Anyone else had this question lately? I first heard the term “micro content” when I was interviewing for an editorial position at an agency in LA. The VP of the company was explaining that, essentially, while blogs were still there, micro content was all people cared about. Basically, they were interviewing editors for a digital publication, but what they really wanted was someone who could kill it on twitter and Snapchat (and for a brief period, vine, but let’s replace that with Stories). A few days later they invited me back, but I’d already made the decision to try my hand at freelancing instead.
I don’t hate the idea of micro blogging, which is basically what most bloggers’ Instagrams are at this point—more than a platform to post photos on, but in a much smaller, more succinct, instant & less attention-demanding than a blog. I just don’t love the idea of it being my main way to connect with followers. Call me old fashioned, but I love giving people a place to learn more, should they be interested.
What do you think? As Jenn and I plugged back into @theblogmarket, the question did come up.
We’ve never been super active on our Insta, not because we didn’t want to but because there’s only two of us and we focused on producing near-daily content for three years, so the Instagram was just a place for us to pop in and share that #linkinbio. Needless to say, it hasn’t grown into what it could be—which we recognize and are okay with. And since we’ve decided to re-launch our site and begin posting regularly but less frequently, it would seem we could even shift our content almost entirely to social.
The thing is, while we have grand plans for our newly spiced up Insta, I still hang on to the blog. Not just this blog, but all the blogs I’ve written. I still think there is space for both—maybe not for everyone, but for me.
I’m actually much more open to the idea of micro content now that there’s so much potential with Instagram. It was early 2014 when I first learned about it (behind even then, I know) and it didn’t seem like a way to share quality content, especially of the written variety. It seemed like nothing more than a way to try to sell X to Y with as short an amount of time and space (and often effort) as possible. Which was great for the agency, because one of their clients was Pepsi. It didn’t seem like you could produce something truly meaningful this way.
Nowadays, we see influencers like Jen Gotch and Moorea Seal opening up about mental illness and the struggles of business ownership on a platform that could be used just for selling product, we see “10 tips” lists and video tutorials and slideshows of photoshoots, all in one app. (No wonder no one’s clicking that bio link anymore, right?) Even our own side projects cater more toward the consumer of micro content than blogs—Jenn and her friend Laura are behind the @xoenneagram account that manages to share TONS of incredible, engaging, and meaningful content without even putting so much as an email address in their profile. (Though they now have a website.) It’s all about these tiny snippets of content, and it’s actually, I have to admit, pretty cool to see the effect things like words and photos and videos can have on people in such a tiny space.
Here at The Blog Market, we’ve decided that while we love the blog, we also love social media. And while we love social media, we also still love blogging! We have exciting things to share on each platform. Instagram allows us to give our blog friends a closer peek at our everyday lives, while the blog lets us share stories and expand on our ideas. And one more thing I love about having a blog—it’s the best archive there is. It’s so fun to see how we’ve changed and the people we’ve connected with have too.
What do you think about micro-blogging? Do you dabble in it on your social media accounts? Meaning, do you like to provide something more in depth than just a single image and a caption? Do you like to see that in the users you follow? Do you still have a blog? Did you have one at one point but chose to focus on social? What about blogging without a social media presence (gasp!)? What’s your take on the whole micro vs regular, err—macro blogging idea?
Kelly Warren says
I’m so glad to see you address this! I have struggled with this as well. I’ve had my blog for more than 10 years (10 years!!!) and haven’t let it go. While my posts have been more and less frequent depending on what’s going on in my life, I’ve kept it going and plan to keep it going. If nothing else, like you, I like the history of it. And it’s a repository of things my kids can look back on when they grow up. I do have an Instagram (two actually — one for creative work and family and the second for my shelter dog photography), but I still try to post something with a little more depth on my blog at least weekly. Thanks for providing this resource!
Angela says
Thanks for your insight, Kelly! I love that it’s an archive of everything you’ve done, and as much as you can scroll through a social media feed, there’s nothing like an in-depth look at each thing you’ve created in the past! That’s great to think of your kids and family when looking back on a blog, too.
Katie Fieser says
Hello! I was reading your blog about cameras and lenses from 2015 that I stumbled across on Pinterest! I had a question regarding cameras and lenses in your opinion to capture planes. I am wanting to get into photographing slow planes and fast jets. Early this year I planned on buying a cannon with a new lense but I didn’t end up purchasing it. I still have my old fungifilm from 2013 and the lenses for that camera are too expensive for me to update my camera. So I didn’t know if you had an opinion on camera and lenses for capturing airplanes, landscape/nature and everything else! Thank you so much for reading this! Katie Fieser
Angela says
Hey Katie! Glad you stumbled upon our post! I’m so sorry, I’m really not sure what camera is best for that type of photography! I know that canons are great but can be pricey – you’re right, it’s a big investment to get the right lens. My friends have actually suggested Sony for more affordable options when you need a good starter camera that still takes great pics. Perhaps you can pop into a local camera store and ask for advice! Good luck!!