A HUGE Blogger Dilemma

I posted a lot about blogging over the years. I’ve talked about my blogging mistakes, tips you thought you knew, how to balance your blog with your 9 to 5, how to treat your blog like a biz, and lots of other fun topics. 

One topic I haven’t talked about yet is actually a HUGE blogger dilemma. But before I tell you all about that, let me back up a bit. 

As much as I love writing and sharing my thoughts with you all, I’m also a huge fan of reading other people’s blogs. I probably read over a dozen different sites every day. I don’t discriminate. I like fashion blogs, beauty blogs and other wellness blogs. Some of them are really popular and others have a smaller but super engaged audience. 

“Experts” might think that consuming so much content could cloud your creativity and hinder your own voice, but I think it’s actually the opposite. I’m constantly inspired by other bloggers, and sometimes yes, someone else’s blog will spark an idea for a post on Simply Nicole. That’s not a bad thing. I think we can all learn and be inspired by each other. There’s a difference between being inspired and being a copycat. 

And no one likes a copycat. But that’s a topic for a whole different post. 

Along with reading posts from other bloggers, I also think that taking a look at their comments is really beneficial. 

If you’re a new blogger, you’re probably thinking – “Yep, I love Jane Doe’s blog. It’s so successful. I read in the comments that her readers love fashion posts. Maybe if I implement X, Y, Z, I’ll be successful too.” It makes sense right? Nope. Everyone’s audience is different and what works for one blogger doesn’t necessarily work for all. 

However … I’ve found a common thread among the comments that I receive and the comments that I read on other sites. Ready for it?

People love reading personal posts. They’re nosey and I get it. It make sense. Think about it for a moment. It’s kind of like how we love knowing what’s in another woman’s purse, or how we love watching reality TV {when it’s not scripted!}. As humans, we are naturally curious about the lives of other people. 

In general, we’re tired of seeing picture perfect lives on the Internet. We like seeing the raw, the behind the scenes, the REAL. With Instagram feeds being so curated these days, Snapchat and Instagram Live have really opened up the door for people to show their personalities a bit more. It’s a great way for readers to connect with the blogger behind the brand. 

But this brings me to a huge blogging dilemma:

How much should you share with your readers?

Everyone is going to have a different opinion on this, but here are my three thoughts.

1. Your story is yours to tell. Don’t tell someone else’s.

This first thought is simple and straight to the point. I’ll never share anything on the blog if it involves someone else in a possibly negative or emotional way. If I really want to share someone’s story and I think it would be beneficial to my readers, I’ll always ask for that person’s permission. It’s just the right thing to do. Be smart, people. You wouldn’t want something you told a friend in private to be all over the Internet. Your story is yours to tell. Don’t tell someone else’s. 

2. Don’t share online before sharing in person.

I think that the digital age we live in now makes it easy to almost forget to interact with people face-to-face. This can cause huge problems.

For me, I won’t post about big news until I’ve told close friends and family. That’s out of respect for them. If I’m posting about something private, I’ll think to myself, “Is there anyone who would be hurt if they read about this online?”

Think of it this way. If you found out through a Facebook post that a close friend got engaged, you’d be upset that she didn’t tell you in person. I treat news on my blog the same way. I share with my closest friends and family first. Always. No exceptions. 

3. Blogs need balance.

Just like no one wants to read 1,000 sponsored posts, no one wants to read all about your terrible day at work or numerous posts about your pet. That’s the honest truth. Just like anything else…. blogs NEED balance.

I talked to my friend Noelle about this last night during dinner. When we both started blogging, blogs were seen mainly as online journals. People wrote mostly about their daily lives. Now that there’s a higher expectation for bloggers to create more meaningful content, some people never post personal stuff. I think that’s where a lot of bloggers go wrong.

I like feeling a connection with the blogger I’m reading. I like knowing who they are as a person and why they started blogging, and I like to see their personality come through in the way that they write and style their posts. I’m not saying you need to share your deepest, darkest secrets. 

// If you’re a blogger: I’m dying to know… What’s your biggest blogging dilemma? If you’re a blog reader: Do you like reading personal posts? How much is too much?