Sometimes bloggers are a little too quick to buy their own press. You know the whole gussied up about page screaming our excellence to the world and we believe it type thing. We ARE important. The new media, that’s us, leading the charge. And I’m here to tell you it is a bad idea. I’m guilty of it myself. I work hard to fill my blog with content that is interesting and useful so I’m proud of that. But sometimes when things get a little #Blogebrity (Freya’s term for a blog celebrity) well it’s easy to believe your own press and let your head expand until doorways pose a challenge.
Unless you have friends like mine. HA.
Liv is the one who loves to remind me that I’m just a jerk with a keyboard. All bloggers are. That sure it takes work and effort to do what we do, but we are just people who like having our place of internet. Behind the scenes, it very much looks like folks sitting around with a laptop on their laps, messy hair, wearing track pants. Sure there are exceptions (hello the troupe from Fashion Bloggers) but most bloggers are normal people with real lives and for a large chunk of us, day jobs. And for us believing your own press is dangerous.
Believing your own press as a blogger leads to you, in my experience, feeling entitled and competitive. It’s ick and you have to find a balance between that and having the confidence to ask for what you deserve. A good start is to stop wondering where your share of the pie is, why others were chosen and taking things for granted.
No one owes you anything, no matter how good your blog is.
Set fair and reasonable prices and terms and be done with it. Always say please and thank you. Be gracious if a brand tells you that it’s not going to work for them or it’s not a good fit. Give them the benefit of knowing what works for them, just as you determine what works for you. Thank them and ask them to keep you in mind. Be nice to people. Reply to their messages and emails. Talk to them when they talk to you. Say thank you to them and mean it. And last but not least…
Keep your big fat head in check, you’re just a jerk with a keyboard.
Hi! I’m Melissa Walker Horn. Around here, they call me Suger. I’m the Chief Blogger and doer of all the things here at Suger Coat It. Blogging since 1901; I love a casual ootd, taking photos, and writing about things that irk or inspire me. I love wine and cheese, long days at the beach and spending time with my family. I make stuff for the internet over at Chalkboard Digital. You know, living the sweet life.
Oh please, I wear leggings not track pants!! 😛
xx
Well, derr, because that’s AWESOME. 😉
I’m a little blogger and don’t do paid / sponsored stuff any more and I’ve never got an event invite etc. It really is just me at the keyboard… Though it is nice if there’s someone at their screen at the other end, reading…. 😉
That it is. Someone at the other end reading is all it really takes to make most bloggers proud. x
Yep. x
mwah! x
Ha ha ha this is awesome!! Being fresh to the game, it’s been a real eye opener about how things operate behind the screen! Right now all I can do is blog for the fun of it, because no one is really reading! So maybe it’s just keeping that mentality- bogging like you’ve not got a big following? x
Thank you. Welcome to game. Haha. Expect a fat head sometime. It happens to most of us. Having friends and family to keep me in check helps. And certainly not being as big as some, that keeps me in my place! 😉
It’s such a fun stage when no one reads and you really can do what you want. It goes away and other fun things happen too, but it’s a unique time. Enjoy!
I love this, it’s so true! Much easier to do your best at blogging without a massive ego getting in the way. I wish I could remember who said we should all run our own race wearing blinkers, it’s the best blogging advice I’ve ever heard. xx
Well thank you muchly Mrs BC. It really is great advice. There’s nothing to be done about anyone else not matter how hard you try. My fat head and ego have only ever gotten in the way, that’s for sure.
Yes yes yes! Love this. I find that bloggers I started following years ago don’t write about anything other than how damn busy they are because they’re going to this event and that gathering. They don’t even answer comment anymore! While I hope my blog is successful, I never want to get to the point where it gets to my head and I forget why it got that way in the first place – the readers.
Thank you Jess May. I think bloggers are interesting because it’s a sneak peak into their lives. It’s personal in a way websites never were. When you remove the personal, make it all too squeaky clean and slick, the heart goes out of it. The readers are what matters, but first and foremost you have to please yourself.
This made me laugh out loud – love it. Blogging and bloggers, just a little part of the great big world and usual life rules apply for sure, do the right things and the right things happen, be a giant a**hole and the world shall treat you that way. And yes to the keyboard and track pants… am currently with said keyboard, sporting un-glam, somewhat manky sports bra (it’s a hot day!) and gym tights…
I’m glad! Haha. I think it’s especially important for fashion and lifestyle type bloggers to declare their tracksuit/slouchy clothes wearing selves. It’s more genuine when you make sure people know the real you.
No one owes you anything is a brilliant motto for life not just bloggers! I have to admit to never seeing any of the behaviour you have written about here come from you Mel. You seem like a fairly down to earth amazing person.
That it is. It’s one of the things I remember most vividly about my teenage years, my parents repeating that in statements to me over and over. And thank you, maybe what they said stuck! But it’s true, sometimes it’s hard not to believe your own press.
I love this….where is the freaking like love button. Self importance is a balancing act in everyday life, let alone in social media for the world to read about it in five secs flat.
Haha. Thanks Beth. It’s such a balance between confidence and arrogance.
Oh yes those full of self-appointed importance. Do you know who I am? Just a jerk with a keyboard. Great post babe, as always saying what needs to be said and keeping it real in your track suit pants. Love ya.
Well shorts technically. It’s waaaaay to hot to be in trackies tonight. 😉
Oh gosh I love this! A wee while ago I saw a blogger say “Oh people just don’t understand how much work it is to blog” there are much harder jobs out there and how lucky are you that you get to do what you love, work from home and get paid for it!
There certianly are. And yes, it takes work and most people who start one think it’s a bunch of stuffing about on Facebook, but really? It’s fun most of the time. Lots of fun. Cry me a river. 😉
YES. always be polite.
Always.