Future of Coffeehan: Is it still worth keeping a blog in TikTok age?

Hey there, it’s been a while.

I’m not here to report why I haven’t been posting in my blog; to be honest, it doesn’t really matter. The real question is this: Is there still a place for written blogs like Coffeehan in the age of TikTok and short-form content?

Millennials like me aren’t the main drivers of the internet anymore. A new generation now dominates both creation and consumption. Even people my age have adapted. We doomscroll, save, or share reels. We sometimes search TikTok instead of Google when we want quick inspiration for a destination.

The appeal of short-form content is too convenient to resist. You no longer need to read an entire article to know which tourist spots are popular, which cafés are trending, or whether a destination is worth your time. And let’s face it, watching a video is easier and more entertaining. You get the gist in under two minutes.

Bloggers like me have felt the shift. I no longer get invited to sponsored blogger trips. Tourism boards now favor TikTokers and YouTubers.

I know I could adapt;  run a TikTok account alongside this blog. Many creators do this, such as The Poor Traveler, whose website still exists while fully embracing short-form video. Whether they do everything themselves or have a team, I don’t know. What I do know is that the process feels tedious and daunting to me.

Short-form success requires consistency: daily posting, trend awareness, and content shaped by what performs, not by where or how you want to travel.

Sure, I could do it; it’s not like I would be fumbling in the dark. So many resources on how to get started are readily available to those who want them. But I don’t work that way. I use social media when it suits me. I travel when I want, where I want.

And so I don’t have the mindset required to chase traction in that space.

And because I’m a writer and have kept this blog since 2010, I don’t want to let it go. Writing remains my preferred way of communicating. Still, I’m not blind to how people consume content now.

So the question stands: Is there still a place for written content like mine? And if there is, how does it survive in a world that prefers watching over reading?

I looked for answers beyond my own bias.

One article, Why niche blogs and Small Rooms still win – even in the age of technofeudalism from writingslowly.com, argues that blogs matter because you own them. It’s not at the mercy of big social platforms’ algorithms or sudden shutdowns. Viral reach, according to the author, is a trap. What matters more is a small, engaged audience that actually reads.

I agree with that, especially the part about ownership. But it left something unanswered.

What about the audience?

Another article, Do People Still Read Blogs In 2025?, shifts the focus. Its core points are simple: people still turn to blogs when they want answers. Search engines remain the main entry point, and blogs help with decision-making, not entertainment.

This is consistent with how I consume travel content myself.

When I plan a trip, I start with Google, where I find blogs, check hotel sites, and watch longer YouTube videos. Then, I also ask my friends who’ve been there.

Do I get information from TikTok or Instagram then? Of course, but they are merely my third resource from the hierarchy. After I’ve researched the background and logistics, I use TikTok to check for food and cafe recommendations. This is where social media shines because they’re able to present specific places that are worth checking out in a short and engaging way.

Checking my blog statistics

What’s more interesting is how my own audience behaves.

Looking at Coffeehan’s Google Analytics data from the last 28 days, 74% of traffic comes from Organic Search, not social or referrals. Even more telling, 88% of engaged sessions come from search, with a 55% engagement rate and an average engagement time of 46 seconds. That means people arrive with intent and stay long enough to read or at least properly scan.

Organic Social, by contrast, brings in only 1% of sessions, with far lower engagement.

At least for this blog, that undercuts the idea that short-form platforms have replaced written content for actual decision-making. TikTok may dominate discovery, but when people need details, they still search and still read.

Conducting an Instagram poll

To ground this question in something more concrete, I ran a short poll on my Instagram Stories. The respondents were mostly Millennials, with a few Gen X and Gen Z followers mixed in; most of them travel frequently.

The questions were simple but intentional. Where do you look first when planning a trip? What do you do after seeing a destination on TikTok? What do you trust more for travel information? For which topics do you still prefer written guides? And finally, do you still read long travel articles at all? These questions map the full journey, from discovery to decision, instead of isolating content formats in a vacuum.

The results paint a clear picture. Social media, especially TikTok, plays a strong role in discovery. People scroll, get inspired, then move on. But once interest turns into intent, behavior shifts.

Most respondents said they Google destinations after seeing them on TikTok. Trust is split, with the majority saying it depends on the topic. Written guides still dominate when it comes to itineraries, budgets, and logistics. More than half still read long travel articles before a trip, while only a tiny fraction never read them at all.

Taken together, the poll suggests that blogs are no longer the first stop, but they remain a critical one. Short-form video sparks curiosity. Written content supports planning and decision-making. Blogs have not disappeared. Their role has become more specific, purposeful, and aligned with their intent.

Conclusion

As for Coffeehan’s future, I can’t imagine one where it no longer exists. This blog isn’t just a website, but a repository of more than a decade of travel, coffee, and quiet observation. The data shows there’s still an audience for this kind of work. And as long as it helps people plan better trips or make better choices, I see no reason to let it go.

Ultimately, I can adapt to changing times without compromising my identity.