Blogging isn’t cool anymore.

There, I said it.

It seems that almost every person on the planet can say either, “I have a blog…” or, “I used to have a blog…”

You used to be cutting edge if you had a blog, back when the first ones launched in 1999.  Now, in 2011, bloggers are a dime a dozen.

And there are so many mediocre blogs out there that if yours doesn’t significantly stand out, you’ll get lost among the noise.  Here’s what I mean:

There’s no guarantee today that if you start a blog, it’ll become successful.

There’s no guarantee today that if you have a blog, it’ll continue to be successful.

And though this may frustrate you, it thrills me.  It drives me to work harder, faster, more creatively, and more passionately.  Creating art that is relevant, helpful, and sharable is difficult, given the level of noise that social media is creating in our world.  But the product that successful bloggers are creating is getting better and better.

In the long run, the fact that blogging is difficult will make you a better writer, communicator, and artists (assuming you stick with it).  And it will force better artists to step up and continue to create better art.  And in the long run, the number of active blogs may decrease.  And that competition is good for the system.

People aren’t just clicking on blogs anymore.  They’ve got to have a reason.

What reason(s) are you giving them?

Why should someone read and subscribe to your blog?