My life is a niche so my blog can’t be
After this post, I promise to shut up about Blissdom ’09 and return to rants about the grocery store bag boy and cute photos of my children. But I do want to talk a little bit about the actual conference.
I think the majority of my readers are aware that there is another world of blogging out there the same way we are all aware of quantum physics. We know it exists but we aren’t particularly clear about the details. I attended Blissdom for almost purely social reasons (ironic considering how socially awkward I’ve been telling you I was, no?) but I am fascinated by this other world of blogging.
Some of these women make a living or at least a decent paycheck from blogging. These women work hard. They network with great purpose. They beat the cyber pavement. They spend many hours building up their blogs and their numbers and their advertisers and their reputation and their presence. They read. They comment. They facebook. They twitter. They do these things because it is their job.**
It is a world driven largely by numbers. Numbers in the sense of traffic and numbers in the sense of dollars. No one wants to divulge their numbers. There was a lot of discomfort when anyone asked about numbers. I’ll share: about 550 per week day but weekends are significantly smaller and $0. Those ads on the sidebar have generated nothing and will be removed when my husband gets around to it. I’m okay with that. Blogging is my hobby, my therapy, my entertainment, my semi-creative outlet. I don’t want it to be a job. Would I mind having more people visit me? No but I feel like you all are my friends and I like knowing who comes to see me every day. Would I mind making a few bucks? Well duh. But I like what it is now. I’m satisfied with my blog.
One of the main themes I heard this time and at Blissdom ’08 in the fall is that in order to have a profitable blog, you need a niche. You need a narrow(ish) focus so that people always know what they will find when they visit you. My thought then and now is my life is a niche so my blog can’t be. I like writing about whatever is on my mind that day. I like posting recipes, ranting memos, pictures of my beautiful children, political rants, and whatever else is going on inside my head because out loud I am limited to what my 2 year old can comprehend. They also talked about brevity and editing and I think we can all agree that isn’t my strong suit.
So I go back to the thought I started with – I like my blog. I wouldn’t turn away more readers or a little cash but I’m not willing to change it to get there. The occasional give away or product review is as big time as I get around here. I will leave blogging as a business to the other bloggers and I will continue to admire them for doing it. If some niche idea comes to me and I want to give big blogging a try, I will do it elsewhere. You all propped me up through my adoption and my pregnancy…now you have to help me through potty training and pre-school.
**Just a point of clarification – these women have a passion for what they write about. It is a business but something they enjoy as well.
PS If anyone has any specific questions about what we discussed, feel free to ask and I will do my best to answer in the comments or via email.
PPS Did you all see that White Trash Mom commented on my last post and claimed to be a fan? I’m sure she was just being nice but *Swoon*
PPPS Proof that I was there (I don’t remember where I lifted this photo so I apologize for not giving credit)
Don’t go changin’…to try and please me…
Ha! At first I thought maybe I took this photo, but that’s me sitting behind you, to the right. So guess not!
This is a great post. I also feel like the Blissdom stuff only marginally applies to me because I’m just having fun. I would actually like to tighten the focus on my blog a bit because I think it will help me write. And I want re-designed because – what’s more fun than that?
Michelle,
I just wanted to let you know that I am so glad to read this last post. I love the way your blog is, and honestly it’s the reason that your blog is the only one that I read. I’ve tried keeping up with other blogs, but I just don’t like how the other ones seem to be set up compared to yours. I was so sad that time my computer crashed and I lost my bookmarks, and was so glad to be able to get it back from you. I honestly think I’ll keep reading this blog every day until the day you stop posting it 🙂
One of my favorite parts is that our kids are so similar in age– Tessa is only a month ahead of Josh, and although Ryleigh is almost a year older than Sabrina I think they are on the same level maturity-wise, lol. So it’s fun to read your posts about things that I seem to also be going through at the same time.
thanks again =D
Melissa
While I certainly would understand you if you needed to make money and figured out a good way to do it, I do love your blog just the way it is. For those of us who don’t have one, but who are interested in all the same topics, have similar senses of humor/ irony/frustration/ passion for our kids, etc. READING your blog is our therapy.
Thank you for all you write about. If you do create a niche blog, I’ll be happy to read that one too!
Ansley
I get it. I had thought about taking TLA in the whole ‘branding” direction, and I found myself hovering over the publish button more and more. I liked my small traffic, and I didn’t like watering down what I thought (more than people who live in polite society normally do) to appeal to a wide audience. So I backed out of it all, even BlogHer Ads, which I never even put up, and I quit a paid blogging gig. And eventually quit blogging altogether, because that’s what felt right. If I had gone forward, and was earning $$, I might have stayed, and I think the material would have suffered. So, glad you’re staying. 🙂
I think you hit it right on the head! It seemed to me that there were two definite ‘schools of thought’ – blogging for financial gain (while also enjoying what you do) or blogging strictly for personal enjoyment. I think that is why ‘finding your voice’ was such a buzz phrase….
I love that you want to stay true to you!
I like that you cover diverse topics and aren’t covered up with ads. Some sites have so many ads I can hardly find the blog.
Michelle,
Did you get to attend the Writing with Passion session? It really hit the nail on the head for me. I write about what is happening every day in my life. That might not be what everyone is dying to read, but I write for the writing. (And for the kids.) I have really enjoyed your posts and look forward to hearing more of what you have to say!
Brigid
I love your blog just as it is. WOW 550 per day!? I also love your blog because my daughter is almost the same age, its good to read about someone going through the same travails as we are with Jamie. Also I love the recipes, food, and political views as well as your marvelously droll sense of humour. And of course the photos of your beautiful daughters.
Girl I am a card carrying fan of yours and have told the world of my plans to stalk your blog! I hope the little men in the white coats don’t come for me…..
PS-I want to know your secret of blogging because your blog has been my #1 linked blog to WhiteTrashMom all week! Girl…teach me your ways….