Want to know the truth? I don't read blogs any more.

It's true.

I used to love reading blogs. I found them endlessly fascinating. After a while I got to 'know' some of the bloggers and understand the community that surrounding PR and social media.

But it recently struck me that I hardly read them any more. It was quite a surprise to get onto Google Reader recently and realise this. I don't even have Google Reader bookmarked any more. I just don't bother with it. Occasionally I might see something of interest in my 'Must Read' feed, but that's about it.

So what's changed? It's probably a combination of things. I do a lot of online work now and perhaps I just don't want to stare at a screen any more than I have to each day.

It could be that the novelty's gone too. It was amazing - actually, for me, life-changing is not an exaggeration - when I wrote my first post, subscribed to my blog on Google Reader, and saw my post come through. I could have been on the other side of the world and still have read it. And I loved that I could read other people who were 'getting it' too.

Or maybe everyone has run out of things to say? That's probably unfair. But I do think the issues around blogging have all been discussed many, many times now and the engagement just isn't there any more. I hardly get any comments any more. My blog stats have remained pretty much level over the past year. Unless I do something radical, that's not going to change. So perhaps other people don't read blogs either any more?

Or is it that the 'new kids' on the block really have taken over? Maybe it really is more immersive/rewarding/accessible to tweet several times a day rather than blog once? Or to share thoughts, videos and pictures with friends rather than analysis with peers?

There is still a place for blogging. Organisations can do very well by putting their people out there and presenting a human face, and increasing their search engine attractiveness, day by day, post by post. I'd still argue there's very little to lose if a company wants to blog, providing they can spare the time to do it.

But... meh. I'm trying to think of a nice way to round this post off. I usually do the thesis, antithesis, synthesis thing and end on a crescendo. But right now, it's more diminuendo from me I'm afraid.

Posted via email from Brendan Cooper – your friendly social media-savvy freelance copywriter and social media consultant.