Before social media was a thing, there was blogging.
I remember reading reviews of products and restaurants from bloggers – it was how I knew what was new around town. Back then, there were only a few bloggers, and most of them had some credibility – I felt that they knew what they were talking about. It seemed like most of them had the background to confidently discuss the topics they were covering, and had the spine to back up their judgements.
I Still Read Blogs!
You see, I’m the type of consumer who likes to learn about things before buying anything, especially if it commands a premium price. I like to read several reviews of a product, get a feel for the general response to the product, maybe learn a few tips beforehand, before finally making a decision.
This isn’t to say that I don’t make snap decisions. I do! I also get tempted when confronted with a good deal 😀
But mostly, I like to take my time, and that is why I still turn to trusted, credible reviewers, even in 2021!
Sure, there are reviews on YouTube, which I also watch, but an in-depth review will take too long on video and I don’t want to watch a 40-minute review! There are some topics (where it’s better to show than tell) where video is the best medium. Otherwise, a good review on a blog is still the best one for me – I can scan and scroll and skip to the parts I want – something that’s difficult to do on a video. The time I spend reading a blog post depends on how fast I read, so what will take 20 minutes on video, I can most likely read in 5 minutes.
And it’s not just for product or restaurant reviews! I even turn to blogs / websites for recipes. First, I watch the recipe on YouTube, then when it’s time to cook, I refer to the website recipe instead. Why? I don’t want to keep pausing, rewinding or fast forwarding the video every time I miss how much of an ingredient I need to add!
So, are blogs still a thing in 2021? For me, that’s a resounding yes!
However, there have been a lot of changes since when I started reading blogs a decade ago. Blogging / influencing is now a booming business.
There has been a rise of new “influencers” who are only in it for the freebies, but don’t really know enough about the product to write about it.
There are also those who write superficial reviews with hardly any new information than what was in the press release.
The ease of entry into blogging has also created many poorly written blogs that are a headache to read.
Notwithstanding, there is still a place for real blogging in 2021.
Readers are now savvy enough to tell the wheat from the chaff. I always gravitate towards reviewers / bloggers who I feel are credible, and have integrity in the way they review, someone who is “real”. Someone who actually uses a product, or someone who understands the item.
For example, for a food review, I I wouldn’t trust a food review from someone who can’t tell good food from bad food, and for whom everything is delicious. Or worse, one who reviews a dish after only taking one bite! This kind of reviewer is just not credible to me.
Not everyone is born with a background that educates them about good food, nor would we want every food reviewer to be so. Things would be boring! Different backgrounds provide for different perspectives. What’s important is that the reviewer has a genuine passion to learn and improve their palate. We’ve all been there, so I try to cut people some slack. Who hasn’t looked at their past from years ago and not cringed a little? ?
It’s the same concept whether the topic is food, skincare, or travel. For skincare, I like reading reviews where the reviewer has actually given the product enough time to work (or not), and not just used it one time and then reviewed it. For travel, I like reading about serendipitous discoveries, or appreciation for oft-neglected things like whether the hotel provides enough sockets to charge our gadgets.
If we’re talking about “influencing” anyone, I am more influenced by bloggers I trust than by celebrities. The bloggers I trust – I have probably followed them for years, and I know their tastes, and I know how their tastes align with mine (or not). They bear more weight in my buying decision versus some viral famous person I couldn’t give two figs about.
So, to real bloggers who give value in every real post they write, continue doing you because there are still people like me who like reading real posts from real people with real experiences 🙂
