I’m going to burn in blogger hell for this post, but it’s finally time I get it out there. My gripes with several blogging practices are certainly in the minority, as countless bloggers do all of these things- huge bloggers who will have more new followers in week than I will ever have in my life- but they turn me off of blogs pretty quickly. So. if you aren’t interested in hearing blogging gripes, feel free to take a day off and check back in tomorrow! If you are, read on…
Why does everything need to be monetised?
I love reading about style but I’ve kind of given up on style related blogs and Instagram accounts. If I have to make a “LikeToKnowIt” account to even see what brand made something, I’m taking a pass. I’ve been burned by countless blogger pushed pieces of clothing and beauty items because they probably were paid or given free product to promote it. I know that bloggers spend a lot of time finding items to share from your affiliate links but if the entire point is to profit off of me, I’m just a customer and not a reader/follower. I understand that finding products, checking availability, linking them, writing the rest of the post, potentially taking pictures/making some sort of gift guide collage takes time but does anyone get into blogging because it’s fast and easy? It’s now at the point where I only trust reviews from maybe 10-15 reviewers, and they are typically the people who buy their own products. Everything seems better when it’s free, right?
Do We All Use the Same Things?
Okay, I understand that there are certain things that a large percentage of the population likes. I’m not a hipster by any stretch of the imagination- I like my Hunter boots, my Kate Spade tumbler, and my cute cookie cutters, and so do other people. However, do we all need to write a post on how wonderful S’Well waterbottles are? At a point, I would argue the topic is saturated and there is only so much to say about a waterbottle or a J Crew shirt or a Madewell tote. If you touch on a popular product in a post, awesome! I get a hint of what you like about it without an entire essay. If you write an entire post on Warby Parker glasses like two thousand other bloggers, I’m going to leave altogether. I like following bloggers to get to know them as an individual, not someone who is going to jump on whatever is popular with “influencers” at the time. (You aren’t influencing me. Quite the opposite, in fact.)
I Don’t Need Eight Old Posts a Day
Dear everyone,
I don’t care what Pinterest articles tell you to do, please stop sharing a billion old posts a day. If it’s Arbour Day and you have a post about tree planting, feel free to share away because it’s relevant. Please stop re-tweeting numerous old links daily because you make me think that you have new content for me to read when I’m really being linked to the same posts over and over and over again. If you want to tweet but don’t feel like continually putting out those 140 characters, share some articles or other blogger’s posts. If you were in a room with someone and they continually kept bringing up things that they have done, like, and enjoy, it would be weird. Doing it on Twitter with your blog posts isn’t any less weird.
I’m not saying that I won’t read something from a blogger who does one or more of these things, but I typically stay a little distanced rather than throwing myself wholeheartedly into waiting for your blog posts to come up. It makes me a little sad, but this is the way of the world. I get it, if you can make money you will. I’m still hopeful that honesty will return to blogging, though.
I’m a little scared to ask, but what are your thoughts?
Until tomorrow,
The Historian!
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Hello and Welcome!
I’m the Historian, and I am here to celebrate all things history, style, culture!
What to expect:
Sunday- Culture, including books, ballet/arts, and travel
Monday- History including book recommendations, documentaries, and interesting histories!
Wednesday- History Bite (a short bite of interesting history)
Friday- Style File Friday, including fashion history, favourite pieces, and resources.
Have a question or something to say? Let me know what you think at anhistorianabouttown@gmail.com!
Agree with all these points. Especially the first one. I hate hearing “don’t just write from the heart, you’ll never be able to monetise your blog that way”. a) it is possible to have a blog where the sole purpose is NOT to make money b) don’t ever tell me NOT to write from the heart. For me, I literally don’t see the point of writing in any other way.
I would far rather read a passionate review of someone who wanted to use/wear/read something, rather than someone who did it simply to receive compensation- if I wanted heartless reviews, I would just read the marketing materials… I read blogs to get to know people!! Where has the heart gone? ?
Indeed. It’s all rather soulless, isn’t it?
Haha I agree on the old posts turning up in my reader (although to admit myself, I reposted once or twice myself) but some posts of others I seem to know by heart because they keep returning
Right?? Its this realisation that hits you about three sentences in, “… I’ve read this before…”
I have about a billion old posts that answer your question as to my thoughts on this. I will share them with you immediately! 🙂
I love this! Your gripes are totally legit and 100% why I don’t actively follow any beauty or “lifestyle” blogs that don’t appear to have a real writer behind it all. Nope. I share old posts every Friday, but I often wonder if it’s annoying to readers who have been following me for over a year. It’s weird, though, bloggers seem to come and go and I can count on one hand the bloggers who have been with me from early on. I guess if it’s annoying, people can just skip it? I really don’t know and it worries me. One of my biggest gripes is Bloggers posting several times a day, utilizing WP like Facebook. I just stop reading. I prefer original, thought-out content over Facebook-like status updates. I wonder how many do this simply for more follows, as it seems the people who did this have a huge following. Just one of those things that make me shrug my shoulders #inserteighteenshrugs ??
I’m totally on board with Throwback Thursday or Flashback Friday- if you are participating, it’s the point and as you said, I can just skip it if I’m not interested! But I think that continuously tweeting out old blog posts every 2-3 hours is annoying and misleading. Most don’t include a hashtag to indicate it, either….
I don’t get it, either- that’s exactly what Facebook and Twitter are for!! Please stop flooding my WP dashboard with 2 sentence posts!! #inserteighteenHUNDREDshrugs
I totally agree! People are just doing that to ramp up their likes. Ugh. That’s the one thing I just can’t seem to be OK with, yet I want likes too. It’s a tough situation, for sure!
I think it comes off as a little arrogant to me- how many of us have new readers EVERY HOUR who need to be introduced to our posts daily? I’m cool for one older a post a day but not continuously!
I agree!!
I agree! Great stuff
Totally agree with you!! I don’t follow any style related blogs, I’m just not interested. As for rehashing old posts, I haven’t done it myself and I’m fortunate not many of the blogs I follow do it either.
I’m all for a Throwback Thursday or Flashback Friday, or even sharing one old link a day! But it seems so common with style and lifestyle blogs to continually share old posts and it needs to die ?
I love this!!! I agree with everything you say here, especially the affiliate links. I want to be made fully informed if someone is profiting off of a purchase I make, and so often, the fine print divulging affiliate links is buried. And even in the case of a blogger being totally up front about using affiliate links and sponsored products, I truly do not believe I can trust the opinion of someone who got something for free! As you say, everything tastes/feels/looks great when it’s free.
Fabulous rant!!
Why can’t they disclose it at the beginning of the post? Its either hidden in a “c/o” or the last line (usually in a smaller font). Its getting to be offensive, as it feels like they are assuming we are too stupid to figure it out…