I originally started blogging to share my love of baking with the world. I bake often and love to try new recipes, but after a few weeks or maybe a month of blogging I decided that wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to share more of myself, my projects, my love of fitness.
But let me tell ya, it hasn’t been easy for me. I so desperately wanted to be like my favorite big time bloggers who’ve been doing it for years. I wanted to get 500 Facebook likes after 3 months. I wanted to have 150+ followers on Bloglovin’. I wanted to be successful. And of course, like most folks from my generation, I wanted it right away.
I’ve found that gaining readership has been much harder than I thought. I’m not very good at self-promoting. I’m not good at saying “Come look at me and what I’m doing.” I realized this after being in corporate America for a few years. You have to be able to sell yourself and it’s never been my thing. I want my work to speak for itself, but in the blog world, that doesn’t always work. You have to get out there and show people who you are and what your blog is about, then once you gain readers your blog will grow more organically.
I would really like to make some true connections in the blogging community. There are a few bloggers that I’d love to reach out to and say hi but how do I start? “Hi, I’m Tiffany if you didn’t know. I really like your blog. Want to be my virtual friend?” It almost feels like high school again….but online. I think my fear of rejection has me roadblocked. I’m so worried that whoever I reach out to will either a) ignore me, or b) just say hi back and that’s the extent of our communication; thus just brushing me off. Ugh, I must get over that! Not everyone is going to like my blog. Not everyone is going to want to follow me or be my friend. And you know what, that’s OK! I probably wouldn’t want them reading anyways. I probably wouldn’t want to connect with them. So I just need to put on my big girl pants and get out there!
I’ve also been worried about how to differentiate my blog. There are tens of thousands of blogs out there. How do I gain followers that want to be followers, who look forward to reading my blog every day? I’m not a niche blogger. I’m not just a home/DIY blogger. I’m not a foodie or a fitness only blogger. I like it all so I want to blog about it all. That’s ok right? I’m not going to get blacklisted because I don’t have a niche. I’ve read so many things about blogging that says you need to find your niche. Well what if I don’t have 1 niche? What if I have 2 or 3 or 4?
And man, blogging takes a lot of time! I work part time, 3 days in the office and a few hours from home 2 days a week and I struggle to find time to do more than write a blog post. There is so much I want to learn about blogging; how to snaz up my page so my “popular posts” pictures are larger (among other things), how to get sponsors, how to host a giveaway, things like that. I feel guilty being on the computer when I’m not working. I want to be spending as much time as I can with Baby A, so my blog takes a back seat. I know I’m not the only working blogger out there. How do you women (or men) find the time?!
So after 5ish months of blogging, no, I don’t have 500 Facebook likes on my page. And no, I don’t even have 100 followers on Bloglovin’ or GFC yet. What I hope is that the followers that I do have enjoy coming by my blog to see what I’ve been up to, if I have a new recipe, or to see some pictures of my sweet baby girl.
Now, to just get out and meet some of you fantastic ladies. 🙂
If you have any recommendations for me I’m all ears. Feel free to comment or send me an email if you’d rather.
Thanks for taking the time to listen today.
I’m right there with you. I enjoy reading your blog posts! Real people have more than one niche and I personally don’t see anything wrong with it!
Aw thank you! I’m glad you enjoy the blog. And good to know I’m not alone in how I feel. 🙂
XOXO
~Tiffany
I absolutely get where you’re coming from! I’ve only just discovered your blog but I like what I’ve read of it so far and I look forward to reading more from you. This has been hard for me too, so hard in fact that I’ve sometimes considered just giving it up altogether. But I only started 3 months ago and the people I’m comparing myself to have been doing this for years, they probably had a hard time gaining followers as well 🙂
I also have many niches, I blog about crochet, cooking, baking, parenting etc. none of which are exactly related. But I think that’s okay. What’s important is to be true to yourself and to use your own voice. Make the posts a bit personal (but only as much as you’re comfortable with) because at least for me, I like reading about other people’s lives even though they are trying to teach me how to crochet a granny square (or what have you).
We are on the same page Sunnefa! I always compare to bloggers who’ve been around for a while and you’re right, they probably went through the same things 🙂
Thanks for your insight. I look forward to reading more from you too!
XOXO
~Tiffany
I’ve been doing this blogging thing for years…and I still don’t have a specific niche! I like to think of myself as just a life blogger 😉
That’s a good way to think about it Stacey! I don’t see why everyone needs to have a niche. Some of us like to blog about all sorts of things and that’s ok!
XOXO
~Tiffany
Hey Tiffany! You are so right about blogging! It can be a love/hate relationship when I think of it as well. It takes a lot of time to write posts and then to read all of the blogs you follow and comment, etc. One thing I have done is started my own linky. I started hosting Mommy Monday and I got one very sweet blogger interested in co=hosting and I added another who I thought was awesome, and I’ve been growing blog relationships ever since. I also enjoy linking up to other blog hops as well. I will say it is a pet peeve of mine when I take the time to go to someone’s blog and follow them on social media and read and comment on their post and I don’t get that back in return, but I’m like you, I feel like if the person doesn’t want to connect and come back and show the same support, I know where they stand and I’m onto the next one! 🙂
Blogging and social media networking has been awesome for me to connect with people especially since I moved with hubby and baby last year from NJ to Arizona! Please feel free to connect with me! I’d love to get to know you better and become blogger buddy friends 🙂 Following you now on social media!
Hi Brittnei!
Hosting a linky is a really great idea. I’ve thought about it, I just need to find time to put it together. I’ve been co-hosting on the Linkin’ With My Ladies blog hop on Sugar Me Pretty (used to be Dysfunction Junction, that may be where you found me :)). It’s helped me find some great blogs as well. I should put more effort into joining other hops.
It’s great to hear you’ve been able to connect with other women through blogging. It give me hope! 🙂 I can only imagine what moving across country would be like.
I just started following you as well. Super cute blog btw!
Have a great weekend!
XOXO
~Tiffany
Promoting your blog is most definitely the hardest aspect of blogging, and takes a lot of time. But if you are passionate about it it will show and your readership will grow. its been a slow process for me too, but after a year and a half the hard work is SLOWLY paying off. And my niche is me. myself. my life, my likes. As much as I adore those blogs that are your go-to for one thing, I just can’t do that. I need a variety to keep me excited! Keep up the good work 🙂
Melissa
www melissakaylene.com
Good call on the passion Melissa! I do fee super passionate about my blog. It’s one place where I can write about what I want and share my likes and interests with the world. I’m glad you agree that not having 1 niche is ok! I’m finding there are more bloggers out there like that, which is fantastic!
Have a great day!
XOXO
~Tiffany
Hey Tiffany! I have been at this blogging gig for about 7 months now…I would love to connect. I basically blog about family life and that can include everything plus the kitchen sink!
I also have trouble connecting with others, and always have, because I generally tell myself that I really don’t have much important that anyone would be interested in. I was kind of the wall flower in school. 🙂
If you ever have questions, wanna talk, or any thing, I would welcome sharing this bloggy journey! 🙂 Have a great weekend!
Aw Stacey thank you so much! I really appreciate you reaching out! Don’t ever feel like you don’t have anything important to say! I know you homeschool so I’m sure you can teach a lot of us Mama’s some wonderful things! I will definitely reach out if I’m feeling out of sorts with this blogging thing 🙂 or just to chat!
Have a great weekend!
XOXO,
~Tiffany
I sooooooo feel you on this! It’s a constant up and down battle with me!
AND I nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award! I hope you keep blogging, because I love to read your posts!
http://www.mustardseedmommy.com/2013/08/the-versatile-blogger-award/
Aw thank you so much Sarah! I’ve never received an award before! This may be a tough one for me figure out who to nominate; there are so many bloggers I love to follow!
Have a great week!
XOXO,
~Tiffany
It’s been 4 months with the four of sharing a blog and you have more followers than us! There’s that for a boost of confidence! 😀
Someone needs to create a blogger support group for the blogger with the high-school wallflower syndrome. Or a more comfortable way of getting to know each other and connecting. 😀
I actually enjoy reading blogs that have some life to it, some honesty and truth. There are too many giveaway/review only blog out there. I love coming here to catch up. Granted, I only have about once or twice a week that I can actually head to my RSS feed to play catch up with the 4 kids I have, but I do enjoy sitting down and spending that time catching up on blogs like yours.
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