Hey, It’s Okay… If People Don’t Read Your Blog

Before I get into the post, let me start by saying this isn’t aimed at anyone and is intended as a generalisation.

I’m sure one thought that crosses a lot of people’s minds before they start a blog is, “Will anyone read it?” It’s a valid point because I had that thought myself and it’s ironic how that becomes irrelevant. When you’re starting out, it seems like numbers are important, and while it’s nice to have people reading and commenting, that happens naturally over time. The main reason I have stuck with blogging is because I genuinely enjoy it (and I hope that shows). There are people who start a blog and try anything to get followers and see how many ‘likes’ they can get but you can tell those people apart. After a couple of months they burn out because they don’t have genuine passion for what they’re talking about and they disappear.

The aim of this month’s Hey, It’s Okay… is to tell you that it’s fine if you don’t have instant success and if you do enjoy blogging to stick with it. When I started blogging, I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t have a posting schedule, I didn’t know what I wanted to talk about and I certainly didn’t know much about themes and behind the scenes, techie stuff. I think one of the reasons I enjoy blogging so much is because there’s lots to learn and opportunity to grow and improve photography skills, writing skills and more.

I’m certainly not saying, be like me or do this and do that because there’s no certain way to blog. I can however, offer my advice and try to help by sharing what works for me. I mentioned that when I started, I barely knew what I was doing and in some ways, that’s a good way to be. You don’t take anything for granted and you set little milestones for yourself and you’re even more excited when you achieve them. It is definitely true that as time goes on, you worry less about the numbers. While they are nice, it’s more about connecting with people and being able to talk and share things with them. I see a lot of bloggers as friends and while we’ve never met and we may not know every single thing about each other, I know they’re there to support me and they’re never far away with a kind word.

Having a small number of people who enjoy reading your blog posts and interact is better than having thousands of followers who you never speak too and are just faces behind a screen. One of the best pieces of advice is to write a blog you’d love to read. There are certain brands and topics everyone seems to talk about but if you don’t have something new to offer or think a different way, things become generic. Instead of rushing out to buy the new Jaclyn Hill highlighter and swatching it, why not try finding other alternatives to suit everyone’s budget or come up with other ways to use the highlighter. I always label myself a beauty novice because I know there are people with greater beauty knowledge and tips and tricks than me but I don’t let that stop me from running a beauty blog. I love to learn and discover new products and I adapt beauty to suit me. You won’t find me posting about “high end” products because I don’t own any and the truth is a lot of products in New Zealand are overpriced, 80 something dollars for a Clinique moisturiser, I don’t think so!

I have always posted what I want and I try to put my own spin on things and not just follow what other bloggers do. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with what other bloggers post but similar to the Jaclyn Hill point, I don’t want my reader to be 20 different posts about one lipstick or one eyeshadow palette. I try to come up with series and posts that are unique and a bit different and while my blog may not be the most successful or most followed, I DON’T CARE. I want to be able to look back on this blog in five years time or when I’m older and be proud that I stayed true to myself and talked about things that mattered to ME. Often I say how much I enjoy writing and sharing these personal posts because the thoughts are entirely mine and it’s just raw honesty.

The whole point of this post is to reiterate that you don’t have to be a superstar blogger to enjoy it and have fun. Write about the things you want to write about. Naturally as time goes on you will develop your own niche and style and people that truly want to read your words will find you. Don’t worry if you only have 10 followers after one week, don’t worry if you don’t have any. Blogging is a ride and it goes wherever you want to take it. If you’re passionate and determined to stick with it, please do! It’ll probably be one of the best decisions of your life!

As always, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this post! How do you stay motivated when it comes to blogging?