The Future of Blogging: Why I Think We’re Going Back (and the future of Front Porch Fresh)
I truly think we’re going back.
And this past month has solidified that for me.
Before we jump into the future of blogging, I want you to take a little trip down memory lane with me, okay?
It’s 2014. You’re scrolling on Pinterest, and you stumble upon a beautiful photo of some chicken. You click on it, and it takes you over to someone’s website where you get the recipe, sure.
But there was more.
The words—the HUMAN-WRITTEN words—brought you in and told a story about how her Wednesday night went absolutely haywire when the dog ran out of the backyard to chase the feral neighborhood cat, and somehow a roadrunner got involved, while simultaneously this incredible chicken literally saved the evening because she ended up getting her daughter to soccer practice on time AND fed despite the dog/cat/roadrunner situation.
She brought you into a tiny glimpse of her life while giving you a chicken recipe that actually tastes good because she tested it and took her own photos.
And ya know what?
It made you want to come back for more.
Not just because the recipe was good or the photo was good, but because she made you feel like you were sitting in her kitchen with her while this whole situation was happening.
The connection.
The human words.
The imperfect photos.
The “hey, let’s be friends,” but like… in a genuine way?
We’ve lost that.
And when you were looking up how to do something, you would stumble upon another blogger who would lay it all out exactly how to do it, and you wouldn’t have to pay $37 for a digital product just to find out how to do the thing.
Oof.
Times have channngggeeed.
How Front Porch Fresh Began
Front Porch Fresh started at the beginning of this year because I (Sid) LOVEEEE blogging, but I didn’t love having to share details of our lives on the internet.
I had also recently shut down my Pinterest marketing business, and honestly, I just needed a hobby.
So after a new love of cooking and finally figuring out how to create a meal planning system that actually worked for our family, Kyle and I decided that Front Porch Fresh would be a great hobby for me—and also a fun way for us to occasionally collaborate on something because Kyle loves to cook too.
So Front Porch Fresh was born.
The first six months were great.
I primarily used Pinterest to get traffic to the blog, started to build an email list, and even got into a pretty decent ad network in month four of blogging.
Then months seven and eight rolled around, and I started getting in my head.
I tried to focus on creating a digital product. I started on social media. I also hardly posted on the blog.
Then, in month nine, I decided to post a little trend video on social media and accidentally grew from 33 followers to 3,700+ in just a few weeks.
And while most people would be ecstatic, I froze.
I felt the immediate pressure to try to monetize everything.
My meal planning system. Going all-in on a meal plan. All the things.
I felt like everyone was watching.
I felt the pressure.
I started to spiral.
Now, Obviously, the Internet Has Changed
And yes, I know that having a platform on social media—even if it’s small at only 3,700+ followers—is important.
But honestly?
The hamster wheel of feeling like I need to constantly push content out is exhausting.
Especially as a homeschooling mom of four.
Instead of being what I loved about the internet years ago, I fell into the trap.
The “will this get over 200 views?” trap.
The “if I post this, will I make a sale?” trap.
The “I’m out to make a buck” trap instead of actually genuinely helping women.
Yikesss.
And honestly?
What if I built all of that over there and it disappeared tomorrow?
Would I feel like I wasted my time?
Probably, yes.
So here’s the plan moving forward.
I’m not charging for information.
I’m working on a blog post right now that breaks down my entire meal planning system—the one that’s currently selling for $15.
(That no one has even bought yet, honestly, because I haven’t really pushed it. 😂)
And that’s okay.
I want to post weekly meal plans FOR FREE.
I do have ads on the site, so I’ll probably create a PDF every month with a months worth of meal plans, grocery lists, swaps, prep tips, etc., so that you can access it completely ad-free and charge something like $4 for it.
And it’s yours forever.
No subscription. No nothing.
Because truthfully? I do want this blog to make money.
I would like to bring in some additional income.
But it’s not for the reason you might think.
Right now, we’re working on paying off some medical debt from a NICU stay and having a medically complex child.
After that?
Probably a vacation for us.
But after that?
I’ve always wanted to do something crazy like buy someone a brand-new car.
I would love to bless someone with groceries for a year.
I want to be able to give and bless so generously.
So that’s why.
I want this little corner of the internet to make money so that it can eventually help me bless other people with it.
So What Will Front Porch Fresh Look Like?
Recipes.
That’s the root of how we started, and that’s not going anywhere.
Meal plans.
Free, and very low-cost if you want an ad-free version.
A meal planning system that’s not hidden behind a paywall.
Maybe a little more behind-the-scenes of blogging and our life because I would love for you to get to know who we are behind the blog.
And Instagram?
Photos of said recipes, with a goal of bringing you back HERE, because this is where I make the income.
I’ll probably share the meal plan over there, too, minus the recipes, grocery lists, swaps, etc., with the goal again of getting you back here.
Maybe some random reels.
Probably some affiliate links with my favorite things that I genuinely love.
Who knows.
Is that a strategy for growth?
No.
But hopefully, it will help bless YOU and get in front of the right people who simply just need some dinner-time help.
And honestly, that’s what I want.
I want you to stumble upon this little corner of the internet and feel like I’m telling you a story about the dog and the cat and the roadrunner while some delicious chicken (currently obsessed with this recipe, shameless plug) is cooking in the background.
I want you to find a recipe that actually works.
I want you to find a meal plan that makes your week a little easier.
I want you to find something here that solves a problem you were already trying to solve.
And I want you to feel like there’s a real person on the other side of the screen.
And Honestly? I Think That’s the Future of Blogging.
I think people are craving more than just a seven-second video.
I think they’re craving someone to help them solve a problem they actually have.
I think they want genuine people writing genuine words.
I think they want internet spaces that make them feel inspired, encouraged, and like they actually solved a problem—not overstimulated.
Maybe I’m wrong.
Maybe blogging really is dead and we’re all going to be watching seven-second videos forever. 😂
But I don’t think so.
I think we’re going back.
Back to the human words.
Back to the imperfect photos.
Back to the little corners of the internet where you could stumble upon someone you’ve never met and somehow feel like you know her.
Back to blogs that were actually useful.
And that’s what I want Front Porch Fresh to be.
A useful little corner of the internet.
A place to find dinner.
A place to find a little encouragement.
A place to maybe laugh about a feral neighborhood cat and a rogue roadrunner.
And hopefully, someday, a place where the money it makes allows me to turn around and bless someone else with it.
So yeah.
Those are some thoughts lately.
And the future of Front Porch Fresh.
What are your thoughts? I would love to hear in the comments!
