30 August 2016

Lifestyle: Can A Blogger Keep Their Life Private, and Still be Successful?


I wrote a post a while back now, which is probably one of my most read posts, and here it is.

It talked all about our "inner critic" and how at times, we can be our own worst enemy.
This post is a little inspired by the above.  The BLOGGER Inner Critic, if you will.

I have been blogging for around 4 years now, rebranding and re-naming last year.

In my life, blogging is the one thing I am most critical about, and I  feel a lot of other bloggers feel the same. With so many amazing blogs out there, it is really easy to compare yourself sometimes, and think yours, is well, a bit crap in comparison.

blogger
I am a private person, and I don't share many posts or photos of my personal life, across my blog social-media platforms - as this is 100% something I always wanted to keep separate.

And probs something you wouldn't find that interesting anyway! Haha.

But this "private" approach, when blogging,  well does it make the reader feel detached from the writer?

I know, I love reading all about other peoples lives, and I am drawn to bloggers who share personal photos and posts. I have a lot of admiration for them actually, because this is my thought process before every single post I publish:

Will people think I am preaching? Is this post just a bit crap? Is the photo dull? Are product reviews boring? Does this sound like I am bragging? Do people even like my blog? Do they laugh at it? Do they judge it? Worse of all do they judge me?

I could carry on with all the crazy thoughts that swim around my brain at times, but I think you get the jist.

When I feel myself starting to turn into an anxious maniac, I try and bring it back to the fact, that for me, blogging is a hobby, it is a hobby I really enjoy, and my main aim is to stay true to myself, I love beauty products, I always have, I love cooking new meals, and I love to take photos and write.

But what I know for sure is, I don't want my face and life plastered all over the Internet.
But are the two now mutually exclusive?

I was reading Stacey's post from Expat Makeup Addict here and something really resonated with me, she stated:

" I wonder how relevant I am in a sea of glossy, beautiful bloggers with innovative content.  It's not a world I fit into."

I think this is ultimately how I feel, I ain't a proffesh, I just thoroughly enjoy writing, and the perks that come with blogging, like meeting new people, attending events, and working with brands.

With the standard now very high in the blogging world,  I feel I have to remind myself not to compare, or put myself down, as someones blog success (actually, overall success) is "sometimes" not determined by their content, writing, and photography skills, but by how many followers and likes they get. Living in a world where followers and likes can be manipulatively sought, this seems sometimes a little unjust to the smaller, less known but truly amazing bloggers out there, but I suppose you can't buy sincerity, and hopefully this will always shine through.

Can a blogger have a blog and a private life?
Does a blogger have to share everything about their life?
Can a blogger be successful if all they do is talk about their chosen subject?

I do know a couple of bloggers who really nail keeping their personal life and blog separate, but they do seem in the minority.

I would really love to know your thoughts on the matter? Be it if you are a blogger, or a reader.

                           

SHARE:

10 comments

  1. The standard is stupidly high in the blogging game. If your photo isn't on a marble background, forget anyone saving it on Bloglovin. People talk a lot about breaking out of that mould and make jokes about blogger cliche's but the truth is, that 'white bedroom, cute copper plant' type photo will always be a winner and entice a reader.. it's what works. I don't think it's privacy people filter out, it's the boring fact that their rooms are cream and their desk is oak, not the Ikea bright white we all love to see. x

    Natasha Kendall

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes I totally agree, I do feel though that the majority of blogs that are successful do share a lot about their lives though. x

      Delete
  2. I think how much of your personal life you share completley depends on what kind of blog you have - and of course, what you're comfortable with! If you don't want to discuss your personal life, then people can easily enjoy your reviews and recipes (in fact, that could lead to more people stumbling across your blog as they'll be seeking information).

    Another thing I want to say is to write the blog posts you would want to read. They might be personal, they might not be. But it's up to you! xx

    alicered.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes I totally agree there are some bloggers really nailing it and just posting, reviews, recipes etc. I just feel that on the whole, the larger more successful bloggers, share their daily routines and face, haha a lot more than I would like too. And yes it does come back to what you feel comfortable posting. :o) xx

      Delete
  3. I love this post so much Ant! As you know I try to keep my private life very private and it seems to work for me, but I do feel that you need to be 'open' to be successful as I guess readers relate a little better xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It 100% works for you, you and The Sunday Girl were actually the people i was referring to, in relation to nailing the blog and keeping your personal life separate. xxx

      Delete
  4. I can't think of any "big" bloggers who don't share their private life & I suppose it comes down to what you are comfortable with & what you want to get out of your blog. My personal life is private but being chronically ill isn't very exciting so I don't think my readers are missing out on much! lol! xx

    Beautylymin

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha I don't think anyone would find my life thrilling either :o) xx

      Delete
  5. I share some of my private life but I am selective what I share, I am not very interesting at all and not having my health I don't do an awful lot besides sit indoors so nobody would be interested anyway ha ha xxx

    Zoe ♥ MammafulZo

    ReplyDelete

Blogger templates by pipdig