I’ve been reading blogs for about three hours today. I mean really reading them. I’ve read everything from some of the most popular blogs to small ones. I’ve read a lot of content. None of it means anything to me. I know about a lot of sales that are happening and reading lists, but I don’t know their story. I have nothing to really take away from what I am reading.
*Cue rant.*
There are still some of us who want to read long-form posts. We want to hear about the struggles someone else is going through. I don’t honestly care what you bought this week. Occasionally, I do. But why not share some real-life struggles you’re going through? Maybe let us know that not everything is perfect? I’m so tired of reading blog posts that feel like a computer could have written it. There’s no person behind the words. Just content being pushed out into the world. Do we really need more content just for content sake? Cute shoes. Love those flowers. But do you though? Don’t you want more as a reader? Heck, don’t you want more blogger to blogger?
As someone who has written those super-personal posts I get how hard it is to put it out there. I know how draining it is to do that. It’s not possible to keep that up for every single post. However, you don’t have to have a raw confession every single post, just maybe put a little bit of yourself into everything you’re doing. I want to know more about you, your dog, your family. You have a story! I’m so thankful for the bloggers that have shared themselves and I’ve been able to meet in real life. It’s the best feeling ever when you meet someone you’ve been reading about for years and be able to instantly talk to them, because they were real. There was no difference between who they were online and who they were in real life.
I have a “blog” life and a personal life. I do keep some things private because I want to have a personal life. My bigger point to this is that you can share a lot about yourself, your dreams, fears, place in life without having to invade your personal life. I went through a weird phase of not blogging when I didn’t know who I was. Guess what? I wasn’t able to connect with any content and I decided it was better to temporarily close-shop rather than just push out content. I’m NOT tooting my own horn. I’ve totally put out content just to put out content during a filler week or two. I’ve been blogging for five years. It happens to all of us.
All I’m asking is this, be the content you want to see
Respect the time that your readers are spending on your blog. Thank you all for the time and in some cases, years, you have spent reading my story. I hope that you never feel taken for granted. You are part of my story. You are the reason I want to dig-in and write real content. I know that I want to see more open, honest content and I have to be part of the change I want to see in the world.
Molly
Amen! I was lamenting with a couple folks on Twitter about how sad we were about the state of blogging. I’ve been blogging in one form or another since Open Diary and what I loved about it back then was seeing real stories of people’s lives. I don’t care if people make money off their blogs, and I like clothes even, but I want more personal stories. I’ve always loved your blog because of the funny or heartwarming stories, and I just wish I could find more like them.
Ashley
I struggle with this not only because yes, it’s tough to share more about what happens behind that blogging curtain- but also, DO people care? I also wonder about channel delivery- like, is it better/more user-intuitive for a blog post to get right to the point, but I can be a little more unscripted/off the cuff on Insta stories?
You’ve given me some food for thought, lady! Great post!
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
Joanne M
Yes to all of this! I feel the exact same way. I love writting posts that are more than just ‘here’s my outfit’, but instead, ‘this is my story.’ Those mean so much more to mean. I also love reading those types of posts which is why I keep coming back here;)
lyddiegal
I feel like you are reading my mind. Lately I feel like so many blog posts are just blah posts. I don’t need to know how to tie a scarf (on you neck! on your bag! on your head!) or how to style a polka dot skirt (with a solid top!). I can figure those things out on my own, thanks. It’s left me feeling like I don’t know what to write anymore, I don’t know what I want to read anymore… I miss feeling connected to other bloggers, I miss feeling like they were my friends and not just strangers telling me to buy another dress. I would love to see more personal posts, but you are right, it can be hard to go there, and you wonder if anyone is reading them at all.
http://www.iamchiconthecheap.com
Ada
This resonated with me so much because A) I feel exactly the same way you do and B) I am one of those bloggers who posts a lot of personal things thrown in with an outfit post or a separate personal post altogether. This year in particular I have gone through a lot and made mention of it in my blog. I have also started showing a deep, intimate and different side of me by posting a bunch of the poems I write. I don’t know if you have stopped by in a while or not but I try to always be myself and not a cookie-cutter blogger. My life isn’t perfect. Neither are my photos or outfits. But I am real and genuine and I like to open up and I don’t care for doing a lot of filler content. There is a ton of that out there already.
Thank you for always keeping it real. Though I don’t have time to comment I still stop and read here from time to time Alissa. And you look stunning in that beautiful red dress. Red is my color and I have a thing for red dresses!!
Love you girl. 😙 Ada.
lauren
couldn’t agree more! I do not care about sales at all, and I believe that a feeling of constant “need” for “things” is not the way I want to live my life as much as I can help it. I avoid reading content like that because it’s not enriching or personal, in my opinion. of course, I buy new things like anyone else, but reading about new outfits all day seems so superficial to me. just my two cents 🙂 great post!
Alison at Wardrobe Oxygen
LOVE THIS! I think the problem is a lot of people don’t blog for a connection, they blog for a paycheck. And it works… at least for now. But I think audiences start feeling like you, they want a bit more. They want a reason to keep following or to choose one blog over another that provides essentially the same content. I don’t judge those who choose to blog purely as a revenue stream, we’ve all had jobs where our heart wasn’t in it but we still did it and to the absolute best of our ability. I just want readers to know there’s options. They find a blog through a Google search or the Discover page of Instagram or their friend suggests it. They may not know there are literally millions of other blogs out there, and may be one that is a better fit for her needs, her personality, or desire to know the writer better.
Okay novel over. I love this post, and love how you get us to think while still looking positively adorable. You look so great in red!
Nikki
This is so inspiring because, as a blogger, I’ve been wanting to write more about life and my authentic experiences but I always convince myself that no one wants to read about my boring life or no one wants to hear my thoughts on things. But authenticity is so important to me that I somewhat “rebranded” my blog to incorporate more of me into it. And I’ve stopped following some blogs because of their lack of personality and real-life feel, so it’s reassuring to know that there’s at least one person out there who understands. Thanks so much for sharing!
http://www.nikkibyexample.com
Dorota
That is a great point. I’ve actually written a post about something similar, yet a little different, but never published it. I thought I am not yet a blogger, I’ve just started and I think I need more time to understand the issue more in-depth. Since I’ve never published it I thought you won’t mind if I share it here, with you. I’ve been blogging for slightly over a month and I don’t have much experience but what I noticed nearly immediately is how shallow most of the comments under posts are. Surely you noticed, it’s almost like they published commercials. Just: “nice blog”, “great post”, “great tips”, “nice pictures”. Seriously, it annoyed the living hell out of me. Each time I visit another blog I try to give something from myself, I try to respond to the content the author put out there (which yes, is usually about collaborations, clothes and lipstick shades – which are also useful, but a little… robotic, like you said). Also, there are no comments with criticism – for example, if they don’t like my fat ass still all of these girls are going to say how great I look.
Sometimes I leave comments of the length of this one under some posts and try to communicate (through the comment) with the author and most of the time the response I get is either none, or “thanks”. And I’m not saying that each author should engage so much with the readers, but surely they could at least try sometimes. On some blogs longer responses are written for comments like “great lipstick shade” than for such as this one.
Also, since I started blogging I was visiting many blogs (just to find out what I like, what I want to write about and generally scout the territory) and I’ve seen hundereds. Sometimes my boyfriend sees my screen and what he says is: “why are you on the same blog for 3 hours already?”. I wasn’t… these blogs are just quite the same.
Sorry for the rant!
Dorota
http://www.fetchcandle.wordpress.com
Maria Victoria
Loved your post! 100% true! My favorite part of blogs: being able to connect with the author! It’s so hard in today’s blogging world!
Maddy
thank you for this! Seriously I am so sick of seeing useless blog posts. Its frustrating that these women are making a living off linking another striped t-shirt with nothing interesting to say. With your train of thought, I took a while off blogging and lately I’ve been cutting down on the amount of times I post. Thank you for sharing and keeping your blog alive + interesting. I know I don’t need to know about any more sales but I do love to learn about people.
xo, Maddy
http://cassidylou.com/