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This is kind of a hard post to write but I have a feeling I’m not the only one feeling this sentiment. This isn’t a post that’s ‘woe is me.’ This is basically how I view blogging these days. It’s quite simply: The State of Blogging.
I’m sure a lot of seasoned and long-time bloggers can agree with me. Food blogging, and blogging in general, is not like what it was 10 years ago. Everything has shifted towards fighting algorithms, writing for SEO, and how to make money fast. We all have hired virtual assistants. If you had told me ten years ago that I’d be hiring an assistant to help me with social media and managing my blog; there’s no way I’d believe you.
There is barely any authenticity anymore. It’s all writing robotically to make sure your content gets seen. It’s all so over-saturated. I miss the fun in blogging.
It’s a double-edge sword. You want to be creative and you want to create beautiful, unique content and why? Because you want to share that with everyone. You want to inspire people. How can you share that with everyone with algorithm shifts and Google updates strewn in, what seems like, every other week?
I’m not gonna lie. It’s deflating. I often feel I’m in an uphill battle with social media and the rest of the blogging world.
Because of this, I have lost all passion in blogging and creating content. Things have sometimes been awfully quiet around here (you may not even have noticed, it’s okay…NBD, honestly). I don’t know if calling it a “rut” is a good description because I don’t think that’s it. I think it’s the passion that has dissipated. It has gotten to the point that I have even considered hiring a ghostwriter to write for me. YES. You read that right.
Call me a pessimist but it’s deflating when you devote so much time and effort into something and you’re constantly pushed back — sometimes even further than where you started. At some point, you just give in. Throw your hands in the air and take a break.
I started this blog as a creative outlet from my full-time job and while it definitely has been that way for the past seven or so years, lately it’s becoming more of a second job. Trying to keep up with all the technological changes (hello, GDPR and SSL), hashtagging and videos on Pinterest, constant SEO changes, Instagram (looking at you IG Reels) and Facebook struggles, everyone doing video and having to hire out for video or be left behind, introduction of TikTok, and brand work coming to a halt and/or not worth my time anymore because of the insane demands from clients. Like, beyond the scope of what is in the contract and quick turnarounds and little to no pay. Or what’s worse is the fact brands just give you a script these days and think you’re a walking advertisement for you. Or they micromanage the shit out of you because they don’t trust you. And yet they came to you (the creative) for work because that’s what drew them to you in the first place. There’s just a disconnect and it’s just all too much. There’s no FUN in it anymore. It’s keeping up now.
Hey, brands. You want exposure? Pay for it.
Gone are the days that influencers accept product for payment.
I know this may shock some of you but a box of pasta doesn’t pay Wells Fargo my mortgage. And a bag of granola doesn’t pay for my electric bill. I know, what is that shit? People should love food instead of money! /sarcasm
I might be fooling myself but one thing I’m doing is getting a big redesign of this blog that’s supposed to launch at the end of September. I’m hoping with a brand new site, I’ll get reenergized again? I hope so. Or maybe I’m completely fooling myself — like couples who think having a baby will solve their marriage woes.
This is definitely one of those posts that I don’t think many people will read or care for because of its “negativity,” but it’s the damn truth. I know some who are reading this right now are probably nodding and sighing and reminiscing of better days. I can look on the bright side and be all positive but there’s no point in trying to fool myself or be fake about it. This is the world of blogging as we know it now. I could own it and ride it in stride but right now, in this season, I’m choosing this route.
Oversaturated.
A part of me thinks that the blogging world has gotten oversaturated because of all the, “I made over six figures in six months” type of posts. I’m sorry, but that shit takes time. Those that did hit six figures in blogging in six months — good for them. It took me four years before I hit that and it was hard work. I’m not saying those that did it in six months or a shorter amount of time didn’t work; they probably hustled and worked their asses off and had a way better business strategy than I did…but a part of all that is also luck and networking.
Ah, networking. I miss the days of Twitter chats with friends. I miss real conversations with “Internet friends.”
Anyway, back to the “I made over six figures in six months,” talk. I feel that gave everyone the false sense of hope that it’s easy to blog and make money. That it was quick money. It’s super unrealistic.
And now all I’m reading is, “I have been blogging for over a year and I still have yet to have the traffic and money that was promised to me.”
Yeahhhh….
Why is it always a numbers game?
I’m so sick of the numbers game.
“How many pageviews did you get today?”
“How many sessions did you get last month?”
“How many Instagram followers do you have?”
“How many likes did you get on your last post?”
Your success isn’t measured by numbers. Brands like to make you think that it does. In fact, everyone seems to make it seem that way. “Omg you have one million pageviews a month?! You are such a big blogger.”
It’s just like your weight on a scale doesn’t matter. It’s how you PERCEIVE yourself and how you love yourself.
Which is why I’m choosing now to just love my blog no matter which direction it goes because you know what? I’m pretty sure that is what is going to make the blog shine even more. You can tell when someone isn’t into something. Their writing, their creativity…everything is just lacking.
Shorter attention spans.
Another very frustrating part of blogging these days is the attention span battle. Blogging has always, in my eyes, been a collection of memories and stories but the shift towards getting content as fast as you can now has reduced blogging about life to a rubble.
I get so many comments about, “I don’t care about your life, just give me the recipe.” Scrolling has become such a HARD task for people that bloggers have started to implement “jump to recipe” buttons at the top of their posts.
Dude, that’s bad. I don’t even think it’s an attention span thing. I think it’s a lazy thing and everything being handed to you.
If you’re interested, this article from the NY Times is a great read. The Tyranny of Convenience — basically that everyone expects convenience now.
“The growing expectation of convenience exerts a pressure on everything else to be easy or get left behind.”
Convenience vs. lazy. Very fine line these days. I can see the convenience in ‘jump to recipe’ but I can also see the laziness in it especially when you have the audacity to write to me and offend me and yet still get the recipe for FREE.
Turn that frown upside down.
Some of you reading this may be thinking, well you can do something about it and stop your bitching. Turn it around.
Yeah, I could.
But at the same time, I am not sure I want to? That’s my internal debate. It’s not my full-time job. It started out as a passion project. A hobby. People can drop hobbies, right?
Looking back, I am proud of myself for understanding the business side of things and not quitting my full-time to blog full-time. You have no idea how many people (and still today) ask me, “when are you going to quit and blog full time?”
I can’t even imagine the stress with that, especially given my current mindset on blogging — although, some may argue that if this were my full-time…would I be feeling like this? Hard to say. I guess if this is your bread and butter, you would definitely be trying to climb that hill no matter where it takes you. So I guess it’s all a matter of perspective.
I will say…the fact that blogging has changed so much has forced a lot of us to dabble in different niches; which I don’t think is a bad thing. I think it opens up the creative outlet more and not everything has to be about your niche that you started out as just because you’re primarily a food blog or fashion blog or whatever. People change. Interests change. I’m definitely not the same person I was when I first started blogging and I don’t necessarily love the same things I used to.
I do think that experimenting is fun and it makes it less “robotic” and more “real” — which is what I strive for on a daily basis. So, I will say that even though there is this negativity going on with me and blogging…there is also an opportunity for me to dabble in other niches and give the blog the chance to figure out its direction.
In conclusion…
All this to say…I’m not stepping away from the blog. I’m trying to regroup. Social media gets me nowhere now; it’s not somewhere I can really promote my new posts so I suggest signing up for my email updates where I send out emails every time I have a new post.
I’ll still be around on Instagram Stories (come say hi and see my uncurated life), if Instagram decides to show you. Oh, and if you haven’t joined my private Facebook group set up for a sense of community; you def. want to join us!
One beautiful thing that blogging did gift to me is friendship. I have met so many amazing boss ladies through this little space on the web and I can’t take that for granted. This was a predominantly negative post but I’ll end it on a positive note: I’m not alone in this sentiment and I have a set of really good friends from when blogging was more about conversations and interactions.
I also have cake. Always cake.
Your thoughts?
I’d love to hear what you guys think — both from readers and bloggers. It’d be interesting to hear from both sides.
As readers, have you seen the shift? Where more personal blogging has taken a shift and it’s sounding more ‘robotic’ and repeating the same stuff over and over again? What about blogs in general? Are they “just another website” to you now?
As bloggers, are you drowning or swimming with the tide? What are your feelings on blogging these days? Am I just jaded?
I can’t imagine your frustration, but know this, I truly enjoy your blogs. Your recipes and tidbits have really brought joy to my life. So, I want to thank you for that. You do you girl!! ?
Awww thank you!!!!
Interesting that I saw a similar sentiment on another blog I follow this morning. We all need a break sometimes to recharge and decide where to go next. You do you.
Thanks so much! I think a lot of people are feeling this.
I am just a reader. I don’t blog. I have been following blogs for about 10 years now. I do feel like many blogs have become more robotic and commercial. I have stopped following many because of this. I miss the old school posts where it seemed more personal. I like when you post about your life (as I do for most blogs I follow) for the simple fact that it was more personal. I don’t like the trend most blogs are headed but I still love getting the emails about the blog. So I don’t know what to do as a reader. I want to read the posts, but then I see they are so generic or link to another post and I get annoyed (though I understand that for some bloggers this is their job and necessary and I do think people should get paid for their content…its hard work) but I miss the old way.
I feel you and hear you. You could just start following authentic bloggers; those who still write about their life and who share about their life. I hope you stick around. I think I know where I’m shifting my blog. Food, travel, and life!
Hey, Julie –
How about this? Put your computer away. Phone off. Snuggle with Winston, snuggle with Jason, go for a long walk and get some fresh air, yoga and deep breathing, visit with friends, clear your head. And, snuggle some more. You’ll feel better.
And yep, I totally plan on doing that :) got a girls weekend this weekend and I cannot wait!!
Hi Julie, I am not a blogger and am really uneducated about the blogging world however I am a reader although I am not one of those who comment a lot. The reason for this is maybe because when I started reading and following certain ‘big bloggers’ I commented and then never got any response back so I thought why comment when they are probably not even reading our comments or have an assistant responding…of course I realize that not all bloggers are the same so I can now say, like some of the other people who commented , that I now only follow a few bloggers that I have followed for a while and who I like and am interested in…you are one of them! I do read your posts and I hope you keep writing when you feel up to it! I also love following your stories on IG and I do like seeing recipes but I am not the type who only wants recipes! I actually started reading blogs because of the life stories and loved reading the honest blog posts of people’s life and struggles and their love stories. It’s like reading a great book! Hope that you keep sharing in the way you feel is the best for you!
Yeah, I’m definitely trying to reshift and refocus my blog. It’s not just all food anymore. I love sharing my life and what I love in it and products, etc. So, I’m definitely going to incorporate that into it. Yep, ‘big bloggers’ never seem to write back :) even I’m a victim of that and I’m IN their community. I don’t get it. They all want comments and they all want engagement but they don’t engage back. It’s rude, to be honest. Which is why I try my damndest to always respond to every message I get on Instagram or email or even here. Thanks for sticking around! I can’t wait to come back reenergized!
I totally agree about the lazy comments! It’s contributed to anxiety and sef-doubt. Hard work gives a sense of accomplishment, focus and calm. Everything should NOT be about business and making money. It’s community that increases satisfaction in life. You are so on track with this post!
Enjoy the summer — I appreciate you!!!
Thank you so much!!! I appreciate you and your feedback!!!
I hear ya. I blog for fun and it’s not fun anymore. So I can only imagine was real bloggers have to deal with. As a reader I don’t keep up with as many blogs as I used to. I don’t really know why. But I do agree with over saturation. The same with YouTube. Everyone wants to “get on” quick and make a “quick buck:.
Definitely. Fast money, quick buck…it makes it so unrealistic and inauthentic.
You are so right — when I started my blog 10 years ago, I loved that it was an opportunity to network with other bloggers, commenting on each other’s pages and sharing each other’s content.
Nowadays, it’s all like- and ad-driven. Sites don’t feel “authentic” anymore — it’s like people are putting out content merely to get “seen.” Marketers see bloggers as a cheap way to advertise, and little else.
As a writer, I used to cringe and get really jealous of bloggers who were absolutely shitty writers, but had hugely successful sites. But then I figured out that they were playing a game I didn’t want to play — the marketing-centric, SEO-driven type of blog.
I use my blog as a portfolio nowadays — the writing on it helped me secure my FT writing job. I hope that you’re able to make peace with your site, and have it serve you, as opposed to the other way around. Those of us that are here for YOU will stick around. And those are the ones you want, at the end of the day, right? :)
“Marketers see bloggers as a cheap way to advertise, and little else.” – couldn’t have said that better myself. They see influencers as a way to cheaply advertise and treat us like shit. I would love to see them bully another big company. Probably wouldn’t happen. But no, they bully influencers and take credit for everything and have us sign over rights for pennies. And when we push back, they push back harder and are rude about it. No thank you. Pay us for what we are worth. Pay us because you love our work; not our numbers.
That’s so awesome that you were able to use your blog as your portfolio! I agree. The broken sentences on some sites that are purely for SEO/Google juice make me cringe.
You’re right. Those who like reading my life will always be around. That’s exactly who I want around. Thanks friend!! <3
I don’t even know where to start. To say that I understand every single word is an understatement. I guess I’ll start here. I was feeling exactly as you are (I still do occasionally) in terms of should I quit or should I push through the moment. At that time, I rebranded and man was that a great decision. I had a new-found energy, I had excitement about the blog again…it was a whole different experience. This was two years ago.
Fast-forward one year. Work was crazy, my #s had plummeted, there were a million changes going on with social media algorithms and Google and all that stuff I don’t understand. I couldn’t keep up with the demand the blog required so I decided to put up a page that said “We’ll be back” and took an almost 8-month hiatus. It killed my numbers even more and I basically started from scratch when I came back but it’s been about 8 months and while I’m not as consistent as I’d like to be, I’m happy about where my content is going and I’ve found a way to enjoy it again.
I gave up on the “traditional” forms of making money on the site. I hardly ever work with networks anymore and I’ve made my own plans to monetize. I’m more passionate about them and they’re things I can be proud of rather than writing a post about how tampons are so great for my summer vacation (sarcasm). They’ll also take longer to become lucrative compared to sponsored posts but they’ll be more meaningful to me.
What I’m trying to say is that I get it. I’m one of the ones who have pushed through and figured out how to love it again because I didn’t for a while. But I also have great friends who I met through blogging that decided to shut the laptop and call it a day. There is nothing wrong with either decision. At the end of the day, you have to do what’s best for you. Selfishly, I hope you keep going because I love your recipes and reading your posts ? But as someone who gets it, I support your decision if you decide to throw in the towel as well. Whatever decision you make, don’t allow lazy readers be the dictator.
A friend of mine (who is another blogger that I met through blogging), was talking to me just last week about how fun it used to be. This will be my 7th year come August and she’s been blogging about the same amount of time. Even 5 years ago it was so much more fun. There weren’t so many legalities and technical rules you had to be careful of. Sometimes the stress of “am I doing this the right way” can get overwhelming but if you can find the passion in it again, I think it can be worth it.
Sorry this ended up being so long! I guess it was just refreshing to have someone write what so many of us have been thinking.
Hey Christine! Thank you so much for your insight. I must say, I feel you. I gave up brand/sponsored work last year after a horrendous bout with a PR company. I walked away from our 2018 partnership because the 2017 one was just THAT bad. The 2018 partnership contract hadn’t even been drawn up when I told them I just couldn’t imagine myself working with them in 2018 after what 2017 was like. Then I had several sponsored opportunities that were just a pain in the ass and made me realize…WHY AM I DOING THIS?! I DON’T NEED THE MONEY! I had PR companies emailing me at 9pm telling me to put a post that they approved on hold, or telling me to make edits. Like, WHY?!
Anyway, what I’m saying is…I’m starting to find my own path too and to start to refocus on what makes me happy and reshift the blog. I love food, I always will. But I also love life and sharing bits and pieces of it with everyone (and it seems like people like that too — it’s a way to connect).
Don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll keep going. I just need to find balance and get reenergized and learn to let go and not let the pressures of technology and algorithms get the best of me. Maybe the best thing to do is to let the monetary part go so I don’t feel this kind of pressure…but alas, bills LOL
Thanks again for writing. I’m so glad to hear I’m not the only one struggling with this. I’m so glad that you overcame this and are in a good place with your site!
Julie – Thank you for sharing your real – where you find yourself right now. I appreciate the time, energy and effort your pour into your ‘little space on the web’. The food & recipes drew me first & several are used regularly (fig glazed chicken – oh yum!) as well as the travelogues. Those are saved for future trips. The variety of posts are nice & I enjoy the mix. Whatever your decision regarding the future of this space, Jason comes first followed by Winston. The rest of the hordes can wait. Family is always the best investment! Thank you for all you do!
Thank you for the message, Theresa! Family truly does come first and I feel like the older I get, the more I just want downtime and to relax and not worry about the pressures of society, LOL