Pinterest is quickly becoming everyones newest obsession. Sometime I wonder if it’s replacing blogs. What do you think? I used to check blogs first thing in the morning but now I find myself hopping on Pinterest as soon as I wake up.
Are blogs still needed? Sometimes it scares me think that Pinterest is quickly becoming everyone’s favorite ways to find DIY ideas, beautiful images and inspiration. I think it has given all bloggers a wake up call. No longer is just posting pretty pictures going to cut it. I think now we are all needing to find new ways to stay original. Somehow we need to show you things that you can’t find anywhere else.
What are your thoughts about it?
In the meantime here are a few of my very favorite pins as of late. Enjoy!
Jamie Meares is my favorite. These stools are amazing.
image via Canadian House and Home
Okay that’s it. I want a yellow kitchen. Love the floor, love the subway tile to the ceiling and love the dark countertop. Love it all.
Okay, seriously? There are no words for how much I love this dresser re-vamp done by The Southern Eclectic.
via Katie Armour, the neo-traditionalist
I love love love the colors of this home. It’s weirdly similar to my own house. Maybe that’s why?
I love this outfit so much I pinned it twice.
And finally…
This ikat bowl from C Wonder is calling my name. Love it!
Great pins. Love that yellow kitchen.
I've had the same thought about pinterest possibly replacing blogs. I know I'm plenty guilty of spending ALOT of time on pinterest nowdays and had even pared down the list of blogs I visit by almost half because of it. But with that said I've found that some of my favorite blogs have been great about posting things I haven't seen yet on pinterest though I wonder how long that's gonna last.
I've had the same thought about pinterest possibly replacing blogs. I know I'm plenty guilty of spending ALOT of time on pinterest nowdays and had even pared down the list of blogs I visit by almost half because of it. But with that said I've found that some of my favorite blogs have been great about posting things I haven't seen yet on pinterest though I wonder how long that's gonna last.
I have definitely thought that…although I feel that in some way I have come to "know" people through their blogs – I like reading and learning a bit more about them, laughing at their comments or sarcasm, and seeing how something comes together step by step. I think Pinterest is a good complement to blogs (and makes image searching MUCH more fruitful) but I still like reading what people have to say.
I love pinterest but i can't seem to find you on it?
Not at all. Pinners pin from blogs and websites. If there are no blogs, then there wont be any imagess to pin.
Perhaps Im late, but Pinterest has a lot of glitches for me. I have an account, but use it ever so often.
Blogs will have their place as with, tv, newspapers and radio.
Dont worry Kristin, we bloggers will still be around.
I ditto what # 6 said!
The internet offers many ways to connect with the information you are interested in and that's good, because a "one size fits all" solution never really is!
Some of us are visual learners / thinkers (pinterest etc), some of us need to read (blogs / websites), others find a tv program or video more meaningful with the auditory narrative, so I think (hope) blogs will continue … ditto the above comments about lots of pins coming from original content on blogs so pinterest really doesn't want blogs to go away.
I think you've made a really good point about bloggers needing to think differently about their role moving forward so we remain relevant, but that applies to pinterest and other information sources as well, because the one constant online and IRL is change!
Thanks for raising this intriguing question!
Robin @ happilyhomeafter.blogpost.com
I have had the same thoughts as you, but the problem is Pinterest does not have that personal level that a blog has. I think as bloggers, if we stay original, we will be just fine.
Kristy
http://www.idesignlove.com
I think Pinterest can be a double edged sword. Sometimes I notice I can get a lot of traffic from it because someone has pinned something and then they want to come to my site to see how I did it. Other times I think people are using it to search everything, not visiting and I'm loosing viewers. I still tend to stick to blogs for now because I like the personal appeal and head to pinterest when I need inspiration or to bookmark my ideas.
I am still a huge fan of blogs! Love your blog and check it all the time! Keep posting!
I don't think there is much to worry about. I love Pinterest also, I think about it often as I remember the things and ideas I've seen on it and then I very much enjoy finding new things and ideas on it again. But afterall, I still love reading certain blogs, like yours, because there is nothing like getting to know the ways and style of the blogger and being able to read a post is still really one of my favorite things on the internet.
I don't think that Pinterest will be replacing blogs at all. While it can certainly be a time suck when you're just browsing others' pins, I see it more as a bookmarking tool for the projects and inspirations and such that I see on blogs. It's also a great way to find new blogs! I wouldn't worry at all. If there were no blogs, there would be nothing to pin! =)
I really want to move into that house! I love everything about it. 🙂
I think there is room for both blogs and Pinterest. Pinterest is a great place for inspiration, but you just can't replace that personal touch you get from a thoughtful blog post.
I think pinterest is a great way to get traffic to your blog. Without blogs there would be nothing to pin! Of course, that means you do have to be more original so that people will want to pin your stuff. Okay now I'm going back to read the comments to see if this has already been said!
Blogs provide the content that we all love on pinterest! It's a great place to organize favorite ideas, but it has also introduced me to new favorite blogs I otherwise might not have found.
Actually, I've started following more blogs because of Pinterest. Most of my pins are images from blogs so I head over to the blog and look around. Honestly, I've probably (at least) doubled the number of blogs I now follow due to Pinterest.
What an interesting discussion point. I do find myself looking to pinterest, but I still love all my daily blog reads. There is a "human" element to blogs that pinterest lacks. Sure, it's nice to see pretty pictures, but I love hearing someone's perspective on the photo, or the DIY piece.
I agree with Erin, I have found a lot of blogs that I would have never found pre-pinterest. If I find an original image/idea that I like, I typically follow the link to find out more.
As far as my own blog…I have noticed, that instead of people commenting, they pin and leave. I might be alone in that though. 🙂
Great question.
I feel like I'm supporting the blogging community more when I'm looking for inspiration and search on pinterest, because a lot of the images are from blogs so it's almost a way of searching the blogging community for stuff as opposed to just using google. I also think that plenty of people get pinterest fatigue and continue to use it, but not as obsessively as when they started. I know I did after a little while, and still look at all the same blogs I've been into. Pinterest is a fun way to connect with bloggers you like — you get to see what they like outside of what they feature on their blogs, so you get to learn even more from those tastemakers.
P.S. I love seeing what you've pinned on pinterest!
I have a very hard time using pinterest and rarely use it. I just don't like the way it's organized. But I love blogs! I used to buy every decorating magazine that came out and when they mostly disappeared I switched to blogs. My favorite blogs are the ones that write about their own homes rather than posting pictures that are showing up everywhere.
Oooh, great discussion in these comments. I became personally very worried when my Mom visited last week and spent every spare minute on Pinterest. She doesn't even read my blog (when your own Mom doesn't read your blog, you have troubles ha!).
We are an immediate gratification society…anything that gets us to the point more quickly will be embraced. And the point is the pictures. Makes me rethink my wordiness. :/
Pintrest is great! But blogs are better because the blogs are the major foundation on Pintrest. Without people Pinning back to a person's blog, we would not get all cool stuff we see (if anything, its a way for a blogger to receive more traffic and possible subscribers)
This is the way I see it though 😀 Some people may prefer just to look at a bunch of photos and kill time.
I agree…it is officially one of my favorite new things to do and I'm super frustrated that it won't let me log in right now…that may confirm I have a Pinterest problem=). I feel the added pressure to try to come up with something amazing to blog about, but with some many amazingly creative bloggers out there, I had to tell myself to stay true to me. I am amazing in my own way. (Just as you are amazing in yours) Pin away, we'll all continue to visit your blog.
I love your blog. If it weren't for Pinterest, I would never have found it. I am a lazy internet user, and use both Facebook and Pinterest as a sort of RSS feed. I've discovered so many more great design and craft blogs since I joined Pinterest than I ever would have before!
I don't think you can find the personality of blogs anywhere. And I think we can all probably name our top 5 blogs that we visit every single day because something (or someone behind the words and the photos) keeps drawing us back and that is special. I've actually been deviating away from Pinterest (with the exception of some recipes) because I wasn't really benefiting from pinning all of these pretty pictures. I refer to it occasionally, but I wasn't really using it very much other than just storing photos that someday I might use as inspiration. I think it's a great idea when people can use Pinterest with clients to brainstorm – that is a great use of the tool. And I couldn't love that yellow kitchen more!
I actually feel the opposite. I used to look at a few blogs here and there, but pinterest introduced me to a whole bunch of blogs I wouldn't have found otherwise. I visited the blogs for the how-to on the pin, and stayed b/c I've become interested in the person/style/etc, so much so that I made a blogger acct to subscribe and keep track of them all. It's opened up a whole new corner of the internet for me! 🙂
For me, the things I pin are always from blogs. And I take pride in pinning something that gets repinned like 50 times. 🙂 Blogs are a totally different medium to me, Pinterest has just expanded my online routine – I wake up, check e-mail, read my google reader, login to Facebook, and go to Pinterest. Oh wait, I mean I do that all during naps now! 🙂
This is interesting–I look at pinterest as a tool in service to blogs, not at all as a replacement. But then, I am a blogger of many words and fewer images, more about ideas than pretty, and I would say most of the blogs I follow are similar. I don't follow you because of the pictures you post. It's much more about voice and personality. The only blog I follow for pictures alone is Little Blue Deer, and that's from a graphic designer, so images ARE the personality there!
I feel the opposite about pinterest. I have used it to find some amazing blogs. Without blogs, there also wouldn't be much to pin. I think of pinterest as a way to store all the ideas that inspire me, rather than creating a file on my computer.
Pinterest is great, one of my favorite sites and such a great place to find inspiration! If somoene has a blog where all they do is post pretty pictures from other sources, then yes, Pinterest might be replacing that. But, I still think that if your blog has original content and can be different than what else is out there, it has staying power. The same images circlulate fast on the internet – my big challenge for blogging in 2012 is to create more of my own content, it is definitely harder! 🙂
I think pinterest will weed out some of the blogs that just post pretty pictures, as you said. BUT those with original content may get more traffic as their projects, DIYs, etc are linked on pinterest. Not at all to pick on you, but my current pet peeve with blogs is when someone's entire post is…"currently on pinterest" followed by some of their newest pins, and even more reviled the "sourced on pinterest." I appreciate that you put some thought into your post with actually putting some words/thoughts in there. And I am sure it's a pain to link and source everything, but really, if it's a job, isn't that part of the job? What's your opinion on blogs that do this?
I really hope that pinterest doesn't replace blogs, because I really enjoy going to blogs not just for the pictures but also to connect with people. Hopefully it will be just an extension of blogs instead of a replacement.
If there were no blogs, pinterest would be pretty boring. Especially when it comes to DIYs. I only go to pinterest at night when I've done everything else on the internet that I can think of.
I believe Pinterest wouldn't exist without blogs. The two go hand and hand. Most of the pictures that I see on pinterest were featured from a blog that I read. I don't see pinterest replacing blogs at all, maybe a few stop reading blogs because all they want to do is look at pinterest. But in the end most photos pinned onto pinterest come from blogs like yours! And I still prefer the personal look into someones life over just a photo. The story behind the picture. Otherwise, its just another photo.
This blog is awesome! Your photos are adorable & we have the same taste in etsy picks! 🙂 New follower!
http://www.eternally-red.blogspot.com
Although I love Pinterest, I think it's a fad. You still have to go to blogs to find out how someone put something together or to get more info. I don't think blogs will go away for a while. I sure hope you keep blogging!
I think Pinterest is great and here to stay. I think blogs such as yours which has lots of original content will continue to deliver fresh ideas to readers. Your original designs for clients are yours to share and inspire us with. I think original content is the way to go whether it be design, recipes or DIY ideas. Also sharing things which are unique to your location will interest folks who don't have access to the same retailers or vendors that you have. Bloggers who just pass along cool pictures from the web are not going to be able to sustain interest from readers. I've seen the same pictures up to four times between some of the blogs I read and pinterest. Keep up the good work on your blog! I love it!
I'm less concerned about catching up on blogs than Pinterest! But there's no personality behind a pin, really, just a picture. So I don't think blogs will go away.
Much of this has already been said but I don't think blogs are going anywhere. Pinterest is a wonderful place for inspiration and for cataloging ideas but all those ideas came from somewhere – a magazine, a blog, a photographer's site, etc. As with all media, content is king and as long as you have good content, you'll have readers. I do agree with you though that Pinterest is forcing bloggers to create more ORIGINAL content, which personally I think is a great thing.
i LOVE pinterest, but ideas/posts i've had in my draft folder are now popping up as pins for others. it's stealing my thunder! haha
I adore Pinterest but (so far) while it provides a lot of visual stimulation, it doesn't give the great "how to create this look yourself" tips that blogs give. I don't think blogs are going anywhere 🙂
I need that bowl too! You've raised a good topic. I'll never stop reading blogs but I can see how Pinterest could be a replacement for some.
You need to remember that Pinterest is just a way for us all to catalog the stuff we find on BLOGS. All of the sources are blogs. Without them, there would be no Pinterest. The two go hand in hand. Just look at Pinterest as a great tool for getting your ideas out there. But, I agree that because information moves so quickly in there, the pressure for originality is increased. Love your blog!
I must say, my pinterest numbers are way up and my daily visitor numbers and comments are way down 🙁 But, I'm addicted to pinterest so I can't really fault others. I love it for its ease in searching just the right images all in one place but I do still find so many of pins through the blogs I read. I just wish the ipad would get a pin button and I'd do this so much more. Let's just blame apple 🙂 I tend to hide behind my blog and this new atmosphere change is definitely pushing me to share more of my own work and my personal life and house etc, even unpolished an imperfect as it might be. It's what I love in others blogs and what keeps me coming back for more! Uggh, sorry for the long response, no baby + coffee =long answers 😉
Without the blogs there wouldn't be much to pin. Like Pinterest, love blogs!
Happy Holidays!!
Without the blogs there wouldn't be much to pin. Like Pinterest, love blogs!
Happy Holidays!!
that dresser is awesome!
Pinterest gets repetitive. I have to take breaks or I get tired of seeing the same pins. However, Pinterest is a great snapshot to click over and discover a new blog. I've added about 20 blogs to my reader from clicking on pins. I think I found your blog linked to a blog I had clicked from a pin.
KathySue over at good life of design asked the same question a while back. IN my opinion, pinterest just enhances blogs but I personally prefer more than just pretty pictures and a small caption, I enjoy ideas, how-to's etc that come from a blogger's own words. I hope pinterest doesnt force blogs out since they really are two different genres.
i absolutely LOVE the yellow kitchen and last outfit! totally makes me want to redo mine! to bad it's being rented!
Well, I think that what we have to think about is this: where do pins come from? blogs! So, yes I love Pinterest and very often look for inpirstion there, but think about it, most of the content on Pinterest is blog resourced 😉
For me, it's like comparing apples to oranges. Personally, Pinterest is a way for me to organize the fabulous ideas I find on blogs and also find new blogs. So I would hope that they will continue to compliment each other rather than die one out.
Kim http://www.pumberrypie.blogspot.com
I have Pinterest to thank for like 90 percent of the images I use on my blog, but I still think people want a voice. Blogs are more personal. You make friends through blogs. Pinterest just doesn't have that type of interaction.
Sorry…think I just deleted my comment. Oops!
I was at a social media training for my day job and long before pinterest (all of last year), they were saying that blogs are so dead. Clearly, as a blogger, I either don't believe that, or I'm in denial (smile).
Few things:
I guess because I don't get many (if any) comments on my blogs, I don't know what I'm missing to have people just stop by to gawk and pin. I get far more comments (and interaction) on my pins than on my blog.
This year, I'm actually trying to source more (ie, feature and highlight and post other people's stuff). Because I am HORRIBLE at remembering where I found something, Pinterest (when used right, I have my moments) is a GODSEND for helping me to branch out beyond just my own original material.
Without blogs, I do think there would still be a Pinterest. Interestingly, there were PLENTY of places to find visual inspiration online before Pinterest. I guess for folks who mostly used the web in a wordy format (ie, searching text instead of images), Pinterest is a newer concept. I personally think it is just a tool enhancement for those that use the web (and web searches) in a more visual default mode.
All said, it isn't a zero sum game. Blogs, Pinterest, Craft Gawker, Stumble Upon, Google image searches…anything well executed will have it's place.
Bernadette @ http://www.b3hd.blogspot.com