Blogging is an ever-changing phenomenon and I am constantly seeing posts on how the industry and people’s feelings towards blogging has changed, negatively. I wanted to shake things up and discuss both the good and the bad superficially. There are some truly shitty things that can happen in the blogging industry, but there are also some great things. These five best and worst things about blogging are simply m opinions and are most likely beauty blog-specific. My intention is not to offend or upset anyone. I hope you enjoy this post and please share your own thoughts in the comments. It would mean a great deal to me.
5 BEST
People actually read your shit. How cool is that?
Good comments. Even better than the last one, not only do people read your content but they engage with it in a genuine way and it sounds sappy but reading thoughtful comments on my posts do turn my day around. A fantastic form of gratification.
Community and friendship. It is not all that surprising that people can make genuine connections with people online and through social media. I am fortunate enough to feel somewhat close to the people whose blogs I read. I care when they are going through a bad time and I am overjoyed when they get the recognition they deserve or land a new job etc. That in itself is a lovely thing.
Discovering new opportunities. Such as new brands, companies and charities. This, for me, always keeps my blog fresh and makes me feel good that I can support and help smaller companies reach a bigger audience. This can be hugely beneficial for both parties and I have met some amazing people and learnt many things as a result of this.
It has never stopped feeling like a hobby for me. I don’t have the pressure that I think co-exists with being a full-time blogger. I have a steady income as a result of a full-time job which although contributes to my perpetual sleep deprivation definitely makes it easier for me to enjoy my blog and create content that I like. I don’t care about sponsored posts, free gifts, affiliates. Yes, I use them and do them but if I never make a penny it doesn’t bother me at all. I blog because I enjoy it and truthfully no matter what happens I hope this never changes.
5 WORST
Comparison. Ugh, it’s the worst and no matter how many times you tell yourself to stop it it is impossible. There will always be someone better than you and all I can say is focus on yourself and do the best you can. When I say comparison I mean everything from looks to photos to layout to followers to the breakfast they had on Monday.
Promotion. My least favourite part of having a blog is that promotion is so ridiculously important. The same quote always comes to mind whenever I discuss this topic: Blogging is 20% content and 80% promotion. It sucks but it has to be done. There are tools available that make it less time consuming, like scheduling posts and tweets etc., however it remains a tedious necessity.
Correspondence. Some emails are incredible, life-changing but most are complete and utter tripe. There are so many pointless, nonsensical emails in my inbox that I constantly clear out. The ones that bother me the most are the emails that make no real sense. I have no idea what they are saying. SEO emails are also a great annoyance, especially as some are downright rude. There are also emails that start of promising and then the sender disappears into thin air. Chasing people for payment is another great annoyance of blogging. I am sure I can think of more but I don’t want to bore you.
Expenditure. Blogs look a certain way now and I feel like in order to keep up you need a cool theme, a DSLR, 5 lenses, a MAC Book, soft box lights and endless photo props. Of course this isn’t really the case although they will definitely help. Even if you don’t care about any of that, keeping up with new releases etc. can get expensive especially if you’re not on PR lists.
Public Perception. I still think bloggers are not taken very seriously and that is a damn shame. There are so many skills that go into blogging that people don’t seem to recognise. I am not talking about myself, as my blog is fairly easy to manage and is not a platform where I strive for perfection, but there a few blogs that I adore that meet perfection every time and they absolutely deserve the recognition and respect for their hard work.
A few things that didn’t make my list are the hate that some people receive, the drama, pettiness and stupid obsession with bots that I still don’t understand. The moaning and continous complaining of an industry under no-one’s control, at least in my opinion. A few other good things are yes you do receive PR and it’s great but it is not the be all and I, at least, get a feeling of accomplishment every time I press publish. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this post. Take care.
What are your likes and dislikes about blogging?