I would say that my ideas for this space and the connections that I have made within the blogging world have grown leaps and bounds over the past year – but my stats don’t reflect that at all. Why? Because I’ve only been putting in the bare minimum effort when it comes to posting regularly, setting/meeting goals, coming up with interesting content, responding to comments, and social networking with other bloggers. I’ve been doing this blogging thing for so long that I’ve started to act like I shouldn’t have to work for it. I’m really frustrated with myself because every time I start to succeed at something I tend to let it fall by the wayside. I feel like I have more of a handle on how to run a successful blog now than I ever have and yet there’s almost nothing that I could show you that would point to that as true.
I don’t blame anyone who has jumped ship during this time. It’s been so stale around here and I feel like I owe my readers an apology for expecting them to continue to flock to my blog and comment on things that don’t really stand out or demand attention. It’s time to quit feeling entitled to having followers, sponsors, page views, and comments just because I’ve been around a while or because I’ve worked with a few brands. I could say I don’t care about the numbers but that would be a lie because some of my goals are business oriented. I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all. I firmly believe in staying true to myself and my blogging style and if no one ever read my blog I’d still keep at it – but setting a goal to grow my readership and open up more opportunities for myself is definitely something I’m happy to work toward and not ashamed to admit!
I didn’t have to write all of this out and I know that. I could have just made a mental note and started making plans to move forward, be better, work harder. The thing is – I just kind of miss being open with you guys! I hope y’all will give me another chance! And I apologize if anyone feels like this now. ;]
You *loved* maiedae. You should take Jenny Highsmiths advice and "Lets Start Habits". Right now put of my goal is just to write one blog every Saturday. I'd love to see a blogger that maintains a job, family life, and still has time to blog. It doesn't seem like those types of bloggers exist anymore. It seems like bloggers either struggle to maintain steady posting or they have enough sponsors that their blog also their job.
I do love Maidae, and I almost joined in on Jenny's "Let's Start Habits" project but saw it as another bandwagon I would jump on and fall off of! Plus, I have about a hundred habits I need to start on! Haha. But I know I need to choose one at a time or I'll never get anywhere! Blogging every Saturday is a great goal. 🙂
You bring up a very interesting point though about most "successful" bloggers being fully committed to their blogs as their job. Of course that seems to be the ultimate goal, right? I know that I would jump at the chance to blog full time if I could generate the same amount of income doing it. When I think about the ladies out there managing jobs and kids AND blogs – I really start to feel lazy. Whew. If we threw kids into the mix y'all would probably never hear from me again. 😉
Beautiful honesty. I think it's awesome that you're open about your goals and also okay with just blogging for the love of it. I've been a bit absent from my own of late. 🙂
Thanks, Catherine! Taking little breaks can be just what we need sometimes! I'd just like to start planning for mine in the future vs. just disappearing. 😉
There is certainly nothing wrong with making your blog a business, especially if you are being honest about it and happy doing it. And there is also nothing wrong either if you blog just because you love to and don't care about a following. I think we all care to a certain extent though: for me, it's having a following that truly cares about my content and the person behind it. I don't need a huge following, just a regular following of people I can really connect with. Of course, that might change whenever I retire from what I do now. Either way, I stop blogging when it begins to feel like a chore or if I'm feeling uninspired. I hope you continue to blog because I like your style and the personality that comes through on your blog! -Jess L
Thanks Jessica! There have been times when blogging has felt a little bit like a chore or I've felt uninspired, but I'm glad I've pushed through. It's definitely something I know I would miss if I quit it all together! And I completely agree about wanting to have a following that truly cares about what I write and that I can connect with. I would love to see my blog grow and with that would come more traffic/a larger following – but if it never happens I will continue to blog and be content! =)
I definitely struggle with my blogging purpose and confidence a lot. A few years ago I blogged more regularly and without much thought but received a lot of views and comments (at least compared to recently). I kind of dropped blogging for a while and then picked things back up last year, but it's been a struggle trying to recover after having taken so much time off. Unfortunately during the time I wasn't blogging was right when Pinterest was created and the whole blogging industry boomed. I feel like I sort of "missed the train," so to speak.
Now I'm back in the swing of things, playing catch up, and trying to really grow my blog and I'm always struggling to figure out how to please my readers while being true to myself. Like you said, I think staying true to yourself is always the most important thing when blogging. I find the most enjoyable blogs to read are those whose authors are genuine and honest. I usually think quality of post over quantity is always better. So even if you're not posting as frequently, when you do, if the content and whole-heartedness is there, your readers should respond to that.
I don't think you missed the train at all. 🙂 But playing catch up after time off can definitely make it feel that way. I think we all have a little something different and unique to offer when it comes to blogging – we just have to figure out how to convey it in a way that makes our readers feel engaged and interested. I think that's the hardest part – discovering what sets you apart from everyone else. Or for me it is. And I agree – genuine/honest bloggers catch my attention every time! Quality over quantity is 100% better, but I'm trying to work towards producing a larger quantity of quality posts. 😉 I think it can be really helpful to give your readers something to look forward to every day (or every other day), if it's possible to do so.
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