
Before the blog tidy, the most popular post here was a response to a Mumsnet thread about bloggers. It was a bit Mrs Shouty. The Mumsnet connection means it's unlikely to ever shift from the top spot. Each time I saw it on my sidebar, I winced. I wasn't proud of it. So it's gone. Lurking in drafts as a reminder of my own up-myself-ness.
It's been used as the basis of something (hopefully) more useful. My reality as a blogger and a few of misconceptions I've noticed along the way.
- It's easy peasy, lemon squeezey. No it isn't. Blogging gets fitted in around everything else. Creating good content regularly and sharing it so people find it takes work. Actual work. Even if they find it, not everyone will like it. My thing may not be your thing. That's okay. It's a big Internet.
- Readers appear as if by magic. If that was true, every blogger would be successful, with a huge readership. Blogging is all about the long haul. Building a readership and creating relationships with other bloggers takes time and effort. It is hard work, but not "hard work" like the kitchen and cleaning jobs in the old people's home I had at university.
- Brands offer you all the freebies. Brands are all business and want to work with bloggers that reach the right (large) audience. If you don't offer that, they're not interested. Which is fair enough. That freebie isn't really free though. Brands want a post, links, a social media share etc in exchange. There are a few related ones as well, like bloggers are marketing shrills writing any old nonsense for freebies / money. Charming!
- Blogging is really glamourous. Sitting on the sofa typing, watching Endeavour ... Yeah, right.
- Everything is seen as potential content. Anything could be turned into a blog post or photographed. (But just because you could, doesn't mean you should so boundaries get drawn).
- We care about the numbers. If you write it, you hope people will come and enjoy reading it. It's brilliant when they do. But numbers aren't the be all and end all. The blogosphere is massive and household names are the tip of the iceberg. Most of us are just blogging on. The opportunity to make new friends, be creative, learn new skills etc are also important.
- All support is appreciated. Every tweet, favourite, #FF, share and comment is like getting a present. Getting to know my fellow bloggers, realising that I actually have readers who aren't my husband and friends. If I could high-five or buy you a coffee, I would. Thank you so much.
Any popular myths about blogging I've missed? Let me know in the comments.
This is so useful to me as my blog has literally been going for a week so I'm a complete newbie at this. Just realising how mindboggling blogging is! Thank you for this. x #MarvMondays
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure. I'm glad you found it useful. Welcome!
DeleteThis is all so true! It's actually a lot harder work than people think! #bigpinklink
ReplyDeleteIt is! Not super hard like a few jobs I've had, but it is hard. Thank you for the lovely comment
DeleteBlogging is a parallel universe, with its own language, codes, etiquette and full of lovely, supportive people. Unless you are on the blogging planet, you wouldn't have a clue. It has blown me away what a huge community it is and everything that comes with that. Alison x #MarvMondays
ReplyDeleteIt is! You don't realise until you're part of it just want a huge, lovely community it is. Thank you for the lovely comment :)
DeleteYou've totally hit the nail in the head with this and I'm going to share it everywhere!! Well done. Maybe now people may understand what I do all night long!! ๐๐ #marvmondays
ReplyDeleteThank you so much. i'm glad it helped.
DeleteIt's so true that blogging takes work and that we have to fit it around everything else we have to do!
ReplyDelete#TwinklyTuesday
It is! If only there was more time in the day. Thank you for commenting
DeleteBlogging is relentless! It's nit just the writing but all the promotion. The upside is that you get to read some great posts from other x #MarvMondays #TwinklyTuesday x
ReplyDeleteThere is that. I've read some wonderful things over the years and expect to read plenty more.
DeleteThis is SO true! Blogging is NOT easy at all. It takes time and effort.. Same with the readers and page views/stats! People do not realise just how hard blogging is. xx #Bestandworst
ReplyDeleteThey don't. It's a lot of work. Fun, but a lot of work.
DeleteI agree with the numbers thins 100%. I didn't start this to have hundreds of followers, just to meet some people who had something in common with me who I could talk with #bigpinklink
ReplyDeleteThat's why I started. The opportunity to meet new people as well as learn new things. That's been great :)
DeleteGreat post, I'm really new to blogging, it's been such an eye opener and hard work to get readers as each post needs promoting but I'm going to keep going xx #TwinklyTuesday
ReplyDeleteIt's great fun and once you start, it's hard to stop. Enjoy and welcome aboard :)
DeleteYes to all the above! So many people say Oooh I'm going to start a blog for the free stuff, or get me some free stuff. It ain't free people, we have to work for it! x #TwinklyTuesday
ReplyDeleteSomeone is getting all my free stuff! No fair! ;) Frankly if you're in it only for that, you're get bored very quickly. The amount of work in relation to the freebies is immense.
DeleteBlogging is definitely hard work and very time consuming. It isn't writing the post for me, it is editing photos and all the support that goes with it. My friends (non bloggers) just think I do it for fun, they don't regard it as work at all, even though it is my main way of marketing Coombe Mill. #sharewithme
ReplyDeleteAnd you do an amazing job :) I'm a complete townie and your posts have made me love the idea of a farm holiday. I'm having trouble selling it to everyone else though :)
DeleteI could agree with this more haha! I get all of these myths thrown at me often! Thanks for linking up with #bigpinklink H x
ReplyDeleteI've got off fairly lightly considering, but sometimes it gets annoying. Thank you for commenting :)
DeleteHa ha, if only some of these were true!
ReplyDelete#Bestandworst
Indeed. Thank you for commenting :)
DeleteAh felt like not seen you in ages!! Hope all is ok with you. This post is so true. I feel a bit stumped about what to write about at the moment - sometimes every situation isn't a post. You are right. And nothing is for free!! Thanks for sharing with #bestandworst x
ReplyDeleteAll okay now. Had an interesting few months. Thank you for hosting and the lovely comment. Congratulations on the new one - she looks adorable! The Gremlin has changed a lot too, very much the little lady! :)
DeleteYes to all of this! I get a lot of comments around this said to me. If only it was as easy as people think it is. x #marvmondays
ReplyDeleteYes to this! It's a bit like being a swan - glorious exterior, loads of hard slog going on underneath
DeleteThanks for these, love your honesty and humour :) . I'd love to work with brands but have low self confidence and can't sell myself. #bestandworst
ReplyDeleteThe odd thing has found me, but I've never pitched or anything like that. Like you, I wouldn't quite know where to start and don't really have the confidence. And I'm not sure I'd want to turn this into a business. I think that would suck out the fun element for me.
DeleteTruth! I never appreciated the work that goes into blogging. I do like your last point! Support is appreciated and great when it's more then just your family reading your blog. Thanks for sharing #sharewithme
ReplyDeleteIt's not until you try it, you realise just how much goes into it. I'm so grateful when people respond :) Thank you for the lovely comment
DeleteGreat post, completely agree with these. I think with blogging you definitely get out what you put in, and thats something that not a lot of people realise. Just how much time it takes to create a successfull blog and keep it going. I'd also say that blogging is very much a community and definitely a huge plus :-) Fab post, thanks for sharing it on #MarvMondays. Emily
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I've met some lovely people whilst wondering about the internet. I feel very privileged. Thank you for hosting
DeleteOhhhh yes - blogging is hard work. Time consuming and hard but wonderful :) Thanks for linking up with #TwinklyTuesday
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting each week. Hope all is well :)
DeleteGreat post - thanks for linking to #sharewithme - lots of my friends and family haven't a clue what I do or why.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure. Thank you for hosting each week.
DeleteLoved this post! So true about it being hard work, my blog is very much a hobby but even that is all encompassing at times! #blogstorm
ReplyDeleteIt is! I really need to reclaim some of my evenings and lunch breaks.
DeleteAbsolutely! This thing that starts out as a little hobby for most of us has such legs we can often barely keep up with it, yet non-bloggers and PRs still think we will drop everything for a free bottle of shampoo or a coffee, and that it's all easy as pie. Well said!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the lovely comment :)
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