It is with pride that we declare ourselves as bloggers, isn’t it? We know the sweat, time and effort it takes to write a post, find the appropriate visual cues and then market it to reach that one reader who could benefit from your perspectives.

And being a part of a blogging community means we have access to these amazing content creators whose brains we can pick on what they think blogging will look like in 2021. So we deployed a survey in the last week of December and here are the trends you should look out for (especially while planning your blogging calendar for 2021):

#1: 83% say podcasts is the next big thing

Text and video may have become synonymous but 83% of our bloggers believe that podcasts is the content form that will grow in 2021. We have been saying all through 2020 how podcast can become an excellent addition to your blog, if a channel feels like too much work, in the form of voice notes. Its an excellent way to add your authentic voice to your brand mix.

Blogchatter Insight: Even brands these days are quite keen to explore podcast as a medium and have asked us if we could add a few bloggers who do podcasts as well.

PS: if you’re looking for resources on how to begin podcasting, you can go through the Podcast section on Tips.

#2: Twitter and Instagram win the favourite social media channel war

Unsurprisingly, Twitter and Instagram have played a pivotal role in driving traffic to the blogs. A surprising third channel was Pinterest [about 10% said the network has worked for them]. We had a short Pinterest drive in 2020 right before we began our Alexa campaign and there were many community members who told us the campaign gave them the push they needed to become more consistent on Pinterest.

Blogchatter Insight: Pinterest is a long-term game and as such don’t expect immediate results from the platform. Give it time and the golden rule – be consistent on it.

PS: we have loads of resources on how to get started on Pinterest. You can check them out here.

#3: 43% said 700-900 words is their sweet spot

We had always assumed that 500 words is what most bloggers are comfortable writing so we were quite surprised when as high as 43% said they write content north of 700 words. This showcases that long form content is being written and consumed as well.

Blogchatter Insight: Accepted practices indicate that an average of 700-900 words per post is optimal for SEO as well.

#4: Bloggers spend more than 4 hours a week on blogging-related activities

In the age of Instagrammers and Micro-bloggers, what sets apart a blogger (who owns a blog) is the time, effort and energy they spend on building their brand. Any blogger worth her salt knows the importance of reading, writing and engagement when it comes to blogging. We were super happy to see this trend and hope it continues in 2021 as well.

Blogchatter Insight: Blogging is a more evolved activity and it is not just about writing and publishing an article. It takes a serious investment before you see returns.

Blogging trends 2021

#5: Skillset to be worked on – tie between SEO, SMM and experimenting with content forms

We were happy to note that almost everyone wants to work on SEO, social media marketing and experimenting with various content forms. We have been championing these as well through the years.

Blogchatter Insight: We have 10 Blogging Commandments which we feel embodies this perfectly.

PS: Learning constantly is 1 of the 5 habits of professional bloggers! To leverage social media better, check this. And here's something to help you get started on SEO.

#6: Consistency as the overwhelming response to resolution for your blog

Almost every blogger that answered this question spoke about consistency being their resolution for their blog in 2021. We are happy to see that commitment to their blog is still a top priority for the bloggers.

PS: You can check this post on how to create a year long strategy for your blog. And here's something that can help you find the x-factor for better motivation.

Blogchatter Insight: To help you stay consistent, you can map out your blogging calendar with Blogchatter’s events calendar.

Blogchatter Events Calendar

We hope the above has been an inspiring read for you. If you have been contemplating kickstarting something new in your blogging journey, we hope these insights help you through. And we’d love to know your thoughts on what you think the landscape for blogging in 2021 will look like. Hit us in the comments!

PS: If you have noticed, we have added some backlinks above to help you along. Do check them out and bookmark what’s relevant for you!