Wanted to write this post because lately I've been feeling a little bit down. I recently shared my blogging plan and have been proud of myself for really sticking to it the past few weeks! The bad news is that I feel like despite my increase in content, my page views just aren't what I thought they'd be and my Instagram follower number isn't where I want it to be. That being said, let's get into the dirty deets.
The Good
- Creative outlet - I have always been a very creative person but also a very analytical person (thus my engineering degree). I need both though. My job is 100% analytical so I need a creative outlet to give my right brain some release. I love that I can take my blog anywhere and everywhere - it's totally up to me!- Connecting with others - Through Facebook groups and Instagram I have met some amazing women! I can't believe how many people out there are just like me, I really thought I was unique but... oh well ;) Plus the blogging community is NICE which is so refreshing these days. I never would have thought I would have real friends solely through the Internets, but I do! Well maybe the people on the other side aren't as into it :P, but I consider many of the girls I know through Insta my friends.
- Money - Just being honest! People love to say "don't do it for the money" or "it was never about the money for me" but I'm gonna go ahead and call B.S. on that! Don't tell me you don't care about money - no one wants to work this hard for free. Granted I'm not exactly making bank over here (hopefully that will start changing - hehe), but making a few bucks here and there is pretty sweet.
The Bad
- Tons of work - Nothing worth having comes easy they say. Blogging is definitely not the exception. It's a lot of stinking work and while it is something I love to do, work is work. If you want to blog because you think it's glamourous, look for another job/side gig. Most nights (like tonight) I stay up way too late writing a blog post in my bed trying to get it ready to post the next morning. Then there's allll the social media that has to get done (that's a whole post in itself!). Plus all the back end design and business-y stuff that has to get done. Obviously I love doing this because otherwise why would I go through all that and more?- Everyone does it - Blogging used to be this obscure thing that gave everyone you told about it a puzzled look. Today though its just what you do. So many people have jumped on the blogging bandwagon and it's great! But at the same time the people who claim to be a "blogger" but really just post selfies to Instagram and write a random life update twice a year give those of us who are hustlin' all day errrr day a bad name. I work my butt off to create (hopefully) interesting and original content twice a week on my blog, 5 days a week on my Instagram, and 2 additional days a week on Facebook. Plus random tweets - ok I don't try that hard on Twitter, its basically all of the random thoughts that aren't PC so I can't say them out loud - ha! Basically it's just really hard to stand out in the crowd, I'm constantly tweaking my brand to reach the most people I can, and trying to get the real me to come through to all of you!
- People still don't get it - Even though it seems like everyone and their mother has a blog, most brands just aren't hopping on the train. They still think we will work for free! And I'm guilty of doing it myself, when a brand I love offers to send me free product, I have a hard time turning that down. And when I get something free I always post about it. If I'm getting paid I might do a more in depth description or tutorial of a product but I always at least share with my followers. I have a reach of well over 10k (still small beans in the blogging world, I know) and for brands to get that for free is crazy! A TV or radio station would never run a commercial in exchange for products. Unless everyone in the blogging community agrees to stop the free madness, things aren't going to change.
The Ugly
"U-G-L-Y you ain't got no alibi, you ugly, yeah yeah, you ugly." Ok who else remembers this from the 90's? LOL!- Comparison - Seriously though. Every time I see a blogger went to an event or is doing a collaboration with a brand I love, my heart rate goes up a little. That devil on my shoulder whispers - "why didn't you get invited? How come that brand didn't reach out to you? You're not as good as that girl and you never will be." There are SOOO many beautiful, gorgeous, fashionable, smart women out there it is crazy. And the feminist side of me says hell to the yeah! Who run the world? GIRLS! But the insecure, self-doubt side of me says, I'll never get to their level. And you know, sometimes the truth hurts. I probably won't be the next cmcoving because she got into blogging before it was cool and has been riding the train for years (and is tiny and cute and has amazing style). Not to mention the fact that I am totally out of the bloggosphere for 50+ hours a week working as a full time engineer. My hope is that I am able to build a decent following today that will stick with me into the future on whatever platform becomes popular next. Let's face it - Instagram isn't going to be on top forever, some may argue that even today YouTube or Snapchat is the place to be. Who knows?! Having been a rule follower my whole life and landing my dream career job right after college it was never in the cards for me to try out blogging full time. As you can see from this blog post turned rant :) the comparison you are faced with as a blogger is real and its hard and you have to be confident and see how far you've come yourself instead of looking at others.
- FOMO - For the times that I do get the event invite, I always try to go or I get serious FOMO (fear of missing out). Sometimes I just can't swing it because so many blogging events happen during the work day. And then I just see all the Instagram and blog posts and feel sad that I missed it. But the good news is - there's always another event. So don't let missing out get you down!
- Stolen content - Yep. I knew it went on, I knew it occurred, but I never thought it would happen to ME! One of my blog posts was stolen word for word. And by a blogger I knew! Even some of my pictures were used in her post with no mention that they came from me. I of course am not going to say who it was, I never even confronted them about it, I just don't see the point. It's in the past now so what can I do? Maybe next time (hopefully there isn't a next time) I'll be more brave and tell the person what's up. But this time all I can do is hope she's reading this and riddled with guilt for being a thief!! Whether it's a photo, a quote, a repost on Insta - ALWAYS give credit. Clear and explicit "This fill-in-the-blank is from _____" and tag the person or email them a link so they know. Better yet ask permission before doing it and then still give credit. Help each other out yo - it's called being a good person.
Well, what do you think? Do you want to start a blog?! Ha! Believe it or not, despite the bad outweighing the good in this post, there is much more good in blogging. I love it as a hobby, even if no one read my posts I just enjoy writing. Getting the followers is important to me because I see it as more friends! And I love to connect with people. The brand collabs and events are an extra perk! They're just plain fun. I hope you've enjoyed this post and will comment your thoughts on blogging as a blogger or as someone who is considering starting one! I'd love to chat!
Don't forget to Sparkle!
XO ~ Katie
Hello!!!
ReplyDeleteI think one of the most important things about blogging (for me) is to really think about why I'm blogging in the first place. Yes, when I decided I wanted to see where it could take me and the brands collab that could potentially happen (because I figured since I'm already putting in this much "work" - might as well see if I can monetize in the process) I did start looking at my numbers (and they weren't/aren't good!) and that made me feel down, so I'm TRYING not to look at that as much and focus on why I blog to begin with!
Also I think it's so important to support genuine, friendly and down-to-earth bloggers, because I feel like so many big and well-known bloggers forget about where they started and their readers. I don't want to be negative, but don't even get me started on some of the big bloggers out there who are completely "full of themselves". Big bloggers I've followed and admired who I had to un-follow and not support because of the crazy things they've said! Ranting about someone "copying" their outfit - CRAZY!!! If you don't want someone to "copy" your outfit, why are you blogging about it, sharing it, and including the links on where you got pieces of the outfit!?!? And who's to say you "copied" their outfit - it's FASHION! Looks are re-created and re-styled ALL THE TIME! Anyways, that's just me, and I'm learning that despite the negative sides of blogging, the positives far outweigh the negatives, and for that - I continue to blog!
(One of the most heated comments I've ever left on a blog, will probably never happen again) ;)
Thanks for sharing!
Lisa
www.theeverydayelevated.com
Hi Lisa, I appreciate your passion! I'm glad you're enjoying blogging and doing it for the right reasons. I know it can be disheartening if no one reads your posts but just remember it's all about if you love doing it or not. Just to be clear, what I mentioned someone stole from me was not an outfit, it was a lifestyle post that I wrote. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteHi Katie Anne, I DEFINITELY have experienced every single thing that you have as a blogger! It can definitely be a struggle. I literally just had a company reach out to me and they want me to include X,Y, and Z into my post but with no compensation. *insert angry emoji* I do agree with you though that things need to change. It is difficult to know if and when to draw the line because there is no 'guidebook' as to what to ask for when it comes to those things. I do agree with Lisa. Whenever I get down on myself I remember why I started and why I love to blog in the first place! I love looking at my followers/fellow bloggers as friends as well. Maybe we can link up some time!
ReplyDeleteAs always, XO and Stay FAB! ~ Stormie