Why Twitter Is Killing Blogs And That’s Not A Good Thing
I like Twitter. I joined Twitter in early 2007, quit using it after a few weeks, and then wrote about getting interested again. I’m glad to see the recognition it’s getting from traditional media today. I’m glad to see the conversations that arise as a result. I’m thrilled at the way Twitter and other social media pushes on a lot of assumptions about doing business. These are all good things.
There is, however, one thing that irks me about Twitter. Actually, it’s more like I’m irked by something that’s happened as a result of Twitter. It’s the decline of well developed ideas on blogs because social media energy is being spent on Twitter rather than on blogs.
I’ve heard a lot of conversations from casual bloggers to A-list bloggers talk about how they blog less because they have Twitter now. On more than one occasion I’ve heard them say they feel like Twitter replaces their urge to create good content. I get that. I can see how that happened. I also don’t think this is a good thing.
Why Twitter Won’t Replace Blogs (Even If It Kills Them)
One of the things I like about blogs is the opportunity for someone to flesh out an entire idea. I think this benefits both the blogger and the reader. The blogger learns a lot about what he/she thinks as they write the post and the reader gets the benefit of gaining someone’s perspective. For the blogger, the very acts of the writing and thinking processes and taking the time to bring a complete idea to fruition is like mental exercise. It’s hard at first but you get better at it the more you do it.
Twitter doesn’t do that. It doesn’t give a writer the space to really flesh out an idea. It doesn’t force you to think too much. You don’t have to be clear. It doesn’t give a reader anything for them to grasp onto beyond a single thought that likely requires more explanation. Twitter wasn’t meant to do that. On Twitter you’re a faint voice among thousands when you try to use it as a user-generated content platform. Twitter is excellent at conversation, personal engagement, and cultural trends, but it stinks at well-developed ideas. Unfortunately some good bloggers are choosing to allow Twitter to replace their blogging. Please don’t do this if you’re a blogger. You’ll regret it.
The Benefits of Blogging on the Blogger
I personally can attest to the individual benefits of blogging on my own professional thinking and development. I fully believe I’m able to articulate many of the things I get paid to talk about today because of blogging. I can’t imagine what I might be lacking without blogging. Seth Godin and Tom Peters seem to agree.
The bottom line is this: Don’t drop Twitter or blogging. Just recognize where each is strong and weak. In the same way a blog doesn’t connect you like Twitter does, Twitter doen’t allow you the benefits of blogging. Blogging is a great marketing tool because it allows people to recognize whether you know what you’re talking about or not. They interview you without you ever knowing it. They make decisions about whether to hire you, use your product, visit your restaurant, or request your services. Twitter almost never works like that. You need both. Just be sure you understand their roles, strengths, and functions.
Tags: blogging, blogging best practice, blogging vs Twitter, twitter, Twitter mainstream
June 9th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
I totally agree. Depth is not part of twitter. I’ve been on it for awhile and I almost quit but now I’m just changing how I use it. I don’t blog that much though I think I’m going to get back into it. When I do link to one of my blogs for someone else on Twitter or read someone else’s I realize how much I miss depth. Nice article - not just because I agree but because it has some depth.
June 9th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
While Twitter encourages ADD, it doesn’t have to be an ‘either or’ scenario. Twitter conversations lead people to blog posts, articles, youtube videos, landing pages for email opt-ins or whatever else you want. Think about all these sites as little tentacles leading back to your own website where you provide content, sell stuff, give away free music or whatever.
June 9th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Twitter hasn’t and isn’t going to kill blogs. If anything, it should make them more popular. I’m not sure who the people are that you’re referring to, but for myself and nearly everyone I talk to on Twitter, there’s been a notable upsurge in the variety of blogs being read. I have at least 5 in the last few months that I now check and read regularly based on referrals from other Twitter users.
If anyone is abandoning their blogs in favor of Twitter, I think they’re injecting their particular opinion on what it’s doing to blogs and doesn’t really reflect Twitter users on the whole.
As for ‘depth not being part of Twitter’, I’m sorry, but that’s dosh. Posts on Twitter are just glimpses of a deeper well. It’s the surface of a lake - you just have to dive in to get to the ‘depths’.
June 10th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Scott, thanks for the comment.
Will, I agree wholeheartedly that Twitter leads people to blog posts, articles, etc. I use it for that purpose like so many other people do. What I’m arguing here is not so much the way Twitter’s used on Twitter, but that it seems be a replacement for blogging by some people and that it’s not a suitable replacement.
KC, one of the people I was referring to was Steve Rubel who blogs at http://MicroPersuasion.com. He’s been one of the A-list bloggers for several years who has admitted to pulling back significantly on his blogging because of Twitter. He was one of the people I was thinking of.
June 11th, 2009 at 8:02 am
[...] Why Twitter Is Killing Blogs And That’s Not A Good Thing [...]
June 11th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
[...] guess it started with Bill Seaver, who suggested that Twitter is leading to a decline in well-thought ideas in [...]