A few weeks ago I read a blog post by a blogger with a very large following. While I adore this blogger’s posts and really like her style, the post really upset me. She has been blogging a few months longer than I have, and while I never consider myself an expert, I do think I know a few things about the blog world. The post contained a lot of absolutes. A lot of things we as bloggers should never do. Here’s the thing; bloggers should never speak in absolutes. There is not one right or wrong way to blog.
Here is my advice to new bloggers or people who want to blog:
DO YOUR THING
Yep, that’s it. Just do your thing. If you want to be on Blogger, or WordPress, or Squarespace, do you! If you love Instagram and want to post 5 times a day, go for it. Don’t let someone else who has been doing it longer tell you what you are doing is wrong.
Yes, there is tons of advice out there, even my own that tells you why you should do this, or how to do that. However, I know for me when I write those posts it’s more of a suggestion and a guide post, not an absolute way you should be doing this thing we call blogging. When you read blog posts that give you advice, try to remember that the person writing it is telling you what worked for them. Just because Person A never had to reach out to brands to get sponsored posts does NOT mean reaching out is wrong or you SHOULD NOT do it. This is why I hate absolutes. Bloggers read things like that and possibly miss out on huge opportunities.
One thing I read in this post that upset me was not to join blog Facebook groups. I can’t stress this enough: BLOG FACEBOOK GROUPS ARE WONDERFUL! Sure some may have drama, some may not be great, but I have found a few that I truly love and enjoy being in. I share my posts, find new blogs to read, and have a great community.
[ctt title=”Bloggers Should Never Speak In Absolutes” tweet=”Do you want to know why bloggers should never speak in absolutes? Check out @Neelykins post today!” coverup=”U0917″]
Loop giveaways: I know there are a lot of mixed messages out there. Should you do them, should you not? This is completely personal but all kinds of bloggers do them for all kinds of reasons. There is nothing wrong with them. Doing loops has not changed the amount of sponsored content I get. It has not changed anything for the worse.
The last thing is I have read multiple places that you should NEVER schedule social content. OK, not true IN MY OPINION. I schedule tweets and Facebook posts all the time and you know what my engagement is just as good on those as it is when I randomly post a tweet.
The moral of this story? The point of this post? Don’t let other bloggers who may have been doing it longer scare you into thinking a certain way. You do things the way that works for you and the way that feels the best. It doesn’t have to be the same way that blogger over there does it. Maybe she has a different audience and a different focus. But the reason why bloggers should never speak in absolutes is that they did not invent blogging. I did not invent blogging. It is constantly changing and evolving so just do you!
I would love to hear your thoughts!
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I hope you found this helpful! If you enjoyed this post make sure to check out my other blog advice posts and my blogging courses!
Thank you so very much for this post. When I started blogging, everything was perfectly fine until I started to kiss the feet of the influencers. Only ‘they’ had the right to come up with a right and wrong way to blog. At a point in my blogging I became so confused that I changed niches thrice. I still wanted to blog but I felt I was doing many things wrong.
Last week, I opened a blogging diary and my first journal entry was a list of resolutions. For example, ‘I don’t care how big you are, if your idea doesn’t resonate with my being, I discard it out the window!’.
I want to be happy blogging. Yeah, I began to look all around because my traffic stats was sickening but no more of that now. If only 20 people enjoy me I am satisfied. By the way, I produce nothing less than quality and that’s enough reason to be proud of myself and my blog.
Damn the absolutes!
Thank you so much for boosting my self esteem with this post.
I don’t schedule social media because it doesn’t work for me. It does work for others, though, so I say do whatever works.
I agree with you! There is no one right or wrong way to blog. Everyone should figure out what works best for them and do just that. Blogging advice is tricky because everyone aims for a different direction with their writing and no one should limit that. Thank you!
I would be completely lost if I didn’t schedule social media posts!! I get so busy during the day sometimes I don’t think about twitter until I am in bed scrolling through my feed!
I love this post, Neely! It’s so reassuring to hear some of the things you mentioned–i.e. just do you whenever it comes to platforms and social media. Great tips!
I have always felt that when it comes to blogging, each person needs to do what works for them and what is best for them. Everyone has different reasons to blog and different goals, it only makes sense there are different ways to go about things.
I agree that you should blog how you want and do what works best for you or what you enjoy! When blogging becomes stressful for me I take a step back from it for I don’t ever want to end up hating it. Great advice. I am visiting from a Facebook engagement group and will be sharing this via Twitter, Pinterest, and StumbleUpon 😉
Domesticated Momster…damn autocorrect
I couldn’t agree more. I like to read what works for some people and what doesn’t for others. But I pick and choose what works for me and my blog. This is my hard work and only I can decided where I want to take it.
Thanks for this post–and I agree! I used to be so worried about not posting in a consistent pattern, while everyone else’s advice said to have a posting schedule. I really depends person-to-person and what fits best for their personal schedules! 🙂
I’m new to scheduling but it has been a lifesaver for me! I still engage personally enough that people know I’m really there. But those that have jobs and things that occupy their time can rely on the things I’ve “promised” every day will be there at the same time! I have two young children and mornings can get crazy so yeah, I use a scheduler so my friends who enjoy my writing know they’ll get it even if I’m up to my eyeballs in drama over here.
Thank you for the freedom advice. I don’t like absolutes either. If all our blogs were the same it’d be boring! I’ll definitely be back for more.
Agreed! I go through phases where I don’t even read blogger tip posts because it can cloud my ideas of what I think I need to do with what I “should/shouldn’t” do! Thanks 🙂
I completely agree with you. That’s why in my blog posts, no matter if it’s blogging or baby advice, I always say this is what works for me. I totally support your message!!
I love this! As a fellow blogger, one thing that always gets on my nerves is the “bigger” bloggers saying there is only one way to success – and it happens to be their way. I believe in making my own path. Sure, there will be mistakes along the way, but don’t we learn from our own experiences? Thanks for sharing this great post!
Yes, yes, yes. Love you perspective. I have always been a big fan of “do what is right for YOU!!!”
Thank you so much for righting this post! As a new blogger I am constantly searching the internet for advice and what I “should” be doing, but your post really puts it all into perspective. I’m so grateful that you took the time to remind all of us that blogging is different for each person and we have to ride our own wave as we see fit. I will definitely keep this in mind every time I am writing a new post!
Truth, I’ve been feeling bit judged lately. I started blogging in Feb. I truly have no idea what’s going on. I’ve worked very hard to get to where I am and I feel embarrassed reading some posts telling me what’s ‘right’. Sometimes I panic and feel they are entirely directed at me and feel even more idiotic. I needed to read this, thanks!
Awesome post! In the beginning I was lost reading all of the should and shouldn’t suggestions. I had to finally make up my mind to not let all of those post intimate me from being true to my content. Thanks for sharing!
What a great post! I absolutely agree with you that we shouldn’t be bound by what all the successful bloggers are telling us. We might be paving our own way to success – just because something works for somebody else doesn’t mean that it works for everybody. I definitely think that those posts should be taken at face value: they can offer super helpful tips, and but they are NOT the be all end all.
Emma | http://www.creativexplorations.com
For sure! I’m all for scheduling social media, and (in my opinion) it’s not about how you shouldn’t schedule posts, but you shouldn’t ONLY schedule. You should remember to go back and engage on the social channels with the people who are engaging/commenting/liking/etc.
I so agree with what you say here! I feel like blogging is different for different people and I always hate it when I come across posts with “rules” about what you should or should not do. I believe that many people have different blogging goals – some are to make money, some are to share content, etc., and so the way that you approach it will vary based on what your goals are.
Also, I just have to ask – was the title of your blog intended to be ironic? I hope that’s not a rude question but it just made me laugh a little bit 🙂
Great post! I completely agree that the experience is for different people and what works for some people may not work for others. Take all advice with a grain of salt, and keep an open mind!
xo, alice / T Y P E N U
I couldn’t agree more. Absolutes are so discouraging and in this community, I want us all to strive for excellence and win! Let’s encourage one another instead of doing the opposite. What works for one person won’t work for everyone so just find your flow and go with it! March to the beat of your own drummer. I feel like blogging is the one thing you can do how ever you want to!
SO SO TRUE! Every blog and readership is different and absolutes get people nowhere but trapped in boxes.
Be the author of your own story,
Rebecca Kelsey Sampson
I agree 100% with everything you said! Are there things that one blogger does that I probably won’t because they don’t work for me? Absolutely. But it’s not my call to say that what they’re doing is wrong!
Absolutely!!!! 😉
LOL Oops! Hit too soon. 😉 I couldn’t agree more. I’m trying to pluck just the right amount of advice and courage from bloggers, but find I have to take it all with a grain of salt. No advice is 100% for everyone and success shouldn’t come at the cost of not being true to yourself.
Totally and utterly agree. Especially on the FB groups! It’s how I found this post 🙂
I think a lot of bloggers have had successes with different things. I love fb groups, and would not be blogging if not for them. The support, education and kindness of the women in these groups is amazing. As far as social media etc., I definitely listen carefully to the bigger, successful bloggers, but as with anything you have to do what feels right and fits you and your blog. There is so much great info out there and blogging has such a huge learning curve what with everything changing on what feels like a daily basis. You are right, there are no absolutes in blogging and I have learned to “never say never”! great post!
This is so what I needed, Neely! I’ve been reading so much blogging advice these past two months as I’ve been getting my blogging legs under me and so much of it seems either conflicting or not in line with what I’ve found works for me! Thanks for the reminder that it’s okay to just do your thing.
I would be a mess if I didn’t schedule social media!!
Yep yep yep! I used to write in absolutes because I saw big bloggers doing it, but I’ve gone back and now ALL of my blogging tips/trick posts have a disclosure at the top saying that “THIS IS WHAT’S WORKED FOR ME!” at the top (or somewhere in the post.) I think big name bloggers write like that because it’s an awesome sales tactic, but it definitely doesn’t mean that you HAVE to do something a certain way to be successful!
This makes me feel much better as it’s so easy to get lost in the daily threads and posts and almost blog land rat race! Thanks for reminding us that we have to be authentic to ourselves and our blogs. No absolutes, I love it.
Such a great post. The world is not black and white and neither is blogging. There is a place for everyone’s story and the way they want to tell it.
I totally agree, while it’s great to give tips…it’s important to still stay true to you and what you want to do!
I am a blogging newbie, but I agree with you!!!
I love this!!! I am constantly trying to figure out “how everyone else is doing it” and comparing myself to that. I think everyone should do what works for them and I’ve been trying to follow that!
I definitely agree with you on all of this! There is no right or wrong way to blog, and what works for one blogger might not work for someone else or vise versa. Keep doing you and blog however you want to! Also Facebook groups are the bomb!
xo
Sami
http://www.theclassicbrunette.com
This is such a great post. It drives me crazy when bloggers speak in absolutes, especially because a lot of the time my feelings are opposite what they’re saying!
I think this is awesome. Even though it’s also advice haha, your advice is to take advice with a grain of salt which is SO true! Plus only Siths deal in absolutes.. (hope you get the reference!)
Neely, I couldn’t agree more. I think this can also be applied to life in general: It’s great to be able to offer up suggestions to try and help someone else succeed, but ultimately we, as individuals, need to be able to go through a process of trial and error to find the best solutions for our situations.
I only found you and many other great blogs via Facebook group and i love it. it depends what group you are in and how much are you invested in that group…additionally, the whole thing about what works for you may or may not work for me..thank you for sharing this 🙂
This was super encouraging and helpful to hear! I am often getting down on myself for not doing all the things I SHOULD be doing for my blog. But the reality is, I have a job, a family, and well, a life other than blogging! I want my blog to succeed but I have to stay true to myself and my other priorities as well. Thanks so much for sharing!
So true. Those kinds of posts are such a turn off. It’s one thing to give advice based on what’s worked for you individually or what HASN’T worked for you and why, but anytime I come across absolute posts (like what you’re referring to), it just makes me so stressed out because there’s so much conflicting information out there. Do you 😉
No formula is right for everyone, and the only way we’ll know what works for us is to try different things!
As someone who works full time outside of the home, I can’t imagine not scheduling my social media at all. I would be so stressed haha
xoxo, Jenny
I so agree. I think it’s important to make blogging work for you and your schedule, if not it stops being fun. Thanks for sharing!
I completely agree. I have mental battles with myself on word choice whenever I write blog posts…because who are you to tell other what to do right? Great post 🙂
You are absolutely right about absolutes! 🙂 All bloggers are different and things that might work for one of us might not work well for the others.
Scheduling social media has been wonderful for me! I know “to each his own” and I completely agree with you regarding “no absolutes!!”
This was such a good post, I had to share it! It’s good to read and understand what other bloggers, especially those bigger than you, are doing to be successful. However, it’s important that a blogger find what works for them and their audience. There definitely isn’t a one-size-fits all approach to blogging and social media strategy. Great read!
Love this! There are so many things that work for other people!
I couldn’t agree with you more! I have been blogging for about 5 years and do a lot of stuff some say should never be done–hey they work for me!! The best advice is–do what You feel comfortable with and the rest will follow!
*sigh* I hear ya. Sometimes blogging is rough. I feel like i am doing things wrong and second guess myself constantly. Thanks for your post. It was encouraging.:)
In many cases, there are no guarantees when it comes to blog traffic or otherwise in blogging. It’s important to understand this and roll with the punches.
I’ve had this blog post saved for days and was so glad to read this today. I think you make some really amazing and very valid points–this, especially: that just because something has worked for one blogger does NOT mean that it will work for another. And while I always appreciate the insight I receive from bloggers who’ve been doing it longer (and better!) than I have, it’s important to keep in mind that maybe it’s just not my bag to do it THEIR way. And that’s totally okay!
Anyway, thanks for this–it’s great and really refreshing to read a post that tells me to JUST DO ME 🙂 I will! XOXO and have a great weekend!
I followed and liked on your bloglovin 🙂 I can’t believe I wasn’t already following you actually because I love your blog.
Anyway: yes I totally agree. I think getting advice from more established bloggers is great.. but what works for one does not work for all. And heck, some of the things I’ve thought “oh, ok well I’ll do that” came back to bite me in the rear.
You do you, really is the best advice!
xxox
Laura @ http://www.cookwineandthinker.com
I’m newish to blogging and had wondered if the content or blogging at the right time (when it became mainstream) would affect the overall success . I’m none the wiser and learn as I go! Thank you for this post 🙂
I agree with this. Just the way you are. sometimes there’s too much control over other people’s lives, and it’s annoying