The next 12 months of blogging is ahead, which means the blogosphere will expand and become a better place so here’s a few blogging trends for 2016.
Each year we introduce new platforms, new techniques, styles and since I first started to read blogs to the current day so much has changed, and as we enter 2016 I’ve noticed a few trends lurking on the horizon that I’m implementing for the sake of my readers, and Googles latest rules. So give these a read so you can accommodate the biggest blogging trends of 2016.
CROSS POLLINATION
I don’t think the term blogger is quite what it previously was. There are content creators moving over to platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and even the appearance the online forum, because we don’t communicate in the same way we did last year, and because we have such a variety of communication we now use each platform for a different type of expression. I’ve always used the blog as my formal method of speaking out, whilst my Twitter and Instagram showcase the behind the scenes, and my Snapchat for an extremely personal use, whether that’s seeing the backstage of fashion week, to dancing on tables at 3am with my best dolls. You may notice that I leave no stone unturned on my snapchat!
Creators are getting smarter by the day with tactics and strategies there’s so much more kinds of content being manufactured every day. I had a meeting the other week about the monetisation of Snapchat, but be aware that things are moving up on a grand scale and it’s time to embrace every aspect of bloggers lives are being escalated to incorporate the latest methods of integrating branding and marketing techniques.
COLLABORATIONS
To some this seems a dirty word, and like it’s unethical that bloggers utilise collaborations within their work (Even bloggers expenses to pay.) Whether this means sponsored content or not I’m actually speaking about product design.
Celebrity endorsement has always been around, even down to decades ago Anna Wintour was the first editor to decide on celebrities being on the front cover of Vogue. What I’m getting at is now we’re seeing clothing companies endorsing influencers to mesh with their products more than ever! Whether thats involvement from bloggers to design a handbag collection or with movie premieres, and not just for the stratospheric influencers either, which is exciting for region wide figures as well as global.
Finally a hell no to Googles penalisations of guest posting, and a hell yes to the open arms of embracing two sets of creatives posting on each others sites.
RICHER CONTENT
I’ve always been in favour of longer posts but now as we creep up to 2016 audiences are enjoying lengthier posts (which is odd since we’re now more interested in seeing a spread across other platforms) which makes bloggers jobs a lot harder as we have a craving from our readers to beef up our posts but it now means our thirst for more details is quenched. I’ve noticed a small transition in my writing style over the past few months to be more open down to the equipment I use, who it’s shot by and include the reasoning behind my posts more. It’s a scenario where the more with give out, the more likely we are to receive back. Quality is now more important than quantity.
BUSINESS OWNERS
Websites are getting more informative, and taking a similar approach to magazine websites. Influencers are creating shops with products instead of promoting other peoples so much. This wind of change will encourage inner creativity and as the dawn of the Uber Blogger is born having a set of skills will favour those over a set of writing skills (unless you employ others.) Which brings me to the point that if you’re a single attribute to your site it might be worth consider an addition of another if your budget permits. Hiring photographers, extra writers, admin might as well become full time and fully exclusive to you and your blog to keep refining your existing site. The more the merrier right?
GET MOBILE READY
Is your site responsive? Ditch old blogger themes and update existing HTML and Javascript for a favourable mobile friendly site so your readers can read your wonderful posts in their most popular format – on their mobiles!
Google can punish you for not implementing certain standards in website and Googles publisher punishments aren’t subtle either, meaning your pages won’t be indexed, and in rare cases even removed!
Keep everything tested and audited for not only Googles purposes but for your readers.
LACK OF COMMENTS
Not many people comment anymore, I’ve seen the decrease in my own blog as much as other sites and whilst the opinion of others is important to me, I’ve been considering the decision to remove the ability to comment and keep everything to my social media as I found engagement levels and reasons to comment were more favourable externally, as it allowed readers to reply and connect with another.
Not that I care for what brands think as importantly as my readers, but I don’t think brands care much for comments on the blog posts themselves as they want clicks, shares and sales. This forum-esque experience has now shifted to forums on social media rather than the discussion boards on the posts themselves.
It’s time to grow and expand our existing ways to accommodate both our readers and our platforms for a better experience all round!
