Once upon a time, if you wanted to be inspired, look at beautiful things, and view curated collections of awesome, you went to read a blog.
Now? Perhaps not so much.
With the rise of Pinterest, and, to a lesser extent, Instagram and Tumblr, the places we go to bask in visual beauty have shifted.
I rarely log onto my Google Reader to check new blog posts – I kinda rely on seeing links on FB and twitter… and links on Pinterest, too!
Why is this? Is it because Pinterest is so much quicker and easier than scanning through all those blog posts? Is it the endless time-poor feeling that we seem to be drowning in these days?
I know my first port of call whenever I want to chill out and ride the visual party wave is Pinterest. Rarely does a day go by that I don’t scroll down the endless screen, re-pin, pin new things, and – most importantly to me – use Pinterest as a blogging tool.
However… it’s also made me re-think the way I blog – and I have a feeling that I might not be the only one.
Successful and beautiful blogs such as swissmiss and Design for Mankind come to mind as the type of blog that may soon become obsolete in the wake of Pinterest. They have multiple short posts each day, sharing curated content with short commentary. I do the same here with my ‘Today I Like‘ posts, and so do many other bloggers, in their own way.
But are these sorts of posts enough any more?
Are they enough to keep an audience engaged and – more importantly – to keep new people coming to the site?
What makes us more likely to visit a design blog – which is the curated content of one or a small number of people – than Pinterest, which is brimming with endless inspiration and beauty that you yourself have curated yourself over time – by following people whose tastes you share.
Or, is it precisely because design blogs are a singular (or very limited) voice that we read and visit them still?
Have you noticed your internet habits changing due to Pinterest?Â
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Interesting point Jess! I find smaller posts easier to catch up and read but that’s not because of pinterest of tumblr (which I like and find complementing to blogging and not an ‘enemy’). Internet is based upon speed and scrolling down a page to read and see lots and lots of images on one post may take more time that desired.
I’m not sure what’s best though.. I still do big post on My Paradissi along with smaller ones!
xoxo
so much food for thought! And while yes, new ways of collecting have been added to our repertoire, I think it is just that – part of the repertoire. I certainly still like to take the time to actually find out a little more about the people and the processes behind the things – the ideas of others are still vital in how we learn to move forward.
I’m kind of reminded of the classic furore when photography ‘threatened’ to replace painting as a form of recording images, and that was in the mid 1800s.
I almost always read blogs before I visit pinterest. However, I do notice that the types of blogs I read are evolving a little bit, possibly because of pinterest. I really like blogs where I can see new ideas and projects. If someone just puts several pictures with links, I don’t tend to spend as much time there. Probably b/c I can find that and so much more at pinterest.
Pinterest has brought me to many different blogs. I wouldn’t have found your blog without it. I read my Google Reader everyday BEFORE Pinterest. Perhaps it is helping weed out blogs that aren’t that interesting. There are millions of blogs and if Pinterest turns me on to some good ones, great, I love it. Sites that don’t let me post a reminder to my Pinterest boards are not going to be my favs for long. I do review my boards and then link back to the blog through the pictures I’ve found interesting. If I see it’s an interesting blog I link it by RSS and read each new post. Win win for me.
An interesting post Jess! I don’t think Pinterest, Instagram or any of the other social sharing sites will replace design blogs. They all have their own unique draw cards and complement each other. A lot of content on Pinterest and Tumblr wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t already featured on a design blog.
I do love that I can find new blogs via Pinterest and Tumblr, and I’ve definitely noticed some changes in the way people blog to try and make their posts more pin friendly too… which I think is great.
Pinterest is too busy for me, and so I am getting tired of it already. I don’t think it will replace the blogs. It has a different purpose and is a different tool. Its a bit like looking at a glossy magazine that has lots of great inspiring pictures but you still need the in depth info to learn about your subect matter ie how others live, love and do. Thats my two bob’s worth.
cheers
I love the quiet peace at pinterest. However I can’t access it from my day job PC. I like scrolling through my blog list. I don’t think I would pick one over the other. They compliment each other. If a blog is purely curated content, then yes it’s appeal might be less over time. I often find curators to be great at introducing you into a world you might not have otherwise have found. However it seems odd to me, almost lazy. I guess I soon get bored with curators, it’s not original content. All they did was find it and share it. If it’s an expression of your taste, and simply a way to share your personality then that is different. I just wonder if bloggers use it as filler to meet a daily post requirement.
Pinterest scares me! Knowing what I do about copyright laws, I never pin any more. and going on there every day and looking at the sheer amount of awesomeness, I felt like I couldn’t keep up and was overwhelmed with the rad things I wanted to make and do. sometimes I sneak on and soak it up, but I was like an addict at the start! I love blogs though. always will 🙂
im addicted to Pinterest and must admit its the first thing I go to each morning so yes, my blog reading time has been limited. I still enjoy blogging but have seen a drop in my commments but that wont stop me from blogging – i love it!
I do think serious bloggers still have their readers and community but maybe not as many commenters? not sure…i must admit though that Pinterest is killing my creativity – is it visual overload? scattered mind…i think i need some time out from it to get my creative mojo back.
very interesting post Jess…..
I like ALL of the above.
Instagram however, is my latest obsession at the moment…
p.s. I forgot to say if I find a pic I like on Pinterest I almost always follow the link to see whee it came from and love that I can discover new blogs that way!
Blogs are still the best overall!