Wednesday, September 12, 2012 I Can't Be The Blogger You Want Me To Be
In blogging as in life there are the "cool kids". The kids who think they have it all figured out, a fair amount of whom actually seem to have figured it out for themselves anyway. They come out with posts and sessions where they tell you how to be a "cool kid" just like them.
You should write your posts like this.
You should promote them like this.
If you do anything the "cool kids" don't like like work with brands in ways they don't condone, write posts that are not fully composed beautiful essays from a unique and fresh perspective 3 days a week (more is too frequent, less is not creating a fully engaged community) and on and on and on then you are not serious enough and we will vote you off the island.
Zing!
Bleh, I've had enough. BlogHer was sort of the stake to the heart of blogging this year. My previous blog was eclectic and a bit scattered, but people were engaged and commented and I was happy. So maybe the "cool kids" won't like me, but when I try to be who they want me to be I feel zapped of all energy and inclination to write.
MY NEW MANIFESTO
I will do product reviews, primarily on YouTube because I enjoy trying out new products.
I will try to stay to the content areas highlighted above: Woman, Mother, Blogger, Vlogger, Photographer, Friday 5 -- but sometimes I won't.
I will vlog more because I love it. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I don't read everything you write so it's okay if you don't watch everything I post either.
I will blog/vlog a lot when I feel the urge to do so and back away when I don't and I won't feel guilty for it either way.
I will stop listening to what "they" say and start listening to me more.
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What about you? Have you had a shift in the way you blog/vlog lately?
I seem to be getting that vibe a lot from the blogosphere.
Reader Comments (12)
ZING! Love it. I am totally with you... in a Cartman-esque "Whateva, I do what I want!" kinda way. I suppose I've always been like that. I take each piece of advice about blogging, parenthood, etc with a grain of salt. I love talking about a variety of topics, and I hate being locked into a niche. Yes, I'm a Mom. Yes, I like beer... guess what? There's more to life than those two topics!
I'm sad that BlogHer put a stake into your blogging heart... especially if that means I won't get to hang with you at BlogHer next year. However... I do completely understand.
Keep writing & vlogging with that brilliant spirit I adore... I'll always have your back, sista!!
I'm with Kelli. Keep doing what you do. I appreciate it and enjoy your blog. You inspire me. The cool kids are never as cool as they think they are. Maybe we're the cool kids and they are jealous of us - ever stop to consider that?? No, me either.....:)
Kelli: Thanks for having my back and for always being so supportive. If I am lucky enough to receive an invite to Disney Social Media Moms next year I will attend that. Otherwise, I am done with blogging conferences for a long time, maybe for good.
Thanks, Judi! I'm pretty sure they don't want to be me, but that's okay. I just need to be me for ME. Trying to be them or make them like me has made me fall out of love with something that I have adored for a really long time.
Ah, yes, you should. Be who you are and whatever however whoever you wanna be!!! Because I like you that way. ;)
I think if we stay true to ourselves and who we are, why we blog will be for ourselves. We'll do it how we want to and it'll work for us. And those who enjoy us will still enjoy us. Screw the haters!
Oh, and one of the best things about BlogHer is that I saw you like 900x. :)
You have to be true to yourself first and foremost. That is what will resonate with your readers and make you a happy camper. Sorry it has been a struggle for you but happy you are figuring out what you want out of your space.
Andrea: Zing! Screw the haters!
At first I thought you said something about P90x and I was all you have me confused with someone else. Heh. I loved seeing you a a bazillion times at BlogHer too.
Thanks for the support Lizzy!
I'm always suspicious of the people who say that there is a correct formula for successful blogging. I think they mean what they did that worked for their version of success, and they forget that that isn't universal.
I'm all for going rogue. Define your own success balanced out of your own personal needs and wants. Love what you do on your own terms. Blogging is such big, wide, varied pool of everything, it only makes sense that there as many ways to come at it.
Everyone used to say the Atkins diet was the best diet ever for weight loss and a more natural style of eating, but Mr. Atkins dropped dead of a massive coronary. Don't by the hype.
I avoided all the BlogHer sessions about how to be popular and concentrated on the more technical aspects, because fame and the fame-seekers do not represent the whole community, and they're not my community. I'm sorry you ran into that crap there.
You just keep on with your bad self.
I have been blogging for about 19 months now. I started out blog about the challenges of parenting and being a working mom. Now, I also blog about politics. These are two very different genres of blogging that target very different audiences. Basically, I have just learned to be myself across the board. I find that my overall style is somewhat unconventional for the political website I contribute to, and I had to come to terms with the fact that I am just not a political analyst/reporter. Long story short, I don't want to sell out. I do my best to try and apply my unique perspective to various types of writing, so that throughout it all, it is ME speaking, my own way, using my own voice.
I definitely don't have all the answers about how to be a successful blogger (wish I did), but I know that I do my best to provide quality content to my readers. It is really all about the content, isn't it? If I can elicit some emotional response as well, then that is just icing on the cake.
I believe that if you try to be something you are not, your writing will suffer and it won't be fun anymore. And who would want to waste their time doing something that didn't bring them a little enjoyment???? Stay true to yourself and your talents - always.
Well said!
I am *so* with you on this one! After I attended BH a few years ago, I realized how much I didn't want to be like the cool kids, no matter how detrimental it was to my blog (the old one). I started posting a lot less and definitely lost some readers, but I was sooo much happier with what I was putting out & how I felt about blogging.