I’ve had this website since around 2007. Yes, I’m an OG in the game! Back when I had my TV show, my interns would constantly tell me to get on social media and start a blog. At the time, I had no clue what a blog even was and being stubborn and old-fashioned, I resisted for a long while. Eventually, someone broke it down for me, and once I finally understood, I hired a web designer to create my very first site.
Back then, it was normal to spend thousands on layouts, themes, and pages. Over the years, my blog has gone through countless changes different categories, topics, and even a short-lived gossip phase (which I quickly realized wasn’t for me, lol). But I eventually found my lane, and thankfully, you all embraced it! This platform has given me millions of views over the years and opened doors I never thought possible movies, TV shows, events, travel, and opportunities I could’ve only dreamed of.
Through it all, I’ve stayed consistent and poured my heart into creating content that I hoped would make you smile and keep you coming back. And I truly appreciate every single reader who’s been part of this journey.
But like my dear friend Sandra Rose, who started around the same time I did, I’ve seen firsthand how things have drastically changed especially with the rise of AI. Where I once averaged over 800,000 hits a week, I now see closer to 45,000 a month. I’ve pushed back with my ad agency Glam Media, but they’ve offered little help or solutions. It’s frustrating because I know I’m still producing original content. I get exclusives sent to me daily from PR companies, yet when I search online, I don’t even appear while AI-generated sites and aggregators take my work and reap the rewards.
I’ve invested years into building relationships, creating content, and maintaining this space. It’s disheartening to see Google and other platforms profit from creators while offering us nothing in return. On top of that, the financial side doesn’t add up anymore. It costs thousands each year to keep this site running, and while it still brings me joy, power, and a sense of purpose, it’s becoming harder to justify.
I love this blog. It has been my creative home, my stress relief, and my passion. But the truth is, if things don’t turn around, I may have to shut it down. Until then, I’ll keep praying, pushing, and creating because being a storyteller and a creator is who I am at the core.
Excerpt from Sandra Rose on AI/Blogging…
Penske Media, owner of Vibe.com, Rolling Stone, Variety, and Billboard, filed a lawsuit against Google over stolen AI content. The lawsuit, filed Friday in a federal court in Washington, D.C., accused the search giant of scraping content from its publishers for its artificial intelligence (AI) Overviews summaries.
AI Overviews Reduces Website Traffic, Affects Revenue, Says Penske Media
Penske noted that about 20% of Google searches linking to its sites now show AI Overviews. The figure is expected to rise, leading to a significant drop in traffic and affiliate revenue.
“As a leading global publisher, we have a duty to protect PMC’s best-in-class journalists and award-winning journalism as a source of truth,” Jay Penske, chairman, founder and CEO of PMC, said in a statement to Axios.
“Furthermore, we have a responsibility to proactively fight for the future of digital media and preserve its integrity – all of which is threatened by Google’s current actions.”
Bloggers have long complained that Google’s AI summaries reduces traffic to their sites and affects revenues.
Affected blogs include Vibe magazine (owned by Penske Media), Sandrarose.com, Talkingwithtami.com, Icecreamconvos.com, and more.
Sandrarose.com has seen a 40% drop in traffic recently.
Friend of the blog Tami Reed, owner of Talkingwithtami.com, said her blog’s traffic dropped from 400,000 page views a month to less than 5,000 page views.
To read full article click here
From a loooooong time follower of your blog, and of course a friend who I’ve met through social media (love you!!) I totally know what you mean. Social media has changed soooo much… it reminds me of how really popular print magazines have stopped producing and are either solely online, or folded altogether. People just aren’t reading blogs anymore. Though I rarely leave comments, I still follow my favorite blogs in my Feedly reader (yours included) and am so sad when they just stop updating altogether (The YBF comes to mind… one day i just realized they were no longer updating, and it was sad but the reality of where we are today). But I know I’m one of the rare few who still love a good blog!
That said, have you thought about creating a YouTube channel and vlogging in lieu of blogging? (or in addition to). I feel like people would loooove to see weekly vlogs from you (on your life as a content creator; family time; at home chill time, GRWMs, etc), tutorials, Storytimes (like this one), and etc. There’s a lot of Google Adsense money to be made online, and you already have a presence… I feel like your loyal followers plus many new ones would follow you there.
I just started vlogging myself this year and while I struggle to stay consistent (lol, and that’s always been a weakness for me, even when I was blogging) I find it to be very fun and enjoyable. I hope you think about it!!!
Thank you Yakini! I have given that some thought and could have been well on my way a few years ago but when Youtube popped out, I loved the idea of having a Youtube page but I just absolutely HATE editing and way back then, it was extremely expensive and it still is today! I’ve had plenty of editors over the years with my tv show and blog. People I would hire were good but they always got too busy or they fell off, went MIA or wasn’t reliable. I just do not have the patience for it! Yes, people have NO attention span anymore and want to see things via video but if I could just find the right editor then just maybe I will start it up again! I will have to see but thank you for always stopping by etc, it’s been fun! xoxo
Girl, if it’s on your heart to start I would say just do it… I don’t have a video editor because that’s not in my budget. I created my own YouTube banner using Canva and I literally record Vlog footage on my phone and DJI, and I edit it on my phone using Videoshop app. While my vlog doesn’t have that polished look just yet, I know I can fine-tune my skills and get it there OR pay someone, but I think the important thing is diving in and beginning to build that audience. Cross-promoting my vlogs via my other short-form content channels helps a lot. I hope you decide to do it!!!!! Xo
Thanks for the encouragement