blogging has already experienced, we’ve seen a transformation of style and presentation—some that have been helpful and others less so.
Chris Thomas, ploughmansrest.com

Blogging is dead in terms of the early blogs that primarily curate info available elsewhere on the internet. Blogs that did that well are still alive and well but they own the market. Those who own that lane do enough research and reflection to also give a lot of insights into any number of topics. Blogging isn’t dead in terms of writers who are able to give thoughtful insights and perspectives on important issues. The newer brand of blogging isn’t for people who merely want to air their opinions but for those who possess the time, skill, and energy to produce something unique and helpful. There’s always a space for committed authors who want to help others. But like most things, it takes hard work and anyone wanting a fastlane to “success” will likely drop out long before they get enough traction to make a lasting contribution.
Dan DeWitt, theolatte.com

Yes and no. Yes in the sense that the newness and buzz of blogging probably will never be what it once was. I also say no because I don’t think blogging will die anytime soon. As others have pointed out, the name “blogging” might change. But the format of writing words in article form to post on the internet to promote edification isn’t going away soon, so I think blogging has a bright future.
David Qaoud, gospelrelevance.com

Blogging as a thing “everybody does” is gone, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Writers who want to test a message, have unedited freedom in voice and style, hone their craft, and develop a body of work will keep plodding. Although not always the most efficient way of getting a piece to the masses, those who stick around will hopefully make blogging about the value of truthful words and vibrant stories.
Emily Jensen & Laura Wifler, risenmotherhood.com

Our world increasingly seems to value forms of communication that are instantaneous, combative, and designed to trigger emotions. Against this trend, many are recognizing just how important long-form mediums are for creating light, not just heat. Blogging is a kind of hybrid medium—faster than books, longer than Twitter. My hope is that Christians will continue to engage the world of blogging as we try to carve out spaces for reflection and reasoned dialogue.
Gavin Ortlund, gavinortlund.com

I work with young writers every week, and I firmly believe blogging is not dead. How blogs are curated and shared has shifted and evolved over the years, but blogs’ power and purpose have not. Blogging is still a medium that changes lives and contributes to the kingdom, one post at a time.
Jaquelle Ferris, jaquellecrowe.com

I’m late to the game and can’t say for sure. It does seem like things like YouTube are taking over. But, I still read others’ blogs, and other people still read mine, so I think there’s still a small space for it in the world and in ministry.
Jen Oshman, jenoshman.com

The original kind of blogging is done and gone. Few remain. More collective groups are writing better content with editors, and that is far superior in my opinion.
Jeremy Writebol, jwritebol.net

Yes and no. Blogging has certainly peaked because, as many people discovered, it’s easy to start a blog but hard to maintain interest in writing for one on a regular basis. But blogging is still essential because the low barrier to entry allows undiscovered talent to flourish.
Joe Carter, thegospelcoalition.org/profile/joe-carter

Blogging is definitely dead!!! (Actually, it is a pet peeve of mine to see the headline formula, “Is ___________ dead?” The subject in question never actually dies; it just changes. Unless you’re talking about VHS or Laserdisc players, then they’re dead alright.) Blogging isn’t dead, but it has changed due to podcasts, YouTube, and Twitter. A certain type of blogging has had its day. But there is still room for thoughtful and well-written blogging. 
Kevin Halloran, kevinhalloran.net

I don’t believe so. These days, Twitter and Facebook have reduced our attention spans to only be capable of digesting small, bite-sized pieces of information before moving on to the next thing, many times without critically reflecting upon the tweet or post we’ve just read. Blogging provides a great platform for more rigorously interacting with and explaining ideas in a way that is still open to community and peer feedback without as much distraction. I hope that our society, as time goes on, will become disenchanted with shallow information grazing, and come to appreciate this medium more and more. This will be more likely if the blogosphere is already filled with quality, Christ-centered content once the rest of the world comes back here.
Kris Sinclair, krissinclair.com

Nah. Especially since social media is stupid and people are becoming more suspicious of its integrity. I think more people will transition from social media to blogs and email communication.
Kristen Wetherell, kristenwetherell.com

I think the world of blogging has certainly changed. But, I don’t think that the medium is going anywhere. I do think that it looks different, and maybe the day of the mega-blog is passing us by. Bloggers are going to have to be satisfied with smaller audiences, with more of a niche following, because there is so much out there that distinguishing yourself as a big blog that everyone checks constantly is getting more and more impossible. This is especially true of Christian blogs because, let’s face it, the Christian message is getting less and less appealing as our culture steps further away from Jesus. I write things that people tell me they agree with but are afraid to share because of the inevitable backlash from their friends and family. In that way, Christian bloggers are certainly operating in the land of Jesus’s words about what the gospel does: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household” (Matt 10:34–36).
Melissa Edgington, yourmomhasablog.com

Blogging is not done yet. It has a few and new competitors along the way. As long as the passion is there, we don’t have to throw in the towel yet. We just need to find new and exciting ways to be heard.
Nitoy Gonzales, delightinggrace.wordpress.com

No, because it will continue to play a role in supporting the mission of the local church. It may begin to look different, e.g., smaller circles of influence, more local writing, etc. But if we see the role of blogging as falling in line with furthering the mission of the church and building up the saints for the work of ministry, then it will continue to have purpose because it falls in line with God’s mission.
Ryan Williams, amicalled.com

Blogging isn’t going to go away, but the influence and reach of individual bloggers will probably never be what it was ten years ago. There’s so much content out there right now, and ways to curate that content through algorithms, that only people with specific kinds of day jobs can afford to “build” a blogging profile.
Samuel James, letterandliturgy.com

Blogging is not dead because Jesus is not dead. Christians have always looked for ways to share the gospel and to share what they are learning about how the gospel shapes our lives. As long as we have the internet and the opportunity to post on the internet, Christian bloggers will write about this best of news. It is why I have blogged for over nine years, and why I plan to be blogging nine years from now.
Tim Counts, hemustbecomegreater.com

No. It’s just transformed for some into the micro-blogging of Twitter and Facebook. It’s still a kind of blog, just smaller and easier to digest. Long-form blogging isn’t dead. When TV was invented, people thought movie theaters would die out. They didn’t.
Tom Terry, tomthinking.com

No. It’s true that the season of early blogging, in which upstart bloggers could build a platform by quality writing on a large variety of subjects, has come to an end. For a new blog to gain traction today, one needs either an already-established platform or excellent insights that focus on a narrower sliver of topics. But blogging itself—which is really just one form of writing articles, similar to newspaper columns from a hundred years ago from good writers—is still and will remain a relevant form of communication. Social media has grown in importance for blogging, as most readers interact with writers by following social media accounts and not blogs. But this doesn’t mean that blogging has died, only that the entry point to these articles has shifted.
Trevin Wax, thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax

 

* Photo by Goran Ivos on Unsplash

** Is Blogging Dead? is an excerpt from an appendix in the book Blogging for God’s Glory in a Clickbait World by Benjamin Vrbicek and John Beeson.