Blogging is a ton of work. A TON! And I am just talking about having an idea, writing a post, making pics, tagging, categorizing, and optimizing. Doing those tasks alone would fill anyone’s day.
Now throw in the promotion. Making sure you share all of your posts on social media, at the right time and often.
Next, there are all the groups you participate in. You are an active part of the blogging community in general and in your particular niche.
For most of us, it is a one man show. We do it all. And there are only so many hours in a day.
Almost all bloggers will tell you that they began because of their love of writing or as a form of therapy. But something happens when they get involved. Everyone all of a sudden is concerned with pageviews, exposure and ultimately, making money. There is nothing wrong with wanting to take your blog to the next level. But you must accept how much one person can do before they burn out.
Unfortunately, many bloggers become over-whelmed, not see the results, become disillusioned and abandon their blogs. I honestly can see why. What began as writing about life, fritters away because they no longer have a life.
It is so disheartening to see great bloggers fizzle out and slowly exit our community.
I honestly blame the amount of blogging advice available on the internet. We, as bloggers, are continually bombarded with masses of information telling us what we should do, how we should do it and what we should be concerned about.
I am here to tell you to stop being distressed with every little aspect of blogging. You can not do it all. You shouldn’t do it all. You need to have a life, enjoy writing and be patient. People will find you. Trust me.
Things Bloggers Need To Stop Worrying About
Google/Alexa Ranking
I am no expert and unless you are on this topic or you can afford to pay someone to handle website optimization, you need to stop worrying about your ranking. There is so much conflicting information out there on this topic AND it is constantly changing.
There also is evidence that ranking is no longer relevant at all.
I am not saying that you shouldn’t use Yoast, add keywords and complete alt tags on your pics. However, I find the excessive obsession with ranking a complete waste of time. I do what I need to do when I create a post and then I step away.
Have a look at your favourite, largest blogs. The ones that get millions of views a month. Most of the time, I read their posts and I think there is no keyword or optimization that could possibly be done. How do they get the traffic? They built an audience on content only and stuck it out.
I have no idea what my ranking is or how many link backs I have. Search engines find me. They will eventually find you.
Number of Followers
And by this I mean on your blog and all of your social media. I know a lot of people look at my accounts and see that I don’t always follow back. That is because I refuse to get on the follow me and I will follow your back train.
I follow who I want to follow. I like to be able to look at my feeds and not have it filled with posts that I am not interested in. I like to be engaged with whom I follow.
This means that my following is not as large and has not grown as fast as some bloggers. People unfollow me all the time. So what. I would rather have an engaged audience that is interested in my blog and my profiles than a ton of people who have followed me just for the sake of numbers.
You must understand that on some platforms, particularly FaceBook, having a huge number of followers that never look at your page actually hurts you. I personally have seen accounts with thousands of followers and no retweets, no likes and no pins. How did their huge following help them? In reality, not at all.
Automatic follow threads and follow backs do not necessarily bring you more traffic and can be a huge waste of your limited time. If it doesn’t work for you, stop.
Reciprocation
This is a huge, unnecessary time waster and well beyond the follow back I spoke of above. A lot of people get trapped into this. Bloggers are in general, great, supportive people. We want to help others and we want to reciprocate the love that comes our way.
However, if you have been blogging for any amount of time, you will see that this particular task can become really, really time-consuming.
I am here to tell you that you don’t have to read, comment, like, tweet back, pin etc. to absolutely everyone that has been nice enough to do that for you. Unless you have figured out time travel or your days have more than 24 hours, you will never be able to keep that up forever.
Conversely, you need to stop obsessing with keeping track of which bloggers you have done the above for. Be understanding. Maybe that blogger that didn’t read or comment back on your post isn’t interested in your topic or maybe they have a niche of bloggers that they are already committed to sharing with. Don’t keep a scorecard.
Read for the love of reading. Share for the love of helping. Comment for the love of adding your voice to the conversation.
Stop making your involvement in the blogging community based on self forced responsibility and engage how, when and with whom you want!
I know and accept that many will probably not agree with the above. I’m ok with that.
I love blogging. I love bloggers. I love helping my community and helping others make their blogs into everything they want them to be.
I hate seeing bloggers, that have a great voice and content, become disenchanted and give up. You are valid. Your blogs help and connect people. Your blogs are a voice for those that do not speak up. Your blogs open up a world that may be unknown or closed to some.
Stop trying to do everything. It’s just not possible.
If you need to step back, then do so. But please, don’t ever give up.
98 comments
I agree with all of these points! One of my biggest blogging pet peeves is when bloggers follow me and then say I just followed you and I’d appreciate it if you would follow me back. I see the good intentions in this but blogging should not just be a numbers game. Thanks for sharing!
This is amazing. I truly needed to read this. I’m still learning my way in the blogging world, and worrying has so far been a part of the journey. So reading your post reminds that it’s OK to enjoy the ride and stop worrying about certain things.
Thank you for sharing!
A.B.
Wow. I read every word of this, and each word encouraged me no end. Writing my posts is a labor of love, and you totally get both the labor part AND the love part. I was almost ready to quit, because my ‘numbers’ are so pathetic. I really needed to hear that views and hits and likes aren’t nearly as important as doing telling a funny story that (maybe only a few, but so what?) people enjoy. Thank you for taking precious time to write this.
Thank you so much for dropping by and taking the time to leave a comment. Please don’t give up. Enjoy the process and the community and eventually the numbers will come.
This is the most worthwhile thing I’ve read all month. One of those things that should be a no-brainer but isn’t. I feel like I need to print this and post it in my workspace so it’s handy to reread whenever I start making myself crazy.
Totally seeing where the ‘dizzy’ in your name comes from! Lol Relax my little bee, what will be will be.
I am in love with this post! I’ve been blogging for years and make very little, but I’m happy. I am looking into building and monetizing, but I’m not stressing about it. 🙂 Your post made me feel better to know I’m not the only one that thinks that way. 🙂
Alicia
Relax. Blogging should be fun. I think a lot of people forget that.
Thank you for this.I now dont feel guilty.I started out following advice books about blogging and gave up because I just couldnt do it.I now blog for the love of my writing.I blog once a month,promote when I can and I am happy .I am even getting better results!
Good for you and thank you for commenting and letting others know that you can create your own balance.
Love this post! I’ve only been blogging about 6 months but already I’ve had to talk myself down from trying to keep up with all the stats and reading everyone’s every post. I’m about to go back through my twitter followers and unfollow a few as I was on the “follow me I’ll follow you” bandwagon – but you’re right, there’s way too much junk I don’t care about showing up on my feed now!
It’s so refreshing to hear others say “you don’t have to do it all” and I liken it to motherhood where you try so hard to do everything “right” and conform (and compare!) to all the social pressures sometimes you burn out there too. Thanks for this post – it’s good to hear that you don’t have to “keep up with the Joneses” (even though we all know that already!)
I never followed the rule book when my kids were young and they survived and dare I say flourished! Hopefully, my blog does too!
I really really love this 🙂 So well written and honest and true. Thank you sharing this immediately. As a young and extremely ambitious person it’s hard to not get caught up in the number game. You’re completely correct in your engagement > #’s rule.
This piece has resonated with a lot of bloggers but I hope they follow through too. Thank you for reading!
I’ve just been feeling really guilty for not posting in a few weeks, but my real life has been so busy and I’ve been travelling (for pleasure). Why not just enjoy the pleasure in travel and stop worrying about my blog?! It seems a bit ridiculous, really, and your post was the reality check I needed! xx
Enjoy and live! Blogging should be to share your experiences but you have to have them first. Never feel guilty about living life.
Oh yes! I agree with all of your points, Elena. I’m glad to know that you feel the same about reciprocation. I do try, but I don’t kill myself over this anymore!
I still feel guilty sometimes but I try to remember that my responsibility lies with me to keep balance.
This is so true! Sometimes I do try to share a lot of other bloggers posts though. I just feel like I’m here to help people. I don’t get a lot of traffic though. But, oh well. Thanks for this post, it makes me think!
Thinking is always good!
As you say, content is king. I have been posting less frequently recently due to other things happening in my life and while my stats have dropped off a bit, I am much less bothered about it than I thought I would be and I am more focused on quality rather than forcing myself to post something twice a week. I wish I could get rid of my spam followers but I don’t think WordPress let’s you do that.
I don’t know how any one can produce writing of quality when forced. It should be natural and flow. If not, we have to change our situation to make it so.
A little over a year ago, I was SO burned out with the feelings of guilt (and the guilt trips) for not reciprocating, that I just stopped blogging and writing. It felt like losing a best friend – not writing. After much soul searching, I decided to write for me, but not in the form of blogging. I went back to my original love of writing: speculative fiction. I dusted off old manuscripts and started working on finishing them.
Now, I blog just to post updates. And not on the old blog. I started over and now follow most of the things you’ve wonderfully outlined. I don’t worry about any of that. I worry about finding the right words to express the stuff that’s going on with my characters.
It was liberating. 😀 I LOVE this post. Thank you for confirming what I’ve thought all along.
I am so glad you have approached it differently this time. I am sure the creativity and writing comes much easier too.
Finding the balance is incredibly hard…especially if running on empty. Often times I find that once Iv’e finished doing the community thing I have little or no brain cells left for writing. I’m learning not to beat myself up over it too much though, if I write I write… if I don’t… I’m reading… all part of the same thing… I think… 🙂 If I have something I need to share, or days when I know writing has to come first, I turn the internet off for a bit… ‘Tis the only way 🙂 #blogsharelearn
It is the only way sometimes but then I get private messages asking if I am ok. lol
This is one of the best pieces of “Blogging advice” I have read in 2015 and if you know me, you know I hate the “bloggers must do” posts! So thank you for putting it out there, straight forward and honestly!
You’re a star!
#LoveAndTravelHugs©
Cee
Thank you so much lovely!
I’m happy to learn that a lot of the things I’m not doing through ignorance or sheer laziness aren’t necessary. I’ve only been bogging for 6 months and I started doing it so that I would have to do some research every now and again. It’s fun if other people like to read it and the knowledge that they are pushes me to research and get things right, but I’m happy if that’s only a few people. I’m even happier if I enjoy their blogs as well.
You are the true winner if you enjoy blogging and you need to hold on to that feeling. I am so glad you have never gotten sucked in.
Reciprocation. This is THE hardest for me!
Because of my disability I type at a slug’s pace. I have learned that I can either live the life that I’m blogging about, or drop everything and blog, comment, share etc. I don’t expect people to understand that, so my audience growth is very, very slow. But that’s just how it is. If I don’t answer it isn’t personal. It’s just about my own physical limitations.
Alicia
You do what you can Alicia. I love reading your blog and you always have some great pics. I’ve seen some of the men in them. I would rather be there iwth you than commenting too! lol
HI Elena,
I am visiting from the #BlogShareLearn Linky. Thank you for having me.
Janice
Thank you for participating.
Oh dear. I don’t have to worry about my buddies Google and Alexa? They were cruel friends, but such wonderful time-wasters for me. Thanks for the reminder that blogging is about wanting to share yourself, not about numbers (unless you are a financial blogger!)
They weren’t your true friends anyway, lol. Blogs shouldn’t be rated, they should be enjoyed.
Elena, you are my new blogging guru! I so needed to read this today. Every time I come back to blogging, I say I’m not going to get sucked into the crazy, but I’m a sucker for it, it seems. I need a voice of reason!!
It just gets harder when they keep adding social media platforms that we “must” use. Hogwash, do what you can. Write and enjoy.
I love this so much…I feel like I’ve been granted permission to feel the way I feel about blogging. Thank you.
*waves magic wand* tada, permission granted. You’re welcome! lol
I’ve been blogging for five years, informally. Wonderful advice! Thank you for reminding me of these truths! 🙂
You are very welcome Mrs.! Thanks for reading!
I hate the word “followers” I guess that says something about what I think of blogging. First I loved this post. My friends didn’t understand blogging but they would say to me “how can you write about life when all you do is blog?” Had a point as you you point out! They also meant that without living fully each day you, as a person, writer and blogger become stale.
Second, it’s not a contest. As a blogger I feel pulled in two million directions. I think stats are worse than meaningless. I found old stats of mine—I was riding higher than just about anyone but bloggers are “only as good as their stats today.”
Which is of course absurd.
I used to write about issues and things people write about today en masse.
But really I want to write a memoir and another book I’m working on with somebody else. Blogging has to come second but I’m not sure I will ever relearn to write without an audience and that’s so sad.
You can do it Pia. I have read your posts and they are amazing.
I stumbled across your page and noticed the #BlogShareLearn thingy (he said technically) so I thought I’d have a go. I came to this post as part of that, but as it happens, it turns out to be extremely relevant to my situation. My goodness, it’s almost like you wrote it specifically for me! I began blogging because I loved writing and then got well and truly sucked in. I got into the habit of following everyone who followed me and actually tried to visit all of my followers at least once every couple of weeks — but it nearly killed me and so I just had to stop.
Now I only visit two kinds of blogs. a) If someone comments on my site, I always go and find out what’s happening in their part of the blogosphere and leave a comment. b) If I really like a writer, I’ll go and read their posts whether they come near me or not.
I probably shouldn’t feel guilty about scaling things back this much, but to be honest I still do. On the other hand, I needed to get some sleep. Anyway, I’m sorry my comment has turned into a rival post. I found your advice very helpful and it made me feel a little bit better about myself as a blogger. 🙂
I am so glad it made you feel better. And yes, I may have written the post but I still get sucked in every once in awhile and then when I pull back, I feel guilty. Must just be our DNA! lol I am so glad you found me and we have connected.
Thanks for putting into words what I think every single day! I’m over from the linkup today!
Thanks for joining Carol!
I don’t understand the link backs. Every time I try to understand it, it seems a bit over my head so I don’t worry about, at least not for now. I’ve only been blogging for four months so I know I am still new and still learning. I have time to figure it out. Thanks for writing this. I think many bloggers do quit because they set their expectations way too high from the get-go and when it doesn’t happen for them right away, they get frustrated. Great Post!
Thank you lovely!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this much-needed reality check!
You are welcome but that doesn’t let you off on the homework I gave you! lol
Relatively new to the blogging world (less than a year) you have voiced what I have been feeling as I have gotten more and more involved. Thank you! I agree with everything you wrote. Sometimes I am reading and commenting so much I don’t have time to work on my blog posts and that is why I am doing all of this. So important to keep priorities in order. I will go back to this post when I feel like I’m getting sidetracked to remember what is most important.
It is so sad that the one thing you started blogging for, to write, is the first thing we let go of when we get busy with all the other distractions in the blogging community. Let’s all get back to basics.
what a refreshing (underlined) approach to blogging. I am soooo tired of reading about how to grow my blog overnight into something huge. I don’t want to tweet, I don’t want to join a million group pinterest boards, I don’t even have a subscriber list…….so I’ll never be queen of the blogosphere. But I will be happy in my little corner reading and writing stuff I like and being content with that. Lovely post Elena – thank you!
Good for you Leanne! It is your blog and you do what you want to. I’m not sure why everyone is always in a rush to grow. Believe me, when you start getting the views, the work triples and you lose your voice in the “should do’s” list.
“Read for the love of reading. Share for the love of helping. Comment for the love of adding your voice to the conversation.” SO perfect. I love this post, Elena. I love (and always have done) how writing can build community, and it’s SO based in what you said there ^^^ rather than in SEO or spamming your link to EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME
The blogging community is great Lizzie as long as you don’t let it take over your life. I have done that before and then you just hate it. Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to comment.
Been there, done that! In the end I just had to let things go because it was too too much 🙂
It’s crazy how it builds up isn’t it Lizzi. You start a pattern when you begin to blog and then when you start to get views, it becomes unmanageable.
Love you! I’m glad you made that point about not having to reply to comments all the time. I’m no so great at doing that because honestly I never know what to say beyond, “Thanks!’ which should be enough, but I feel I have to then start a whole dialogue (as I seem to be doing now…forgive me…) And when bloggers I have commented on do reply to my comment, as sweet as that is, there is a pretty good chance I won’t be popping back to see what they have replied to my comment. I will simply come back and read their next post when it’s posted. Please don’t reply to this, I won’t see it anyway 🙂
I know I read this earlier today…though I commented. Maybe I dreamed that. This is good advice and some that I am glad to read right now. As so many bloggers, mine was born of the “cheaper than therapy” theory as well as a feeling that I just needed to get some things out of my head and onto a page. As life has changed, I have struggled to figure out exactly where I want to go with the blog. I often feel the sense of overwhelm that comes with trying to do it all, keep up, read everything, share enough…it’s madness! Lately, I’m thinking I need to just focus on doing what makes me happy and the rest will work itself out.
Blogging should be enjoyable and when you feel overwhelmed, you just have to get back to basics. Writing. That is what it is all about.
Something must be in the air this week. I just posted that my Leisure Link is ending soon because it is taking more time than I imagined. I toyed with the idea of shutting my blog down for a few terrible seconds. As bloggers we do get absorbed into what we think we should do. I know I spend a lot of time reading my favorite blogs, because I enjoy it, almost to the exclusion of reading anything else. The initial longing for having a self-hosted blog that makes $$ is gone. I have been at this a year now and I feel I’m in maintenance mode, just enjoying what and when I can blog. Thanks for a refreshing and honest view of how blogging should be. It should be fun…period!
Linkys are so much work!!!! I have thought many times about stopping but then I am late posting for about an hour and I get messages asking where it is!
I think this struck a nerve with many people. I sometimes feel inadequate and think about quitting. I’ve made good friends and I like the writing part. I ask myself, would I continue to do this even without an audience? I want readers, and value them, but bottom line? I will write.
I truly believe the audience will find you if you care about what you write. Don’t ever give up and quit.
Great post for all of us struggling to find that balance. 🙂
It all gets to be too much, especially on weekends when I have the linky running too. I get so far behind but I try not to punish myself any more.
We all seem to be struggling to find a happy balance with only so many hours in a day. It’s hard not to keep pushing ourselves. 🙂
Especially when our blogs are our babies. Why wouldn’t we try harder? But we must find balance.
Great advice Elena! I’m a mix of doing the above and not doing the above. It really does take a nice balance to figure out what works best for one’s own blog and limited hours in a day.
Never enough hours!!!! Thank you for reading lovely.
What a refreshing read. It’s a treadmill that gets faster and faster the more successful you become and therefore a self defeating exercise. I have spent so much time reciprocating that I don’t have time to write the content for the blog. How stupid is that? I have pulled back now and yes, I have lost some traffic as a result. But those will be the people who really aren’t interested in what you write, so where’s the great loss?
You have to do what gives you balance. In the beginning, it is always easy to keep up but it gets really hard. Case in point, late replies to comments. lol Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to comment.
Great advice, Elena. I’m really starting to pick and choose where I share, what I share and how much time I put into everything other than writing, “doing life” and tweaking. Sigh. I need to “do life” if I have any stories for my blogs…lol
I would take your life any day Karen. How do you feel about snow?
I think this is excellent advice. Last year my blog all but died, due to life getting in the way. This year I am working hard to revive it, but I am taking just this approach. I read the blogs I want to read, and leave comments only when I have something to say… not just for the sake of leaving a comment. If someone is kind enough to leave a comment for me, I do try to respond to the comments just to keep the conversation going… and when I get a chance I do visit their blog. But I don’t necessarily leave a comment.
The same thing with social media followers. I haven’t been doing the “follow back” thing lately. I want to engage with the people I’m interested in and not have to wade through a lot of posts that I’m not interested in.
It can become so over-whelming and I really do hate to hear bloggers say they want to quit. Everyone needs to evaluate how much they can and want to do and not feel guilty.
It reminds me of the E myth. When the single inventor begins the creation process out of love and utility and ends up losing both of those things in the business end of the business. Thanks for writing. I will not expect a follow out of this 😉
It sad how bloggers forget to enjoy the process. And I am watching you in group!
Hi Elena! I love your statement, “What began as writing about life, fritters away because they no longer have a life.” I am constantly amazed at how many blogs are started with a whirlwind of posts practically every day and then fizzle out and are gone within the year. Chill OUT! Is what I want to say. I post once a week and that works great for me. I can’t imagine how other people are doing multiples a week. I do think we all go through that learning curve of trying to decide “do we, don’t we?’ go to the next level–get ads, promotion, etc. Or do write and post as we want and need to, depending upon our own personal intentions. Oh, and then there is the obsession with numbers. I certainly did that back in year #2 and am so glad THAT’S over. You wrote some very good advice here for all of us Elena. You remind me that my primary goal is that I’m a writer who has a blog. Not a blogger who makes herself crazy! Thank you. ~Kathy
It is so easy to get distracted and wrap up in making connections. Bloggers can be so much fun to talk to but then, there goes your day and you haven’t written a thing! I think it is great that you post once a week. Others need to know that is ok and take the pressure off.
Thanks for highlighting the struggle so many of us are having. It’s so hard! I want to support everyone, but I start to feel like I don’t want to blog anymore … not because I don’t want to write, but because 1 post = 3 days of work (from all the stuff you list). I have other writing to do, other projects, and a life …
But, here’s the other edge of the sword: I really love connecting with everyone. It’s so much fun! What to do?!?
How about I come to visit your new home and we both just unplug? lol
How much fun would that be?!? It’s not far to go — my husband’s daughter and grandson live near you and it’s an easy drive. 🙂
Elena, thank you for an interesting read, and one to spurn me on. Blogging is time consuming, I often feel guilty that I have a pile of ironing waiting while I am sitting on the pc! I find instagram the hardest, trying to catch up with followers. I always feel guilty about that. I still have a lot to learn, but it’s these challenges that I love the most
Laurie x
I love learning new stuff! And wrinkle free clothes are over-rated.
Agree wholeheartedly Elena – especially about the followers!
I am so glad Linda! Thank you for reading.
So glad to read these thoughts…I have been thinking them myself and wondering if I was just a serious slacker! I am here for the marathon, pacing myself! Thanks Elena!
I am so glad to hear that. We have lost too many. I’m glad you are here for the long haul.
Thank you for writing this! Yes, I’m in that place this week. I started writing because I wanted to empower women. And yes, just this week I said “F it, I’m giving up!”. It’s so true we start writing about life and then spend so much time on our blog that we have no life. xoxo
I am all powerful Rosie! I give you time! ***waves wand***
I know I don’t HAVE to comment here. I WANT to. 🙂 You are so right. I admittedly do try my best to comment back on every person who comments on my blog. I feel it’s a nice thing to do. But on those days I do that , most of the rest of my day is shot! I want to be nice, supportive and always reciprocate because I love the bloggers in my blogging community. I also want to stop to free up some time. Agh!
I am thankful for all you do Cathy. I just want bloggers to know, it’s ok if you can’t. We understand.
Ahhhhh so true, thank you.
You are very welcome!