Just in time for the New Year, let’s talk about the new developments in the blogging world. That’s right, we’re going in-depth about 2019 blogging trends so you can make the most of technology and new marketing in the New Year.
Some of these trends you might expect while others are a bit of a surprise. To listen to all of the trends, check out the full episode of Offbeat Grad below.
1. Micro-Influencers
The world is getting smart to influencers. After the breaking news recently about so many “influencers” faking sponsored posts, there’s been a push towards micro-influencers.
What’s a micro-influencer? A blogger, Instagrammer, vlogger, etc. with a “smaller” audience of under 10k. Usually they’re in the 5k-10k range. They’re more appealing to brands since they have a stronger grasp on their audience.
It makes sense. Who are you personally more likely to trust: a fellow blogger with 5k followers who answers every comment or the account with 100k followers that feels out-of-touch? It’s clear, right?
What you can do now: If you’re a brand, consider working with smaller bloggers in your niche. If you’re a blogger/influencer still growing your account, focus on connecting with your audience and definitely don’t “fake” your sponsored posts!
2. Behind-the-Scenes
Raise your hand if you’re over the glossy, perfectly staged posts on Instagram? Ugh, me. Social media users and blog readers are tired of the oh-so-perfect images and posts.
We’re all ready for more authenticity as one of the leading 2019 blogger trends. Instagram and blogs sometimes seem fake and unrealistic. They easily make us feel down on ourselves.
Thanks to Instagram Stories, times are a-changing. Because Instagram Stories are so temporary, they’ve lessened the pressure to make sure everything is perfect all of the time online. It’s such a breath of fresh air.
What you can do now: Be yourself and don’t worry about always looking perfect. Your followers are tired of the “highlight reel” of Instagram and social media. Show them your reality and they’ll love it.
3. Video Content
Videos are BIG. Like, big. In fact, this year it’s expected for video content to account for 80% of all online content. WOW.
Written content is still important, don’t get me wrong, but we’ve got to focus on other things like video, audio, and visuals.
Think about your social media feed. How many times are you stopped by a video? Probably pretty often. It’s not just you. Video is changing the way we interact with the internet.
Create videos that go along with your blog posts. Post on Instagram stories. Record a podcast. Do whatever feels right for your blog and your audience. It’ll pay off in a big way, especially if you get started with this now.
Want to break into podcasting? Contact me today to get featured on Offbeat Grad!
What you can do now: Brainstorm new ways to integrate video into your content strategy. Podcasts, YouTube, and Instagram are great places to start.
4. Chatbots
Chatbots sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, but they’re a reality. Despite the scary name, they’re pretty awesome and one of my favorite 2019 blogger trends.
What’s a chatbot? It’s a computer program or artificial intelligence software that chats with your readers or customers to perform basic tasks. They can answer questions, send emails, and help your readers 24/7.
You can easily see a ton of big-name companies and even smaller bloggers using chatbots that integrate with
What you can do now: Play around with chatbots on Facebook messenger and see what makes sense for your audience. Consider trying it for yourself to build your email list or send reminders to a Facebook group!
5. Shorter Content
Yep, you read that right. There’s now a push towards shorter content instead of longform content. This hurts as a full-time writer!
Thanks to the younger generations (I’m looking at you Gen Z!) joining the cyber age, we’re seeing way less longform content performing well. Once again, this depends on your audience, but most social media promoted content doesn’t need to be 2k+ words anymore.
In fact, if you want to ensure people actually read through your content make sure it’s under or around 800 words and full of visuals.
While you shouldn’t ditch all of your longform content, consider making a few shorter posts that are created for social media visitors or just for for smaller topics.
What you can do today: Don’t hold yourself to the standard of 1-2k+ word content when it isn’t necessarily helping! Make sure
Vital 2019 Blogging Trends
These are just a few of the blogging trends I cover in my full episode of Offbeat Grad. These are really exciting to me! Now, we both have a lot of exciting ideas for new ways to take our blogs in 2019.
From chatbots to videos, there’s a lot to look forward to. Just make sure you’re authentic to yourself and your audience!