A look at the food blogging community, then and now. It's changed substantially since the early days in 2005-2009. Can we ever go back?
When I first started blogging about food in 2005, the landscape of blogging was so different. There weren't Facebook groups chatting about monetization or courses for learning about analytics. We weren't strategizing about target audiences and writing media kits for potential sponsors.
There was just writing, food and the occasional picture. It was simple and unadulterated. It was an earnest community built by people who truly loved food, loved cooking and loved sharing it. We talked about our families on our blogs because in real life food and family go hand in hand.
Where did that go?
I fell down a rabbit hole on a recent evening and started thinking about this. The blogosphere felt like a more personal place then. When we corresponded with each other, it was about recipes, ingredients and our actual lives. I remember meeting Elise Bauer of Simply Recipes at a food conference one year. We were both so excited to meet in person because we'd been reading each other's blogs for years and years.
These days, when I attend blogger events, it's all hosting and social media hacks and business talk. That's fine -- I mean, I've run SCB like a business for years. But what's been lost it seems is that personal connection ... the part where bloggers read other bloggers just because they liked their voices, recipes and styles.
That evening, while down the rabbit hole, I came across some posts I'd shared as part of the Weekend Herb Blogging event back then -- it was a weekly blogging shindig where food bloggers would write about different herbs, share their posts with Kalyn from Kalyn's Kitchen and she'd do a roundup of all the great recipes and tips available around the web that were part of the event. It was organically built around the idea that we could educate ourselves and readers about how to use different herbs so they'd use them more.
It was one of the first blogging "events" of its kind, but certainly not the last. There was also one devoted to antioxidant-rich foods run by Sweetnicks, the Dark Days Eat Local Challenge, various other weekend events and more. And they were interesting -- you could literally click through and find all these posts that were created around the same interests you had whether it was dogs, cats, veggies, herbs, desserts or something else. There also seemed to be a greater transparency then when blogs worked together. We didn't need secret groups to promote each other's work, we did so in the open.
But then again, those were the days before ads on food blogs, before sponsored posts were a thing, before food blogging advanced from labor of love to career. There weren't marketers wanting to know about the number of unique visitors you had on a post or how many comments you receive on average.
There was such a sense of camaraderie. Kalyn and Cate read my blog, and I read their blogs -- not because we wanted something out of it, but because we respected each other and each enjoyed the other's work. In fact, that was true of so many bloggers back then. I read so many blogs just because I liked them. We weren't building community around our blogs, we were writing. We weren't discussing monetization, we were talking food and cooking.
It was a good time to be a writer because there was such a lovely, supportive, international community to be part of.
But then things changed. As it does, money transformed the blog world from a quiet, fun garden party to raucous weekend festival. The food blogosphere isn't just made of folks who genuinely love cooking anymore -- it's filled with an array of people. Some love it for the reasons it grew back then, but others are here for a different kind of community or just for the business of it or even just for the perceived chance of making big bucks.
Maybe I'm one to talk. I make money via SCB. It's helped me supplement my income for years, giving my kids the best life I can. There's nothing wrong with monetizing ... only something wrong with it being the sole reason for blogging at all.
That's not to say that all bloggers are doing that. The community still exists. It just doesn't feel so front and center anymore. Or maybe I am just not as active a part of it. I don't know. But I do know that if I am to continue writing here, I need to reconnect with the great writers of the food blogosphere. I want to feel that camaraderie again.
For me, this means a few things. I am accepting fewer sponsored posts these days. For awhile, I accepted a lot. The programs were interesting and fun, and having that income boost was awesome. But I want to hone in on the brands and organizations I have the most affinity for, and leave plenty of room for me to write what I want, when I want. I want there to be more food, more books, more travel. Those are the things I love writing about. It also means that I am going to work on rediscovering my voice. I've felt so constrained lately, like I wasn't quite able to write. This blog post, these thoughts, are a good step in the right direction. And it means trying new things ... like a video series I've wanted to do forever.
Goodness, it's been so long since I talked about blogging on this blog. And maybe that's part of the problem. In trying to built something people want to read, I lost site of what this is ... it's my blog. It's about the food we really eat and the books I really read and the trips we really take. It's about the shortcuts to a good life that let us live well even when we're short on time or cash. And it's blogs like this that I want to read.
Maybe the blog parties of 10 years ago are too much for the modern blogosphere, but I would love to see them come back. Maybe some modern take on the Weekend Herb Blogging style of event would be the right step toward a friendlier, more people-focused food blogosphere. It seems like it could be fun too ...
I want to hear what you think. What are the blogs worth reading these days? What are the voices that you connect with? And would something like those blog parties work today? Would you, as a reader, be interested in seeing how other blogs are cooking with seasonal veggies or herbs or whatever?
Share with me. And if I am 100 percent off base, tell me that too ... nicely though. This is a friendly space.
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In case you're curious about that video series ...
I'm with you on this. It's part of why I stepped back 6 months ago and have had such a hard time getting back into it. Because it simply isn't what it was in 2010 when I began. I miss the personal connections. I miss getting to know each other. I miss the life part of it. And that really has to be a part of it to make it worthwhile. I'm so glad you articulated what I had been thinking. It isn't the same. But it isn't too late, either.
I hope you're right that it's not too late. And maybe it starts with us ... the food blogosphere has evolved and changed and developed again and again over the years. Maybe it's time for a new back to basics revolution?
If not us, who? If not now, when? 🙂
You are so right!
Hi Sarah,
I agree so much with what you're saying here. I miss that time of comaraderie (the perfect word) and being curious about what fellow bloggers were doing. Now it feels very competitive. Not that bloggers don't support each other, but it's different.
I'm not sure we can ever go back. And that makes me sad.
I hope there's a middle ground -- where the camaraderie and business can both exist. Maybe I am rosy eyed, but I miss it.
I definitely miss the community of blogging - although I've never run my blog like a business, so maybe I'm stuck in the past!
I love that you still blog the way you blog ... it's refreshing.
I so hear you Sarah. I have been writing my blog just like Kate. Never did it for money or fame. It was always for the love of writing and maintaining a log.
I am not regular, but I still do it the same way I did in 2007.
I do not know a lot of people in the blog world and I like it that way. I love being in the 'Past'
Loved reading your article and it sure hit a cord.
Thank you, Samta. I loved reading your perspective on this.
I am grateful to have met the food writers back when I joined Twitter. I had been writing for a long time but did not know where other like-minded people where, and with that platform I found my tribe. That said, Twitter has turned into a relentless advertising and political platform, the conversations have ended. Most I know have migrated to Facebook. The blogging went from a relevant and connected community to one of dogged self promotion, promoted posts that felt hollow, or a small paragraph and a recipe with beautiful photos. I value and treasure the friends I have made blogging, and feel like most of the writers have either moved onto writing cookbooks, promoting them, and touring them (which I support), or have stopped blogging all together. I miss the "good old days" and am myself part of the lapsed crowd. It seems oversaturated now and no one is listening.
I remember those days on Twitter -- it was such a magical place where connecting with other likeminded people for actual conversation was everything. It has shifted so much ... I am seeing the conversation a little more these days, but mostly because I've found a new, different, local tribe there. The days when food editors chatted dinner with the rest of us in food seem to be long gone, sadly.
Were you inside my head? I've felt this way for a long while but the truth is I was blogging long before most and I'll continue long after others burn out because I refuse to make it about hits and keep on task with my original purpose...simply sharing what I make with others. I do that in real life and blogging and sharing online is simply an extension of that real life role I play.
While it is my business, I just simply cannot compete with those that work full-time in promotion. I want to promote those posts I love, not those that I have to in order to satisfy tit for tat. I want to work on something that strikes my fancy, not read a trend report and create something I'm not inspired about but assume others will like. Ugh...for me that sounds awful...I would have quit long ago!
So to your question about groups? I run a group that posts once a month called Progressive Eats. Each month one of our members serves as a host and decides on the theme and we make a dish to share as if we were all participating in a Progressive Dinner; serving everything from cocktails to dessert. While I would love to add a few more people, most that I've heard from want to build their stats and you can imagine...that sort of rubs me the wrong way! I want a sense of community; of people who enjoy the process of cooking. While we do share our posts with others, that was never my original intent for starting a group and having like-minded members has been important.
I also just did my first post for a new baking group; sort of a new version of the Daring Bakers group that was so successful for so long. We will be challenged in that group and for me that is the part of this journey that I love the most; making something new and maybe a bit complicated and stretching what I know.
The real truth for me Sarah is that food and the sharing and culture of food will always be tantamount. I make a living blogging but it's been a long slow haul because I sidestepped a lot of the things people do today to make their blogs big. We're still out there...you are not alone! 🙂
Thank you, Barb. You bring up so many good points. It goes without saying that I definitely lost my way with blogging for awhile, rolling with the changes and trying to shift to something ... And I am so glad to hear that the community I knew then still exists today ... just maybe not where I have been looking.
I am so very grateful to hear this from those blogging way longer than I. I feel like I am being pushed and pulled into a realm I never wanted to enter....peer pressure at 60? I started to lose my way and have become so confused by the pressure of stats, ever changing social media and the "need" to do this or that to gain followers whether true or not. I shall continue to resist and just do what I do...a labor of love and hope for the best. Another moment when I am glad that I am not alone. Thank you. <3
I feel you. This was a big part of why I took a step back from the blogging community and eventually quit my blog. When I first started blogging I was just a few years out of school. I was lonely and looking for a way to connect with others and document my love of food. In the early years I got so much out of it. I met great people. I became a better cook and picked up a love of photography. But as the tide toward monetization came along I got swept up with it, even though it was never my ingoing goal. I felt the pressure to make things look more and more professional. Conversations became less and less about the food or the friendships and more about audience #'s ads, and money. I remember a blogger I had really liked and respected basically laughing in my face when I told him I didn't want to make my blog my career. I wish I could have the courage to keep going on my own for my own reasons. I still keep my blog online because I can't say with 100% certainty that I will never come back to it, especially since I do think I was a more creative cook when I had the blog as my outlet than I might otherwise be. But I also think that for the blog to be truly cathartic I'd have to put more of myself out there on it, emotionally and I'm just not sure that makes the most sense in my career. I've also thought about starting a new blog and taking it in a different direction since I'm very passionate about mindfulness and meditation, but then I remember how I felt at the end of blogging and I just stick with a personal paper journal.
It makes me sad that bloggers like you have decided to stop blogging. But I understand.
I'm one of the bloggers who gave up because of what you're sharing here. My blog(s) still exist and I get the urge to write something from time to time, but it's more for myself than anyone else. I still read certain blogs, but unless I'm subscribed by email, that isn't regularly. One of the problems is that Facebook chooses what I see, so even if I'm dialed into a food blog there, it rarely shows up--if ever. I am attracted to blogs that feel pleasant when I show up. They look as if someone cares about them. Although the ads are sometimes annoying, I understand why they're there and would never fault anyone for having them. I did once upon a time. What truly attracts me and keeps me returning is the writer. That voice, the personalization of what's being shared. The photography is a close second. The perk is a good recipe I'm tempted to try. The sad thing about what I've just said is that when I google a particular recipe, that isn't usually what pops up in the search. Everything SEO is what pops up and it often lacks what matters to me. I remember you were one of the few I discovered early on (maybe 2008?). Things definitely have changed since them.
It really is hard to easily keep up with blogs these days, isn't it? I tried using BlogLovin ... but it doesn't quite do what I want it to so I haven't consistently used it.
I am so with you on this! And you were the first blog I discovered and still one of my favorites. I think it's fine to make a profit off blogs because it's a lot of hard work, but some people take it too far. (Ex. referring someone to likeittoknow instead of just saying what color NAIL POLISH you're wearing).
Maybe you can do a back-to-basics series or a link up. 😉
Tonia, that doesn't appeal to me either. I love the idea of a back to basics series ... or an old school blogging series or some such.
Just what I have always known---some will sell their souls for cash and goodies and some already know it isn't worth it. I have been at a crossroads with my blog and you pretty much confirmed that I should just keep doing what I am doing. Being sucked in to the social media advertising business was never my intention and suddenly I feel free. It was never meant to be a job that sucks the life out. Thank you.
Yes you should Lisa. Keep doing what you're doing. I admire how you have been doing this as long as you have and have stayed true so true to yourself.
If blogger perks come along, enjoy them! You are inspiring and connecting and as a result, helping others heal and I think that's exactly what you were meant to do.
Maris you have always been my biggest cheerleader and influence. I remind myself constantly that "free applesauce doesn't pay the bills" and that blogging is hard work and a job for many, but not for me. The blog has provided and surprised me with so many authentic blessings. I am every grateful for all these great ladies you have now introduced me to here.
Yes, Lisa! Keep doing what you're doing, how you want to do it.
I stepped back a few years ago. Went back to what they are calling the slow blogging movement or the blogging world I knew back when I started in 2005 as well.
I still have ads, basically to pay for my host. I only work with a few of my favorite companies with a handful of sponsored post a year. I was never crushing it in the money department so it wasn't a big hit.
But I realized it was not why I started or what I wanted.
I would freak out if I didn't post something three times a week. I lived on social media and panicked that I was not on the up and coming latest and greatest form of it.
Now I only do the social media platforms I enjoy. I haven't gotten into video because it's of no interest to me. I haven't blogged for five weeks because we bought a fixer upper house and were fixing it up and moving over...I probably won't blog for another week or so. And it feels great to not be bogged down by that.
I was one of the original 5 Daring Bakers...until it morphed into the juggernaut that it became.
I miss the old days of food blogging, you ar not alone.
Thank you. It means a lot to know I'm not alone in missing the old days. Congrats on the new house! I've loved following your progress on FB 🙂
I feel sad too, but I have lost my inspiration to blog any more, as have most of my blogging friends. Six or seven of us here in San Diego bonded through a monthly writing group - I miss that too.These days, I volunteer 3-4 mornings in a local kindergarten and teach cooking every other Thursday. The kids love to cook -
That writing group sounds like it must have been wonderful. I've always wanted to be part of an in-person writing group ... That's awesome that you're volunteering and teaching cooking!
You are definitely not alone. This is something that has baffled me for a while and I really miss that sense of community that we all had way back when. Now - I see so much online and wonder where did the community aspect go? When did we stop sharing things just because and not just for a click? Don't get me wrong - I am thankful I am able to earn a living doing what I love but I do miss the old days of food blogging and I'm grateful for all I learned way back when. I have made some purposeful decisions regarding my blog going forward and will hope that eventually that the tides will turn and that perhaps the community aspect will return in some form or another.
I am also grateful for the income blogging has brought me. And like you, I do really hope that the community will return. It was such a powerful force in my life back then.
I was just having a conversation with another blogger recently about how with social media, lives have all become a reality show. We know so much more about everyone than we ever did, but we really don't KNOW anyone.
I sound like my grandpa when I say "back in the day" but it really feels like such a different time, a different era if you will. I miss it. I can't get behind the way blogging is today - comments aren't authentic. It's tit for tat. It's all about bigger, better and more. Which is great, but not for me.
I'm not sure where things stand with my blog but I don't for a minute regret ever starting it. Some of my closest friends I met through blogging 10+ years ago and for that I'm forever grateful!
You make several good points ... with social media in particular, yes, we see more, but it's in such a different way and it doesn't make us know each other more. Also, with regards to comments: At first, I loved the commenting groups because it guaranteed that I was reading blogs pretty much every day. But you nailed it with the "tit for tat" -- that's exactly that it felt like. So, I stopped (and started again and then stopped for good) ... It just didn't feel right for me.
Sarah, thanks for getting this discussion started! I agree with you and it's nice to see how many others do too.
Thank you, Maris. It's been an amazing day following the discussion here and on your FB post. It's really heartening to know I'm not alone in feeling this way.
I miss GOOGLE READER! It was such an easy way to see who had updated and pop in to read and comment on your friend's blogs. I feel like I don't have time to "visit" blogs with all it takes to keep up a blog these days. I miss the old days, though I'm grateful for the friends I made back in the day that are truly my best friends today!
I am trying to remember what the reader I used was, but I loved it. It was such a great way to keep track of blogs. I haven't found anything newer that compares, sadly.
Lori, I miss that too! I know that Bloglovin took it's place, but it's not the same!
When I lost google reader, I lost the connection I had to other bloggers' posts. That, coupled with the changing environment in food blogging and the advent of quick paced social media were leading factors in the evolution. I, too, miss the early days of friendly chatter, support, food challenges, Foodie Blogroll and FoodBuzz!!