Do you ever feel like everyone else took off from the starting point and you haven’t even put on your sneakers yet? How will you ever catch up now? I think a lot of bloggers feel the same way about blogging.
You see all these spectacular blogs that are known world wide and you feel like your blog is a needle in a haystack. But to someone else, your blog is just what they’ve been looking for.
If you allow the rat race of the blogosphere to consume you with constantly trying to do more to attain a status, then you run the risk of drowning yourself in bloggy-legalism. I’m not talking about the religious kind, but the social kind. The one that pushes us into the desire to be a part of a bloggy-clique. That push that makes us feel like our blog isn’t ‘good enough’ and the weight of trying to live up to some computer generated measuring stick.
I have felt this way many times and during a simple shopping trip across town, my daughter encouraged me so much. She reminded me of why we began blogging in the first place. It’s all about the relationships we are building and it takes time.
If we build a blog at high speed with only a concern about the numbers, then what kind of a community are we building?
Don’t let the rat race of the blogosphere cause you to have a green eye. There are mega blogs out there that have many enamored with the glitz of their subscription count, the length of their comment section, and the amount of money they are making. How often do you think those bloggers actually email their readers back, or even reply to in their own comment sections?
I am reminded of the following thoughts to help me avoid that pit.
“Write what you love and we’ll love what you write.” @thegypsymama
“Let me not compete, but care” @AnnVoskamp
“To find your voice as a blogger, all you really need to do is put in the time to get to know your readers.” @SisterDiane
Maybe all we need to do is think about what defines success to us. Just what would ‘successful’ look like for me? Maybe successful is knowing our readers feel valued by us. Perhaps the real success is in the depths of our relationships.
As bloggers, are we constantly coveting the readers another blogger has built up? Are we trying to sway those readers to choose us instead? Have our hearts become so green with envy and insecure that we vie for their attention? That sounds like a bloggy affair.
Living in disenchantment with blog land can further isolate us from the relational blogging that the internet is starving for. Time and time again, many bloggers post articles about relationships. Having solid relationships built with integrity is what makes the blogosphere a real community.
That’s what it boils down to my friends.
There are those who contribute to the online community and those who run a blog. Big difference! The difference is found in relational blogging.
Who has reached out to you in support of you and what you offer the blogosphere?
Who have you reached out to with support for them?
When you find a Tweet or blog article that supports relationships in the blogosphere, use the following hashtag so we can find them. #RelationalBlogging
Lisa (Sisterlisa) blogs at The HomeSpun Life and is a contributor at The Homeschool Post. She enjoys blogging, photography, and cooking. Her homeschooling family is active in their community and enjoys traveling with friends and family.
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