Do I Stay Or Do I Go?
I've been struggling with this blog lately.
I've talked about this before, how it seems that, at least for the summer, bloggers and readers have taken an extended vacation from both blogging and reading, and I feel like I'm talking to myself in this space, which has left me feeling frustrated with continuing on. The lack of comments and social media interaction, on which bloggers thrive, has left a little hole where my writing enthusiasm resides. Tie in the fact that most posts are going the Pinterest route with a stylized pinnable graphic and top 5/top 20/best and worst/how-to themes abounding, I just don't feel like I can keep up and I'm feeling sour on the whole blogging process.
I love my little space here and my readers (for those of you still with me out there, hi!) but I'm feeling like it may be time to take a break from this blog. I'm hoping to do several craft shows between now and the end of the year in order to help Milo and Molly get out there more in my community- a major business goal of mine. In order to do that, and to also build a better shop presence online, I've been working really hard making new stock, which is a time-consuming but fun process.
Add to that the fact that my daily life is pretty routine: I am a mom at home with kids and we don't do a ton of interesting things because we are homebodies who are both thrifty and tired. We aren't traveling to exotic places, we're not dining out in the hottest spots, we're not buying clothing to follow the trends; in fact, we're hardly out and about in out own community right now. Going out to eat isn't even something we do very often. So when I see posts about travel tips and the latest fashions, I don't feel like I have a whole lot to contribute to what's happening now. I love my little life, but it's not exactly the stuff of awesome lifestyle blogging and I sometimes feel like the content is just not there.
And then I see blogs out there that I would like to be- the ones that have a simple, chic post day after day- but then I realize that a lot of those blogs are a team effort, with multiple authors and designers working on their product, and they do a beautiful job. Whereas, it's just me over here, learning as I go and trying to come up with interesting posts but falling short.
Options I've been toying around with for the past few days:
1. Stop blogging and call it a day. Just pack it in and be done and move on. 3 1/2 years of blogging is pretty impressive, so I'm happy with what I've accomplished here.
2. Microblogging, using Instagram as a blog/diary format for quick but hopefully meaningful snapshots of my life. One problem: I have the lousy old iphone whose camera is not exactly the best, making it hard to do a lot when I'm out.
3. Turning the blog's focus to Milo and Molly, the shop and products, focusing on what I'm working on and what's up and coming with glimpses into my process.
4. Random posting when I feel like it, with finds and link roundups taking the lead since these are fun and interesting for me. The problem here is that readers wouldn't know when I would be posting, which I know can lead to a drop off in total readership.
5. Taking a break until the new year, drafting posts as I feel like writing and saving them up for when I come back.
When it comes down to it, I just don't know if I'm quite ready to let this go yet, but the fun of blogging is waning right now, compounded with the frustration that I can't produce the content I would really like to do. Maybe a small break would be good.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this, and any thoughts you have on the state of blogging. Also, how important is it to you that an Etsy seller have a blog? The idea was that a blog helps the buyer get to know you, but with platforms like Instagram, do we need blogs to accomplish this still? Help!
I've talked about this before, how it seems that, at least for the summer, bloggers and readers have taken an extended vacation from both blogging and reading, and I feel like I'm talking to myself in this space, which has left me feeling frustrated with continuing on. The lack of comments and social media interaction, on which bloggers thrive, has left a little hole where my writing enthusiasm resides. Tie in the fact that most posts are going the Pinterest route with a stylized pinnable graphic and top 5/top 20/best and worst/how-to themes abounding, I just don't feel like I can keep up and I'm feeling sour on the whole blogging process.
I love my little space here and my readers (for those of you still with me out there, hi!) but I'm feeling like it may be time to take a break from this blog. I'm hoping to do several craft shows between now and the end of the year in order to help Milo and Molly get out there more in my community- a major business goal of mine. In order to do that, and to also build a better shop presence online, I've been working really hard making new stock, which is a time-consuming but fun process.
Add to that the fact that my daily life is pretty routine: I am a mom at home with kids and we don't do a ton of interesting things because we are homebodies who are both thrifty and tired. We aren't traveling to exotic places, we're not dining out in the hottest spots, we're not buying clothing to follow the trends; in fact, we're hardly out and about in out own community right now. Going out to eat isn't even something we do very often. So when I see posts about travel tips and the latest fashions, I don't feel like I have a whole lot to contribute to what's happening now. I love my little life, but it's not exactly the stuff of awesome lifestyle blogging and I sometimes feel like the content is just not there.
And then I see blogs out there that I would like to be- the ones that have a simple, chic post day after day- but then I realize that a lot of those blogs are a team effort, with multiple authors and designers working on their product, and they do a beautiful job. Whereas, it's just me over here, learning as I go and trying to come up with interesting posts but falling short.
Options I've been toying around with for the past few days:
1. Stop blogging and call it a day. Just pack it in and be done and move on. 3 1/2 years of blogging is pretty impressive, so I'm happy with what I've accomplished here.
2. Microblogging, using Instagram as a blog/diary format for quick but hopefully meaningful snapshots of my life. One problem: I have the lousy old iphone whose camera is not exactly the best, making it hard to do a lot when I'm out.
3. Turning the blog's focus to Milo and Molly, the shop and products, focusing on what I'm working on and what's up and coming with glimpses into my process.
4. Random posting when I feel like it, with finds and link roundups taking the lead since these are fun and interesting for me. The problem here is that readers wouldn't know when I would be posting, which I know can lead to a drop off in total readership.
5. Taking a break until the new year, drafting posts as I feel like writing and saving them up for when I come back.
When it comes down to it, I just don't know if I'm quite ready to let this go yet, but the fun of blogging is waning right now, compounded with the frustration that I can't produce the content I would really like to do. Maybe a small break would be good.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this, and any thoughts you have on the state of blogging. Also, how important is it to you that an Etsy seller have a blog? The idea was that a blog helps the buyer get to know you, but with platforms like Instagram, do we need blogs to accomplish this still? Help!
You know my thoughts on this already-- that I feel stuck too with not a whole lot of content. I started thinking about this yesterday after our email conversation and started looking back on my blog posts. You know what? I realized that I wasn't really doing anything differently in my life then than I am now. In fact, we may actually be dong MORE than what we used to be doing (as part of our new lifestyle of living like we're on vacation), but I have less content! I realized that maybe I need to start carrying my camera around a bit more or something because I noticed every day life blog posts that I had written that we're no different from what I am doing today.
ReplyDeleteOn the flip side, I feel that if I did continue with doing what I used to, there still wouldn't be the readership because I'm not offering some kind of great advice or top five tips or whatever. There's no easy answer to it all, I guess.
I decided a while ago I like to blog when the mood/inspiration strikes, and that's ok :) It's my blog, my space, my time etc. Whether I get 10 readers on a post or hundreds, I just like the idea of sharing my thoughts on whatever suits my fancy on any given day! I don't use my blog for financial gain, I use it as another source to feed my need to be creative. I will say, when I accepted the "blog every day for a month" challenge, it was challenging in both good and bad ways. Ultimately, it helped me realize I *could* blog everyday if I had to but am so happy I can choose when to blog if at all.
ReplyDeleteI think photos are an important part of regular blogging and perhaps if you had an easier way to take photos, you'd be more likely to get inspired by what's around you? Just a thought. I rely heavily on my iPhone camera. I have a fancy Nikon that I rarely use because the iPhone camera is so good. Even something like a weekly "Wordless Wednesday" gives me such happiness :) And in this crazy world of negative news, I gravitate toward the simple beauties I can find at any moment. Even beauty found on another's blog.
So these are my thoughts on the subject. I do read your blog, fairly regularly, and always enjoy it even if I don't always leave a comment.
Of course, ultimately, you must please yourself.
Best of luck with whatever you do. I'll miss your blogging if you stop, but I totally understand the need for a rest. Then again, there's that saying "A change is as good as a rest". Maybe a change is all you need :)
xoxo
Your blog is your baby so do with it what you will. I visit your blog regularly, sometimes I may not comment because I just don't feel like I have much to contribute lol!
ReplyDeleteI gave myself permission a long time ago to not put too much pressure on myself when it came to keeping my blog updated. There's no way I can do it every day, there's no way I can do it Monday through Friday, I'm good with 3-4 posts a week. A lot of times I feel like I'm the only reading my blog too but that's ok because I enjoy writing it. I've always loved to write, even before there was a blog. I am my biggest fan. :) If others happen upon on it and say "Cool!", then I'm content with that.
Things have been a real drag with me lately too where I feel like I haven't had that much too say, haven't even had that much new stuff to add to the shop. Usually when I get into these funks I just ride it out. I've tried blog planners and having a schedule but that doesn't work for me. I'm a Type-A person that likes structure but for some reason, this doesn't apply to my blog and I'm just now starting to accept that.
Basically what I'm trying to say is, don't be so tough on yourself. Fuck the other bloggers and what they're doing. You do what works best for YOU and your business. :)
It sounds like a break is what you need. I posted something sort of similar earlier this week...just trying to figure out how to spend less time on the computer and more time making stuff (and acknowledging that a huge part of my online time is spent blogging). I don't want to stop blogging because I love it too much. For now, my heart is still 100% in it, so that means more to me than numbers. But I am getting to a place of needing to set priorities for my time and stick to them, so I'm working on trying to find a better balance.
ReplyDeleteI agree that I don't really think there's a large audience anymore for blogs that mostly post favorite things or roundups. It would certainly be easier and take less time to move that over to pinterest since that seems to be where most people are spending time these days. So for me, I'm doing less of that (still highlighting indie shops and Etsy sellers though) and continuing to focus on personal posts about my life and my work. It has to mean something to you to be worth the time and effort.
I would just take a little time off...give yourself time to decide what you want this space to be. :)
So, I kept trying to find your email address so I could email you. I guess I don't have it. This could get long. Ahem.
ReplyDelete1. Any thoughts you have on the state of blogging.
"most posts are going the Pinterest route with a stylized pinnable graphic and top 5/top 20/best and worst/how-to themes abounding" <-- THIS.
I completely agree, and on some level it is frustrating when a blogger starts just doing these tailored "how to" or "5 steps" posts. But a good blogging friend of mine (turned real-life friend!) reminded me that it's all about what YOU want to get out of it. Someone else might have different goals for their blog than you or I do, and we shouldn't compare. Easier said than done, but worth saying again in any case.
Also, I completely think you should only blog when/what you want to blog. That's what keeps it fun. It has seemed like there's been a drop-off in readers and comments. I've noticed it myself (my comments are about HALF of what they once were). It's a bummer, but ultimately at the end of the day: will I really remember what post got a lot of comment or what post didn't? I write about things I want to write about, and I have fun! And if I don't want to write, I don't. I don't have a posting schedule, and I just post when I want to; and I know most people would tell you not to do that, but you know what? You have to do what works best for you! Some people like planning out their entire month of blog posts. I can't even stick to a week's worth of planned posts! haha. I have problems.
I definitely don't feel like I have anything to contribute to a post about fashion or what the best restaurants are to eat at in Greece. That's why I skip those posts! :)
2. How important is it to you that an Etsy seller have a blog? Answer: to me, it's not very important at all. As a buyer, I've never tried to find an Etsy seller's blog before.
The happiest day of my blogging life was when I threw out my dictatorial editorial calendar and decided to blog only when I had something I wanted to talk about - followed by the second happiest moment, when I decided not to create a pseudo-professional blog that talked about my progress on whatever work projects and tried to monetize them and just decided to, again, write about what I wanted to talk about.
ReplyDeleteI think we forget as bloggers that it's really about what we want to get out of basically providing a bunch of content and pictures and whatever else we do for free. Even the blogs that generate revenue are basically doing what they do out of passion. If the passion leaves, you get the hollow infomercial content usually preceded by "this content was provided by X Company and blah" which usually drives me straight to whatever button I can click to unfollow.
So to make a long comment...well, I can't make it any shorter, so to wrap it all up, do what makes you happy. What are your goals for the blog? If it's to get interest and discussion, keep being you - your posts are great and thought provoking!
I personally enjoy your blog and will be sad not to read it for a while, but it does sound like you're ready for a break to re-group and reassess. I know I keep referring to that State of the Blog Union post that Design*Sponge did at the beginning of the year, but I think it's so true. Blogging is changing, and if you aren't enjoying it as much anymore for whatever reason, then it's probably time to figure out what you can do instead.
ReplyDeleteAs for the options you listed above, I like a combination of #3 and #4. It makes sense to turn this into a shop-focused blog (especially since a couple of little people are starting school, which means you'll have more time!), with some random fun posts thrown in whenever you feel like it. That way you only write when you have something to say, and because it will mostly be related to your business, it will be relevant and interesting by default. I still think that blogging should be about what makes you happy, and as long as readers can see that you enjoy whatever you're doing, they'll want to stick around.
I find that when blogging, I go with my gut. What feels right right now? I go through periods where it doesn't feel like it fits and that's okay. I go through times where all the words want to be typed out. I blog because I like to and when it doesn't bring me smiles then I take a break. I don't answer to anyone but me when it comes to blogging and can therefore do what feels right.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's helpful to think of it that way?
I'd love to know about projects you're working on, how your kids are doing and what ever else your fingers feel like typing out. :)
I know this post is a month old now but I have to comment because a) I just linked to it in a post on my blog today - http://www.thesizeofconnecticut.com/2014/09/a-new-year.html - and b) I feel you;-)
ReplyDeleteI do hope you keep blogging because I enjoy what you write, and I think there is still a need out there for something in between IG/Pinterest photos and long articles. At least I hope there is!