Much Ado About Blogging

It has been exactly 9 months and 20 days since I launched this blog and chose to actively participate in this massive blogging community that we all have our toes dipped in. Has it all been pure cheers and smiles? No. It’s not always pretty. Since January, I’ve begun to notice flaws the common reader wouldn’t even take note of. These said flaws, I believe, are to be seen only by those within the community—the bloggers themselves.

Now, before I get ahead of myself, I want to say that I was 13 when I actually first started blogging, but 8 years ago it was just all fun and games and I never really filtered any of my posts. It was one heck of a ride. I’d probably cringe if I ever saw my first free blog under Blogger.com. Anyway, through the years, I have seen things change and evolve in this so-called “blogging industry”. I’m not technically an expert but I’ve seen trends come and go, as well as how people have changed and are still changing within the community. As of late, ohhhh boy can I just say, that things have drastically changed since then and it’s not always in an oh so positive way?

The other day, I stumbled upon this blog post written by Mieke, the wonderful girl who runs The Little Mouse that Reads, which discusses the intricacies of the #bookstagram community on Instagram in connection to mindful scrolling. I just couldn’t help but think, you know what, mindful scrolling doesn’t just apply to #bookstagram, but it matters just as much to this lovely blogging community we all choose to partake on. It was the article that truly inspired me to reflect on this post.

Here’s the point I’m driving at: if we maybe take the time to be more mindful of our actions and what we do with our time spent on blogging, we could have more meaningful connections and purpose in this little digital blogging space of ours. Okay? Now, let’s talk.

Blogging is so much more than just pretty pictures.

Whether you’re a casual reader or a blogger looking through other blogs for inspiration, please make it a point to actually read their content. One big thing I absolutely can’t stand is the fact that because of social media, most people are so accustomed to pretty visuals and pretty visuals ONLY. We seldom read anymore.

I mean, there’s Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, etc., these are highly visual apps and don’t get me wrong, I enjoy these apps as much as you do. But people blog not only for their love of aesthetics, but also for the fact that they love writing just as much. And people with blogs spend a lot of their time planning, outlining, and writing these blog posts, it doesn’t hurt to actually read the content of their posts.

Give everyone in the blogging space the equal amount of respect—newbie or not.

As I’ve mentioned earlier, the blogging space is massive and is only getting bigger every passing moment. And to be frank, it doesn’t matter if you’ve been in the blogging game for years and years now, being nice to newbies shouldn’t be too hard. They possibly look up to your blog for inspiration, you would never know. Because I swear, this blogging space we have isn’t technically an easy space. It’s hardwork. It’s consistency. It’s passion. And… well, it’s intimidating at first when you’re just beginning.

Be there for the newcomers. They plan and work hard just like you. And hey, there’s a lot more pressure on them than on you especially if you’ve been blogging for a while now and already have a stable website. This shouldn’t be a competition. It’s only decent to help others grow in their blogging journey.

Leave a comment every now and then.

Whenever I get notified of a comment left by a reader or a fellow blogger, it automatically makes my day. Doesn’t matter where I’m at, or what I’m doing, once I see that comment, I immediately smile and think, Wow someone’s actually reading what I’m writing!

Most bloggers I know invest SO MUCH of their time writing posts for their blog in order to keep up with their posting schedule. They spend hours curating the perfect piece and editing the photos they would want to show their readers to make the reading experience satisfying. It doesn’t really take much to show appreciation by quickly sliding into their comments section to say how much you enjoyed their post if you did. I promise you, they’ll appreciate the small gesture! 😉

And when someone leaves their blog address in your comment section, check it out.

Alright, I won’t go on about this for too long, because this pretty much is self-explanatory. But when someone leaves a comment on your post and they happen to include their own blog address along with the comment, it’s only kind to check their blog out as well. And I’m not saying that you should automatically give everyone a follow or whatsoever, but maybe read a few of their posts and leave a comment in return on those you enjoyed reading.

Talk. Reply. Connect.

Here’s the thing about blogging, it isn’t just all about posting and shooting photos and all that jazz. Cultivating connections and communicating with your readers and fellow bloggers is also a must. It doesn’t just stop with you publicly publishing a post and voila!

Share your posts, maximize social media (but don’t let it fully take over your lifestyle), follow other bloggers, expand your blogging circle, TALK and make friends with other bloggers, don’t be afraid to give a followback on your fellow creators, and lastly—you gotta respond to people who comment on your blog posts!!! Send them a quick thanks and let them know you appreciate their support. Keep connections and get to know other creators!

Blogging can be such a work at times, but with the right people it can be so much fun (and mindful, of course), too!

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