The Future of Blogging (6 trends happening right now)
The future of blogging is happening right now – new trends and changes abound. And many questions remain.
But with great change comes great opportunities.
Blogging isn’t going anywhere. Things are just getting refined and evolving, which is pretty normal and right on pace with how things work.
I mean, the state of the blog (of everything) has always been in flux. It’s a dynamic game, naturally.
So this post highlights the key blog trends I’m personally watching and adopting.
Let’s get to it.
Table of Contents Show
Hey there, just a heads up that some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. That means I earn a small commission. This is at no extra cost to you, but helps me keep the lights on. Thank you for your support!
6 Trends Shaping the Future of Blogging
Blogging isn’t just writing and publishing articles.
I mean, that’s the main thing, but there’s a lot more going on – especially recently.
So here are my predictions for the future of blogging.
1. More AI
Will AI replace blogging? Nah.
It’s been said many times by many people, but it bears repeating:
“AI won’t replace you – but someone using AI probably will.”
I’m sure there’ll be caveats and exceptions to this dogma, but I think it’s a pretty solid idea (for now, at least).
AI is a recurring theme in this post, because it’s already had such a big impact on the blogosphere.
Ever since ChatGPT hit the scene in November 2022, it’s been top of mind for pretty much every copywriter and content creator out there.
There are tons of new tools and strategies speeding up blog workflows, improving writing and making things way easier.
So I see this AI blogging revolution as a positive thing. Besides, 100%-written AI is already a faux pas.
Adding your own voice, spin and experience into the mix is the blog mantra of the year (more on this later though).
So if you’re psyched about AI’s role in blogging, here are a few tools that I’m currently loving:
Scalenut
This is a one-stop shop for bloggers
They have it all – keyword planning, content optimization, SEO writing, etc.
Learn more about Scalenut here
Custom AI Chatbots
You can now turn your blog content into a custom AI chatbot – pretty sweet
Some examples include Dante, Astral and HelpHub by CommandBar
ChatGPT (naturally…)
Perfect for brainstorming, outlining and getting over writer’s block
Scalenut is a an AI powerhouse for bloggers. Discover keywords, create outlines, boost traffic…and so much more.
2. More Social Blogging
Blogging is expanding in new and exciting ways. A big part of that change is social.
I see blogging becoming more “hybrid”, with added emphasis on social assets.
This isn’t terribly new, it’s been a long time coming.
First came blogs. Then vlogs. Then social media and podcasts…and now everything is converging – and becoming increasingly hybrid.
Everything is becoming social.
Here are some examples:
More social blogging
I’ve been seeing more text-based IG carousel posts (acting as sort of mini social blogs)
Long-form threads on Twitter and Threads are also like mini blogs
More people are using places like TikTok and Instagram to search for answers and content (i.e., not using Google)
Social SEO is replacing dated hashtag strategies
More social media elements in blogging
More interactive blogging could include in-post commenting or options to share certain snippets of a post (Medium already does this)
Who knows, search engine results pages (SERPs) could even start looking more like home feeds, with ranked pages including social stats such as post likes
More blog consumption options (all in one place)
Blogs are more than just words, and this’ll be more apparent in the future
So rather than just words, I predict future blogs will increasingly offer all forms (video, audio, reading and social)
Future blogs may give readers the option to read, listen, watch or engage (all in one place)
3. Dynamic Content
This prediction is more of a personal curiosity of mine.
But imagine a future blog world where content could change based on who’s reading it?
A single post could include various versions, adaptable writing tones and customized formatting (such as bionic reading).
Blogs could have multiple versions, based on the reader’s preferences, relationship to the website and skill level.
Of course, AI would probably play a key role here.
But we already have things like dynamic email campaigns and ads. So why not blogging?
Again, this may just be my brain flying through the clouds with potentially out-there ideas.
But still, it’s fun to wonder…
4. More Relationship-Building + Experience-Based Content
Anyone can easily prompt an AI to spit out a 1,000-word article on whatever topic they’d like.
Of course, the better the prompting skills, the better the post will be. But, the output tends to be pretty generic (as things stand).
So personal experience and building relationships is the new gold standard in blogging.
Even Google’s addition of Experience to its E-E-A-T guidelines supports this idea.
As we move into an AI-driven, knowledge-at-scale world, the thing that will separate your blog from others is your unique experiences and voice.
Because anyone can create a general article on “blogging best practices” (for example).
But only you can create an article on “my blogging best practices as a ___ living in ___ with a ___”.
It is in my humblest opinion that highly-specific, relationship-building and experience-based blogs will be the top-performing content in the future.
(this is already the case)
5. New Rules of Engagement
Above, I briefly mentioned how future blog readers could enjoy features like sharing specific snippets of a blog, in-post commenting and bionic reading functionality.
Well this all ties back to modern blog engagement. And there’s more.
Personalized AI-driven chatbots is another way I see engagement evolving.
Anyone can already train a chatbot and turn their blog posts (or whole website) into a personalized, custom chatbot for readers.
So in the future, I see this becoming more commonplace. Because gone are the days of generic robot answers.
Newer chatbots can embody the unique voice and knowledge of a blog’s owner (which is really like putting yourself in two places at once – so, say hello to blog productivity!).
Future blogs could also boost engagement by incorporating things like AI-driven quizzes or custom “homework” for readers to test their knowledge and apply the information.
Readers could also have options to start or hop into blog “discussion boards”, which could be sprinkled throughout a post to expand on certain topics or ideas.
Suffice to say, we’re just scratching the surface for what future blog engagement could look like.
What do you think – how will future blog engagement look? (let me know in the comments!)
6. Conversational SEO + Content
Content, how we optimize for it and how users search for stuff is becoming more and more conversational.
So this is my last prediction on the future of blogging.
From emotional hooks to how people type their searches into Google, conversational content will be a primary driving factor in blog performance.
For example, search engine queries will become more like AI prompts (Google and Bing already rolled out their versions of this).
And this level of AI search functionality means SEO will need to adapt to NLMs (natural language models).
Although I think keywords will stay important, there’ll probably be more emphasis on writing for voice-based, natural language type of dialogue.
How I’m Future-Proofing My Blog (7 tips)
Blogging isn’t going anywhere. It’s just evolving.
So here’s how I’m staying ahead of things.
Build Personal Brand
Whatever new tech, trend or disruption comes our way, nothing can replace a personal brand.
That’s why I’m starting to focus more heavily on this.
A personal brand is how you stand out. It’s the distinct value, characteristics and perception you give. It’s your (digital) reputation and image.
It’s not something you can build overnight (far from it), but it’s something that’ll stay with you forever.
I’m still learning about building a personal brand myself, but I know it’s important. So here’s a short video to start your own rabbit hole from.
Leverage Your Unique Experiences
Again, experience is going to drive the future of blogging and content creation.
(it’s also going to be foundational to your personal brand)
So the best advice I can give (i.e., what I’m doing) is to practice what you preach and become your audience.
Everything I write about and share comes from real, genuine experience. I never give tips on something I haven’t tested myself.
Using your unique experiences creates the most authentic content.
Whether you’re sharing your journey to becoming an expert, or sharing your existing expert solutions to problems, future blogs will be experience-centric.
So lean into your uniqueness – however limited, awkward or chaotic it may feel.
Stay Informed + Test New Things
The best way to future-proof your blog is to stay informed of (and adapt to) new tech, trends and changes.
The best way I’ve found to stay informed is through newsletters. For example, I subscribe to The Rundown for all things AI, and I love it.
I also spend a lot of time researching and reading articles from industry leaders.
Through my readings and research, I’m always in the loop with news, tools and trends.
I know what’s important and I discover ways to speed up my workflow and blogging efficiency.
For example, I’m currently exploring how I can use Scalenut to better optimize my blog and workflow.
Play the Long Game
Having a personal blog is an asset that takes time and consistency.
But time and consistency can weather any trend or short-term disruption.
For me, I treat my blog like an investment in the stock market. With each post I publish, it’s like I’m dollar-cost averaging into a long-term position with high returns.
Because with consistency (and staying on top of important trends), just imagine where your blog will be in 5 years – or 10 years…20 years…
Blogging has always been a long game. But now more than ever does this matter.
A great way to future proof your blog is to keep your expectations and goals in the long-term.
Short-term gains (like telling AI to write you 100 generic articles) have a short shelf life.
Find Ways to Work Smarter
With new technology comes new expectations.
As modern (and future) bloggers, we’ll be expected to do more in less time (if we want to stay competitive).
So we need to find ways to work smarter and better manage time.
This circles back to the tip above on testing new technologies like AI, but now we’re adding some specific intention to the mix.
Running a blog means you’re running a business. You’re wearing many hats and many parts are moving.
Luckily, more and more tools are available to help us streamline things.
So here are a few quick tips (in the form of questions) to start working smarter as a blogger:
What actions have the biggest impact? (80% of results come from 20% of actions)
What blog tasks are most urgent and which are least? (automate, delegate or delete the least important things)
Do you have a repeatable content schedule, workflow and blogging paradigm? (create a system and structure to follow)
Focus On Building Relationships With Your Readers
AI won’t replace human relationships (well, at least not for our purposes here).
There’s a reason reviews, social proof and word-of-mouth marketing work so well. Because they create trust and security (that what you’re buying or consuming is valid).
It’s based on relationships.
We tend to trust, listen to and consume information from people we trust or feel closest to.
Again, this tip circles back to the value of building a personal brand.
So here’s how I’m planning on building relationships with my readers:
Start and/or prioritize a newsletter
Involve them in the content and/or journey (e.g., user-generated content)
Respond and engage quickly in the comments
Seek feedback and regularly ask readers what they want or don’t want
Cultivate the Right Mindset
One core theme of my blog is the importance of mindset. So it seems appropriate to end there (end here?).
Whatever ultimately happens with the future of blogging, the right mindset will be needed.
Having a growth mindset in particular will ensure you don’t shy away from disruptive technologies or challenges.
Because the ability to reframe change as opportunity is an awesome skill (as is patience and belief in your blog).
So practice cultivating a successful blogger’s mindset.
Because it’s more important than any new tool or growth hack.
Want More? Check Out These Sweet Reads!
