There is talk these days that “blogs are dying” and that “everyone is using Facebook.” Lately I’ve been doing a fair amount of research into needlepoint and what we, as stitchers, read, and I can tell you that it’s just not true.
There are plenty of reasons I’ve discovered why blogs, such as this one, are better than Facebook. Yes, social media of all kinds is great — it’s more interactive, it’s a great place to ask questions, show off your work, and even to indulge in some stash enhancement. Like any other kind of media it has its good points and its bad points. So do blogs.
But I thought that it’s time to talk seriously about what you get from blogs that you won’t find on sites like Facebook.
Blogs Are Permanent
Several years ago you often lost a post because you didn’t read it fast enough. Links weren’t permanent and older information just disappeared. These days most blogs create permanent links so you can always find the information, no matter how old it might be.
That’s important if your blog is a reference site, has historic information, or is an on-line magazine. After all, how many of us keep our old issues of Needlepointers?
If the blog has permanent links, as this one does, the information is there. On Facebook, on the other hand, much of the information scrolls off the page as there are new updates. Did you see a tip you thought was great and want to see it again? Good luck finding it unless you bookmarked it on a page other than your feed.
I’ve lost tons of information this way and now I go through hoops and make notes when I see info so I can save stuff. Finding stuff on blogs is much easier.
Blogs Are Searchable
Going hand-in-hand with being permanent, most blogs are searchable. In fact often they have a search box near the top of the screen, as this one does. If a blog has lots of information you can get many hits but the information you seek is there.
I’ve come to rely on the searches to find information all the time for you. I use it to answer your questions, to check information, and to repost old content.
Have you tried searching for something on Facebook? The search function is designed entirely to help you find people or companies, not information. Try searching for something where you don’t know the name but do know the topic. The chances are very good you won’t find it.
On blogs not only do you have the search box but you have other ways to find information. You can find it by looking at categories or if you know when you saw it you can search by date. This lets you find specific information no matter how old it is. Try finding something from a few days ago in your Facebook feed. Unless people have commented on it, or it is in a not-very-active group, you probably won’t find it.
Blog Posts Can Be as Long as Needed
Has this ever happened to you? You are writing something and want to make a new paragraph. You hit the return key. Facebook thinks you’re finished and posts it.
To say what you want to say you can either make several posts or one long paragraph. Neither makes the information easy to follow.
Blog posts are easy-to-read, they can be long or short, depending on the topic. They can be formatted with headings, lists, in-stream pictures, and bold type to make them easier and faster to read. These tools allow you to get and understand the information in a way that makes sense for you.
Anyone Can Read a Blog
Hardly a week goes by where I don’t see a complaint about Facebook. They change privacy policies constantly. They post content they “think” you might like to your feed. They give you advertisements as content. If you run a business they try to sell you things so it’s your ads that bother people.
And if you are not a member you can’t see anything at all. This is true for Facebook as a whole and for most groups. If I object, as many do, I’m locked out of this platform.
Contrast blogs. Unless they are on a membership site, the minority, anyone can read. You don’t have to give your name or email, you don’t have to join up, the blog writer doesn’t have an agenda that affects you. You are free to read and use the information. Blogs want you to read them and they make this easy to do. Facebook wants to sell you stuff.
You Can Read Blogs in Many Ways
Yes I know it’s a new media age and we can all look at Facebook on our phones. But Facebook is counting on you always being connected to them. Their constant scrolling feed is evidence of that. But what if I don’t want to be jacked in constantly (and I don’t)? I risk losing information unless I get notifications and then they don’t always show up.
The blog is there when I want to read it, just waiting for me. It’s accessible from many different platforms. You can go to the blog directly. You can subscribe to my summary email to see what’s there (sent every other day). You can subscribe via email. You can read in a RSS feed (linked to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and more for many blogs). You can read it through a blog reader. Most WordPress blogs (the best & most popular platform) are accessible from that smart phone, just like Facebook.
Conclusion
Blogs aren’t dead. The offer a wealth of great information available to all. That doesn’t mean you should chuck your Facebook account and only read blogs. But blogs give you in-depth information you can read when, where, and how you want to. I’m finding more and more blogs that I check regularly with more and more great information to delight my heart and feed my mind. I hope you do too.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
NaNcy says
I am sooo glad to see this blog. I have had so many bad and downright unpleasant experiences with Facebook that I
refuse to use it. If anyone wants to get their Facebook account closed it is possible. Of course, the FB people make a
person jump through hoops to do so but if you perservere you can do it.
I enjoy the needlepoint blogs tremendously. Especially this one. I do like the new design. It is my opinion that Janet may
well be the wave of the future. She not only has great ideas for stitches and lots of free designs and other stuff but as a stitcher, designer,teacher, shop owner she is interested in making needlepoint accessible to all. She is doing a lot to recruit
new stiltchers by showing them ways to explore needlepoint without spending a ton of money. It was my ‘lucky day’ when I
found her blog.
Janet M Perry says
Thanks so much you’ve made my day.
Keep stitching,
Janet
Nancy Green says
Turn about is fair play. You make my day so very often. Even if the post
is not pertinent to me specifically it makes me happy to know that stitchers
are going to their local classes and that so many people are still
stitching. You did alert me to kcneedlepoint in kansas city missouri and
they are great people.
Libbi Goodman says
Janet, who started the rumor — Facebook??? I go on FB maybe once or twice a year, and most of my friends don’t even have an account. I don’t think of FB when I’m looking for needlepoint information or tutorials, I go to a blog. or a specific website; mainly yours as I can usually find the info I want with a quck search.
Thanks for all the information and little gems of tips that you share with us. I only have one friend who is stitcher, and it’s very important for me to explore new ideas, as well as discover that other stitchers have many of the same problems or questions I do. My only disappointment is that sometimes you talk about something I’d like to purchase or a free tutorial, and they’re no longer available, because the originator removed the info. I guess that means I wasn’t meant to have it and move on to something else.
I look forward to reding your blog every day as it’s a great way to start my day before I leave for work.
Libbi Goodman
Janet M Perry says
Thanks for the compliment, I know what you mean about being able to share ideas.
Keep stitching,
Janet
Nancy Green says
You go girl!!!! I am in the same boat with only one friend who does cross-stitch.
There is another a great blog called spinsterstitcher.blog. It is different in some ways from Janet’s but fun
and makes a person feel connected. She mentions Janet and refers to her as Miss Janet her very own self. Nancy
Gail says
I would not call this a blog, it’s a learning institution for stitchers.
Janet M Perry says
Thank you, that’s my goal with this. I’m always looking for ideas, so just ask me questions!
Keep stitching,
Janet
Wendy TC says
I LOVE needlework and knitting blogs, and am NOT a Facebook fan. Thanks for supporting blogs. You’ve laid out a very compelling argument for blogs as sources of fun, inspiration and education, all of which I get from your blog posts.
Janet M Perry says
Thanks, I can barely knit, but knitting blogs have been some of my favorites for years. What I’d like now is a good community, such asRavelry, for needlepoint.
Keep stitching, Janet
Liz says
Thanks Janet. I couldn’t agree more! I have a FB page only so that I can look at a few pages. I look at 3 FB pages regularly that are all needlepoint and one of those is just because it is for a class. I am annoyed every time I go there because of the awkwardness of trying to use it! I suspect most of this applies to Pinterest too.
Janet M Perry says
Pinterest isn’t quite as bad. But there is no way to contact people unless you know them through some other mechanism. The only thing you can do is add a comment or send them a pin.
Keep stitching,
Janet
Erin says
Hi Janet,
Timely topic for me; although I’m commenting on it a bit late in the game. But as you say in your post, blogs are not ephemeral creatures that end up drowning in, say, a torrent of tweets. That said, I have been writing a reasonably popular needlepoint blog on WordPress.com for over 4 years, and only kept a personal account on FB as an easy means of staying in touch with various (primarily non-needlepoint) friends around the world (I originally signed up for a FB account in order to play Farmville, back in the day!).
While I have immensely enjoyed writing the 1000+ posts I published on my needlepoint blog during those 4 years, I have found that a blog with anonymous readers tends to be of negligible value in terms driving sales to my brick and mortar shop.
So, much as I enjoy posting on my blog, and sharing information and funny stories about my startup needlepoint shop for the entertainment of mystery guests, I’ve decided this week to migrate my blog to my ecommerce site (which I launched only a few months ago), and have it available (for free) to registered viewers (although I am currently allowing RSS access to the blog, for a limited time only, as readers transition to this new platform).
As you well know, it takes much time and effort to consistently produce a stream of quality needlepoint-related posts over many years, and I have wrestled with this issue, but finally arrived at the conclusion that is not too much to ask a reader (and potential customer) to provide an email address in return for the opportunity to read the content I produce. Fair trade, in my book, if not a bargain!
So needlepoint blogs, yes, but with that one caveat — which I would never think of asking for if I were involved with needlepoint as just a hobby or pastime, as opposed to being the sole owner of a needlepoint shop that needs to turn a profit in order to stay in business. Does this make sense to you?
All the best,
E.
Janet M Perry says
Erin —
Be sure to let me know the URL of the new blog, so I can add it to the list of sites.
Keep stitching,
Janet
Erin Mcgrath says
hi Janet,
the URL of my ecommerce site (with registration required to read the blog) is needlepoint.land.
Thanks!
Best.
Erin