Is Instagram A Threat To Personal Style Blogs?
Death by Technology
'Prisoners of a fantasy world we climb, into a universe where reality ceases to exist, Boundaries are blurred, silence occurs, Slavish entertainers of technology we dance, into a merry-go-round of trends, Hypnotic gazes, vision hazes,Broken minds of addiction we crumble, into an algorithm of equations, swirled lines, mixed up signs'
Before the rise of Instagram blogs were the fastest and most reliable sources for fashion inspiration, reviews and a comprehensive outlook into the covetable wardrobe of a fashion blogger. Blogs like 'Song of Style' and 'The Blonde Salad' were at the forefront of fashion knowledge and were reaching 80 million hits per month whilst new emerging bloggers were tapping into a niche that had not been done before. But like fashion technology is recycled and re-invented thus signalling the invention of social media. Out of all the major social media platforms it is Instagram that poses the biggest threat to personal style blogs. Although 2015 has seen a growth in the amount of blogs being published it is reported that only 8% will ever tap into the top 1% of 'Super-Bloggers' whereas at its peak 23% were dominating the blogsphere. Increasingly more and more bloggers begin on Instagram before setting up a blog purely based on visual content,with little to no written content.
The reduction of content in personal style blogs is something that I am keen to avoid and anyone that is a regular reader will know that photos are simply an extension of my personal identity but it is words that truly capture my imagination. So what does the death of written content mean to those who curate personal style blogs? A possible theory that I have mulled over is that readers crave 'quick, disposable content' that can entertain them on a journey to work and a cohesive community that enables them to interact with other users which a blog does not always 'offer'. The concept of quick content means that we are buying into a consumerist lifestyle, where like fast food we crave a visual feast that will satisfy us quickly.
Instagram Feed
VS Blog Feed
Which one is easier to use?
Yet like fast food Instagram is both addictive and 'unsatisfactory'. Speaking from personal experience I rarely 'actively' seek blogs ( apart from referencing) when a quick look at their Instagram will give me the fix that I desire. Yet by scrolling through picture perfect feeds I am in constant competition with the top 1% of bloggers who can post a picture of food and get 1k likes in a minute whereas I get an average of 10 likes in a minute with 1.2 K followers. It seems hardly fair that even our social media is stratified by numbers and like a class system the battle to keep a blog open against the domination of Instagram is a war that even a seasoned professional is struggling to face.
Top Influencer Likes in 9 hours
Do I believe that Instagram will be the death of Personal Style Blogs? No I don't and that is because there is a difference between 'disposable' and 'evergreen' or 'eternal' content. Instagram is defined by pictures whereas blogs are defined by the written word, the latter being available for many decades before being disposed. On Instagram photos are constantly being replaced or deleted,disappearing from our memories before we know it.
Another point to consider is not all Instagram blogs are a 'healthy' source of inspiration, where sponsorships, brought content and followers mean that their outreach is not organic. Many 'big bloggers' have little blog engagement leading us to question whether their followers are 'brought' or organic. Even when a follower count is real it does not mean that their will be lucrative oppurtunities as likes or a large following does not equate to traffic or sales conversion. Does it not suggest that the evergreen nature of a personal style blog can mean that it will be more effective when working with bloggers and therefore most brands will be looking for an excellent blog to match the visual Instagram feed? Investing in an Instagram blogger is risky and most brands do not have the financial backing to afford a lack of engagment with their own products or brands resorting to a far more fail-safe method of targeting personal style bloggers who have a large outreach on both social media platforms but also traffic and enagement on their own blogs.
Brands also choose bloggers over IG bloggers as consumers said that blogs rank higher than Instagram for shaping their opinions and higher than Facebook for motivating purchasing decisions.
Screenshot of Site Offering Followers
Realistically looking at the evidence personal style blogs are still being used; through brands, sponsored posts and critiques of the fashion industry personal style blogs offer a comprehensive outlook into the fashion industry and correlates trends and the impact of trends in accordance to seasons far more effectively than Instagram. Therefore the impact of social media might have changed our perception of personal style but like trends will be a fad soon forgotten about in decades to come.
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What are your thoughts? Have your say in the comment box below!
Much Love Springbots xox
Location: Shoreditch
Sunglasses: Asos
Blouse: Primark
Skirt: Miss Pap
Bag: Primark
Waistcoat: B You Boutique
Heels: Public Desire