What happened to storytelling, to writing a narrative? One Blogger asked this question in a recent post about the direction of blogging. She’d come across a blogger recommending other bloggers attract more readers by offering their readers useful advice:
…figure out what our unique niche is and paint ourselves as an authority, offering them something every time you ask for something back.
thesnowmeltssomewhere
List Format Blog Posts and Finding Your Blogging Tribe
Do you write advice posts or entertaining ones? Is the goal, for the reader, to find info that makes life a little easier for them? After all, home hints and time-saving tips are generous, giving and sought after by many. And yet, Snow suggests list-style formats are not so dissimilar from TV reality show: repetitive, unoriginal and uninspiring, proposing there just might be, “too many self-proclaimed experts out there.” She’d prefer a blog that is just for entertainment, or storytelling.
Thinking about this, I wondered whether a story is more valuable than a post dispensing advice? I think that might depend on what kind of person the reader is. Perhaps we need both kinds of posts? Sometimes one and sometimes the other. Diversity is a good buzzword for that, isn’t it?
When I want information – the list format of writing a post helps me find salient information faster. However, posts titled, ‘The Top Ten Places to See in Europe,’ is a style of post I’d read once, but hardly another in the same vein. It is becoming a trite and hackneyed format, short on meatier content, and meatier content is what I personally seek, as a reader.
It seems that if we want, (or for monetizing bloggers, – need), people to read our blogs, we might write in this way early on in our blogging life, to filter and find our blog tribe; our community; those few like-minded souls who follow us and begin to comment regularly so that a fulsome discussion or blogging friendship might develop. Without a few of those list posts to begin with, how can we build that community so many of us enjoy? Would we still find a tribe of like-minded blog readers another way?
Don’t we want any or all varieties of readers?
Diversity dictates that we need differing opinions and readers from all walks of life.
Blogging Stats and SEO
Whilst I don’t read list posts anymore, I do try to use headings when writing a blog post, supposedly it is good SEO. I don’t understand a whole lot about SEO and SEO tips seems to change rapidly. Once upon a time we were told to use 10 tags, for good SEO, now it is not more than 5. It is hard to keep up with so fickle a technological beast.
Are we all getting sucked into looking at stats and levels of engagement? I remember a blogger who posted about getting back to the real reason why she blogged and not looking at stats, or checking for new followers. Great, I thought. To my surprise, she stopped blogging shortly after! I never found out why.
Likes and Comments
I dislike the thought that someone would write to receive likes alone. Fixating on that, to the detriment of our mental health, could render our blogging platform meaningless. You’d do better to mutter a few grudge sentences on Facebook – that will give you ‘likes,’ and save yourself some time.
What would change if I disabled the like button on my posts?
Nothing? Would there be fewer signs of engagement?
This begs the question: would I still be blogging if I had not received any comments? Perhaps. I hazard a guess I would still write, but not be posting as frequently.
The Blogging Audience
Diarist bloggers who inform about the week that was, without crafting a story, are perhaps still learning to make writing interesting. That level of self-expression, in Marie Kondo style, must bring them joy and could be all they need from writing? We’re all different and we all seek out and write different sorts of posts.
One Blogger [Manja], said she seeks friends in blogging, not an audience. Another thought all bloggers are looking for an audience for without it, they reach no one. This highlights a divide between the intentions of bloggers.
Some bloggers are out to make money and need that audience to do that. That is not always art. Others – those who have an urge to write or tell stories, through photos or words, enjoy their art, interact with their audience and along the way, make friends.
Monetizing a Blog
Am I interested in making money off my blog?
No, not really. If a few dollars come my way, I’d be silly to knock it back, but I also won’t put my focus in this direction and spend time and effort chasing it. Already I am slightly embarrassed about reviewing places for some small kickback, such as a free sample.
I wonder how I can write impartially when I receive a kickback from the thing I am writing about? However, I am told of certain readers that do value and appreciate reading product reviews, so I relent a little and try to tap my inner Buddha and again seek the middle path.
Becoming a Writer
Many bloggers have the goal to publish a book, but that’s not on my to-do list either. I do have a book idea, or two, rather lofty ones, but writing my blog posts with that intention does not form part of the reason I am here.
Writing a blog post feels innate, it’s in my blood. For around four centuries that I know of, there have been writers in my family, not famous, nor polished, but writers nonetheless. I could say it’s tradition, but my writing doesn’t come from any sense of historical obligation.
For me, writing just happens when the mood hits or I should do so. It might come out as rubbish, but it is my rubbish and not contrived just to receive ‘likes.’ I once tried to write ‘like’ that (to suit an audience), and the result was bland and boring.
Writing comes from both my heart and my head. I write when I feel inclined to do so, but more often than not, as I sit at the keyboard, words erupt like the meltwater in a glacial stream at Springtime.
The words tumble and run out, splashing around obstacles in their path, anxious to appear on the computer screen lest they be washed downstream and away, (ie. before I forget what I was intending to say).
Finding More Readers for a Blog.
But aren’t we skirting around the crux of this issue? If we only write for ourselves and from our hearts and heads, why do we want more exposure and more readers? Only to find more like-minds and interesting conversations via comments? Surely there is more to it, than that?
For me, the reward of blogging is the joy that comes from robust self-expression.
Any friendship that arises, from that, is a bonus and the result of two people connecting. The internet is not constraining of geographic boundaries – connection is what blogging gives back to us.
Fundamentally, I am here to learn, and to express, with a little bit of entertainment thrown in. I might find an interesting blogger to read or follow and if I wasn’t here, I’d miss that opportunity to further my knowledge and discuss topics via the readers’ comments.
Blogging is not wasting anyone’s time, it is the best classroom in the world, and the sky is the limit.
I ‘like’ that.
With much thanks to Snow for inspiring this post.
Check out for poems poetryqueens.wordpress.com
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Needed this blog of yours. It’s just some months since I started blogging. And just before a year is over I had already started asking myself what am I doing this for apart from loving it. Thank you
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Thanks for saying that Gabriel. It is good to hear from another who loves blogging. Have you been at it for long?
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I needed to read this. Thank you for your words.
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And thanks for your visit and lovely comment. Keep blogging.
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Nice writing ,, loved it
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Thank you for stopping by
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Good read its a good way to get our own ideas out. I want to teach others
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You want to teach others? How long have you been blogging, Elizabeth?
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Blogging is such an amazing corner of the internet, especially for the one of us who grew up without internet and witness it explode. But I’m always struggling with blogging for the fun of it and blogging for the stats. Great post!
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Don’t focus on the stats! There are merely a guide. I prefer to focus my energy on writing and reading. The stats will be then forthcoming!
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I love this because I do enjoy blogging for self expression
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Great to hear
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I got really inspired by your thoughts and started a blog Remedyhomes.wordpress.com
It’s about amazing proven Remedies that help you cure traumatic disease .
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I wish you well on your blogging experience. Deep. All the best.
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Thanks buddy 😊
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I loved your article! I thought I started blogging to make money but as I got into it a little more I realized that being able to express myself and help lighten someone’s mood became more important. You can feel the difference between a blog intent on building an email base and generating income and one that’s being written for the love of the craft. I would like to understand how to get more comments because I really like connecting with people.
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Hi Marcie, How long have you been blogging? If it is only a short while, you have to give yourself a little more time to build your community. It will happen, though. If you want to speed up the process, visit as many blogs as you can in your genre of interest, using the reader and tags, comment on their blogs and get to know them. They will more than likely visit your blog to find out what kind of blogger you are and if your blog is interesting for them.
Another tip is to participate in challenges, be that photo/poem/story/recipe/coffee shares about your weekly happenings, or whatever challenge you might be interested in. Search in the reader using the tag challenge. I hope that helps!
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Thank you for the encouragement. It means a lot. I’ve been doing this particular blog since May, but I had a previous blog several years ago that taught me a lot, through hindsight, about how to interact with my readers. I like the idea of participating in challenges. Thanks!
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All the best – have fun!
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Very encouraginging .
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Thanks!
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Thank you for this wonderful and informative blog post. I will keep that in mind. ❤️
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You are very welcome Kima!
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Nice to read such beautiful thoughts. My name is Caetano I’m 27, and this post-answer is my first experience with blog. I think my purpose of start blogging is to share my personal view about what I’m experiencing on life. I plan to share different aspects, as I learn how to better express my toughts and I love that this post is the first I read, because it’s really inspiring. So, my sincerely gratitude, from Brazil.
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Hello Caetano, pleased to meet you. I don’t think I have had too many visitors from Brazil, here at StPA. So welcome! Funny that this is the first post you have read, but I am glad if I have inspired you to write some more. Keep going for at least 12 months. You will be surprised what you learn and by then, you will have a following and a good community around you.
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Ya you are right but thinking from inside is very difficult. If we think the first thing may come may be negative. Thanks for your idea.
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Pratik – if you notice the first thing you think is negative, try countering that with thinking something positive. In that way, your brain will over time begin to strengthen the neural pathway of positive thoughts. It will work if you believe it strongly enough.
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Truly stated. Love all your candid points. You’ve surely stated some things to ponder about (pun intended). Thanks
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Cool. Thanks for the pun.
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😊
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While reading I felt that this is exactly what I feel. With ,” monetize your blog theory
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Glad to meet another like minded soul, Reenabist!
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Blogging has metamorphosed into an entirely different class
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Do you think so?
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Great points and insights. I think all of us, bloggers, have struggled with the why we do it, the “waste of time” thought, and the contemplation of quitting or turning things around.
The best thing about our blog is that it is ours and we can do with it whatever we want. I enjoy sharing my experiences, making new connections, and maintaining (virtual) friendships with Roaming About. One day, I’ll do a bit more effort to mold it into more informative and entertaining material but for now, it’s a mirror of my alternative lifestyle and busy mind. 🙂
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I think it is just perfect the way it is, documenting your alternative lifestyle. That is a worthy nice, Liesbet.
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Hi ! Yeah ! I also think that doing blogging is a very good passion and allow us to connect with people of different thoughts. I HV join this platform two weeks later and I am really very enjoying doing all these stuffs . EvenThough I hardly get some likes and views.😜😜🤭
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It takes a year or so to build up a following. I recommend to do what you’re doing – read lots, comment lots but make comments pertinent and joinin with challenges like the one Sarah and I am hosting atm.
https://www.toonsarah-travels.blog/tag/friendlyfriday/
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Thanks a lot dear.🖤 ! I really gonna do what you have told me..😊
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Me too!
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Very interesting post!
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Thank you!
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Loved it! Amazing! Motivated me to write more.
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Thanks ever so much. It is lovely to know I may have inspired another to write.
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I found this and several other posts by you very enjoyable. I am new to blogging myself and it’s good to hear your point of view about the topic. I have started my blog to complete a Toastmaster’s project, and it would be great also if it yielded exposure to like-minded people, as I believe it has done here.
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Nice to meet you, Tessandra! Part of the Toastmasters recommendation is to begin a blog. Is that right?
I can see the similarities between speech writing and blog posts, so you should find it useful. But be warned, it is addictive. In a good way!
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The Toastmaster’s elective project is to post 8 blog posts in a month and then give a speech about the experience. I have thought about blogging before and this project has given my the freedom to just try it out. I have a tendency make things WAY to serious, and then get scared off. So far I am having fun and I hope after a month I am addicted. Thank you for responding to my comment!
What is your favorite thing about blogging? What got you into it in the beginning?
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The reason I got into blogging was as a creative way to share information and, as a bonus I got to meet many like-minded people. My favourite thing about blogging is the freedom to express yourself through writing, usually without the cutting judgement that one finds in social media. There is a lot of altruistic generosity in the blogosphere and thus I commend to you, as a new blogger, to visit and comment on many other blogs, even become involved in blog challenges if you so wish and you will find the reward returns tenfold!
I how to share your final speech in a post as I would be interested to read it. Happy journeying!
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I started blogging almost 4 years and I definitely don’t consider it to be a waste of time. I don’t blog everyday due to my busy schedule. But when I do, I feel so much better.
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Lovely to hear that you find blogging cathartic. Blogging everyday might become a chore and is not something I would want to do either.
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This is motivating
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Thank you Ambica. Have you been writing for long?
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Just for half of my life🧚♀️ i started ny career in 1999 as a magazine journalist, so I have always been writing long indepth articles with beautiful layouts and pictures. Then digital happened in 2000s and i was lost for a long time. I started blogging in 2013 and then my own in 2014. Since then, it’s been quite a learning on the web. But I am used to long articles of 3000+ words and have done coffee table books, illustrated books for children and videos and photographs… it’s been a journey of learning a lot.
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You sound like writing is your thing! You have an extensive portfolio. Would you recommend print on demand for starting out on your first book?
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Well, if you have a guide or a self help book, then print on demand is useful. But for fiction, you need lots of circulation and reviews!
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Okay. That sounds like good advice.
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A blog is a waste of time if you don’t read it.
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Even though a blog is something intangible and posts impermanent unless you dig into older posts, I don’t think a post that has not been read is entirely a waste of time. It may be cathartic for the person who wrote it. Therein there is value.
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It’s true, I think. Blogs add value 😊
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Yes!
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😊👍
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I used to write a lot more when I was a child with just pen and paper, writing fiction, often just fan fiction of books I’ve read. And then I started writing stories of my experiences and reflections. Later it evolved into blogs – writing is an expression of what I’m thinking of in my head and helps me with my thought process (sometimes). But looking at engagement and what kind of content I should write often results in a mental block for me. I used to love writing… Still do but I don’t blog very often now.
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It is not such a good practice to focus on increasing stats. I think it does block the natural flow of thoughts, but if you see the increased followers as some kind of reward for posting regularly, then it may work in a positive way.
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My blog is for my personal growth and it is based on the foundation of learning from the past and to be thankful for the present. As I learn to enjoy and value each day with gratitude and kindness, writing is a way for me to pause and reflect; and act on areas where I can keep improving on. It is my hope that by my simple sharing of my life’s journey in my blog, I can bring some joy and inspiration to the hearts of my readers 🌻😊
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Thank you for this post! I needed to hear this. I’m currently working on my blog and made the mistake of watching about 4,200 “Make $10,000/week as an affiliate marketer”videos which took my focus off of writing blog posts that might reach people I could connect with and help. Instead I started researching affiliate programs,products to promote, and company’s to partner with. Basically forgetting the reason I started the blog. Surely I can figure out how to balance good content with promoting products that would help someone reading my posts.
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A potential source of revenue from our writing often sounds tempting, Justin but if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. I am glad you found the real reason for writing again. I imagine that would bring you more satisfaction?
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Yes it most definitely will. Thank you for your encouragement
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I tried to visit your blog but perhaps you haven’t published it yet?
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It’s actually on Blogger I’ve just downloaded WordPress so I’ve got to figure out how to transfer content stuff like or what to do but the my website is imnotqualified.net . It’s still in construction mode and I’m new to this whole building/SEO/HTML etc…please forgive me because it may not be optimized
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Ok. It is pretty easy to just start with WordPress and copy paste your posts. There is an import function.
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Thank you so much
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I really loved this post!! 🤩🤩
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Aw thank you Betty.
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You’re welcome 😊
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Thankyou for your article. I’ve had this dilemma too. SEO is soul destroying.
Good writing comes from somewhere deeper, no rules, fun, playful laughter and burning tears; a free spirit.
I try to please my reader in one piece, like a slave to the stove Then I abandon them in another, without a care in the world.
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I’ve always said blogging is revolutionary in that it allows those with a variety of life experiences to get their opinions and stories out into the world without an omnipotent editorial board deciding what is and what is not appropriate. It’s the best asset for free speech to come along since the general invention of the Internet.
The down side is that every idiot with an opinion and a keyboard can get something into a public forum. But it is the sacrifice we have to allow for overall verbal and expressive freedom.
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You are right there, Alejandro!
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Writing, like water finds its own level.
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great
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Interesting stuff.
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Right! I had to share
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Okay, thanks.
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I’ve just started writing a blog, and it’s encouraging to read yours. I was thinking about why I was writing (there’s a fire within), and if I would continue if there is little participation (I would probably taper off in time). I hope to find my tribe through blogging and reading other bloggers. Thanks for writing your blog!
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Hi Kathlyn, Welcome to the world of blogging. The hardest part of blogging is in the first few years when you are building a community. The best way to do that is to read and comment on other blogs and write interesting content (the latter is an obvious reasons). Most bloggers worth their salt will reciprocate with a comment back on your blog, if you visit their blog. If your blog aligns with their interests, you will gain a follower! This requires a fair bit of time. Entering challenges also helps you get to know others and builds your blogging community. On the other hand, if you just wish to write and are not interested in comments, you need not do this! I found the community responses were invaluable!
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This is timely. I just saw the Bloganuary challenge from WordPress! Thank you for your encouragement 😊
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Enjoy!
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No it is not a waste of time.
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I am glad you agree!
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