For this month’s T-SQL Tuesday, Jeff Iannucci asks a question that has been on my mind a lot over the last few years: are blogs still relevant? To read the full invite, click the T-SQL Tuesday logo to the right.
I don’t think there’s a black and white answer, and it depends on what you’re trying to get out of a blog.
How does one define relevant in the context of SQL Server blogs? If you’re starting or managing a SQL Server blog to make money or be a famous, relevant influencer, I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news. You’re probably not going to have much success. If you want a shot at that kind of relevancy, your best bet is YouTube and TikTok. And even then, I wouldn’t quit your day job.
If you want something to help support and grow your career, blogs are still as relevant as ever.
When I started my blog, I wanted to contribute in some way to the SQL Server community. I figured if one person read a blog post of mine and got some benefit, that’s great. If not, I knew it would be relevant for me because I would use it as a reference to return to and search when needed. Fortunately, both of those scenarios came to fruition.
Another reason that blogs are still relevant from a creator standpoint is that they serve as evidence of your experience. Many will say a tech blog stands out on a resume. While I think this is true, a blog isn’t just helpful when searching for a job; it can be helpful at your current job as well. I’ve had occasions where an issue or specific SQL Server feature was brought up in conversation, and I could say, “I researched and wrote about that, which you can check out here.” That’s a unique way to leave an impression.
With the rise of AI summaries, the peak of blogs is likely in the past, but there are still blogs out there that provide opportunities to learn from. I have a long reading list of articles and blog posts found in the SQLServerCentral.com Database Weekly newsletters. I read a few posts/articles a day and still have a growing backlog that I’ll probably never completely get through.
While I’m seeing fewer blogs, I’m still learning all the time from the blogs that continue to post content. For my own blog, it demonstrates what I’ve done over the years and shows my growth. Though times have changed, SQL Server blogs still have their relevance today.
Thanks for reading!
