The last couple of years have seen a rise of interest in lifestyle blogging. Thanks to Influencers and content creators like Khaby Lame who paved the way, and today many brands are trying to capitalise on the trend.

What is a lifestyle blogger?

Well, a lifestyle blogger is someone who documents the glamorous lifestyle of a wealthy individual or a famous brand. The content is usually very high-quality and tends to be quite engaging. A brand will look to a lifestyle blogger for inspiration on how to promote their products or services.

Why Are Brands Embracing Lifestyle Blogging?

There are a number of reasons why brands have turned to lifestyle blogging, but mostly it comes down to one thing; audience engagement.

The audience for a lifestyle blog is different to that of a traditional news site. While a news site’s audience is typically made up of people who already have an interest in the subject matter, a lifestyle blog’s audience is typically made up of people who are interested in becoming more interested in the subject matter. This means that the audience is more engaged with the content, meaning that they are more likely to engage with the content on a more personal level than they would with a generic piece of news.

The rise of social media and the ‘influencer’ economy has meant that today’s consumer has grown accustomed to seeing and hearing from ‘influencers’ who are known for promoting products or services that they like. This has made the influencer-sphere very attractive to brands, who see ‘influencers’ as a way to gain personal fans or followers who are then more prone to buy their products. The fact that many ‘influencers’ are also high-quality lifestyle bloggers gives the audience even more credibility, driving extra sales on top of that.

The ‘Rise of the Wellness Blogger’

It is worth noting that not all lifestyle bloggers will fit the mould. Some will actually choose to focus on creating content that is more ‘wellness’ orientated, encouraging people to live a healthy lifestyle and espousing the virtues of nature. The wellness trend has become so popular that there is even an entire month dedicated to wellness and healthiness – ‘Healthy Living Month’ in October.

Whether you are interested in wellness or not, it’s clear that the topic is a trending one. And it’s not hard to see why. With so many people affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequently cut off from the outside world, wellness-related content proved to be popular as a way to bring a little light into people’s day. While many might prefer to stay inside and away from other humans, the desire to be physically active and eat healthy foods has never been stronger.

The Rise of ‘Honest’ Blogging

This trend emerged as a way of countering the trend towards mass-market ‘influencers’. While the latter might have the attractive Instagram feed that brands want to be associated with, the truth is that many influencers live a much more boring life than the ones they document on social media. And it’s not because they don’t want to – it’s because they can’t. Many influencers are contractually obligated to work with brands and have to meet certain quotas.

The rise of ‘honest’ blogging is also thanks to celebrities who felt the need to give the public a peek behind the scenes of their lives, something that was previously reserved for the wealthy and famous. In the past, celebs would go on national television and magazine covers to tell the world all about the latest fashion trend or hairstyle, but in the age of social media, they can have a whole blog to share their opinions with the world.

Whether you like to admit it or not, the trend towards ‘lifestyle blogging’ has changed the game for marketers. Thanks to the influencer-sphere and the content that they create, brands can target the right audience and engage them on a personal level.