You’d be surprised how often I get asked this kind of question. Here’s the short answer: NO! It’s actually a great time to be blogging, even if you’re just starting.

I’m excited to tell you why—I’m really passionate about this subject!

The internet isn’t dead. In fact, more than ever, the internet is where people turn for both information and inspiration. It’s estimated that Google processes over 8.5 billion searches a day (!!!!!!!). It could be your blog that shows up in those searches, answering someone’s question.

As long as people are using the internet, searching websites for answers to common questions, everyday dilemmas, or needing inspiration for their lives.

They could be looking for inspiration about a home renovation, what winter coat to buy, or maybe they want to change up their hairstyle, etc.) Blogging continues to have a place in the world.

People (now more than ever) actually know what blogs are. There’s less of a barrier to get people to read your blog. Back when we first started blogging, people did not always recognize this type of site as a source of information they felt was legitimate.

I think this sentiment has changed. People would rather get information (like home decor advice) from an individual they like more than a corporate website. There’s more trust for bloggers than there used to be because it’s become more common and accepted over time.

There are SO MANY user friendly tools to start and maintain a blog. There are tools we only dreamed of when we started! This is, to me, the number one reason why it’s easier to start a blog now than it was before.

There are different website platforms, plugins, and whole companies of developers who are familiar with (and ready to meet) the needs of bloggers. It’s awesome! You don’t have to cobble together website features. It’s like if your first car was a Porsche instead of a go-kart.

And along with more tech-savvy tools, there’s also just more of a community and more readily available information on how to get into blogging and how to make it work for you.

Is blogging worth it?

Monetizing strategies exist for the community, so you don’t have to build your own model. You can monetize a blog many different ways, but there are so many more readily available options than when blogging first started.

At A Beautiful Mess we monetize mainly through four ways:

• CPM-based ads (the ads you see in our sidebar and throughout our site in between the content)
• Sponsorships
• Affiliate marketing (like the LTK network, formerly called RewardStyle)
• Selling our own products (we’ve tried several, from T-shirts to iPhone apps)

And for each of these four ways we monetize our blog, there are SO many more tools and options available than when we started!

Is blogging still profitable?

For us, yes. Think about this: Sponsors are aware of blogging and social media. Most big companies now have an annual budget to work with influencers. That could be you!

It’s there for the taking to anyone who is consistently showing up, publishing quality work, and building their audience.

Is blogging hard?

Yes. While it’s maybe a little easier to accomplish (with the rise of so many blogger-friendly tools), it’s more competitive than ever. You have to stand out.

You can’t just post whatever little thing is on your mind with a semi-blurry photo … like some of us were guilty of doing in 2008 (raises hand sheepishly).

I think this is the big mistake that people make. It’s not that blogging is dead (it’s not), but rather it’s that blogging is more competitive and takes a lot of hard work over a long period of time.

It’s not something you can start and expect to be making an income from in the first few months. It takes time to not only get good at blogging, but also to grow your audience.

Is blogging still relevant in 2022?

Yes! It’s probably the most relevant/worth it that it’s ever been, but it’s also more competitive.

Your blog will likely not blow up overnight like it could have in the old days, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create something worth value to both yourself and your readers. xo, Emma