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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?
Love your recipes, have your cookbook. I am single and what brought me to your blog was the simple concept of portions for two. Please keep posting away when the mood feels right.
Thank you, Jennifer. I definitely will!
I have had this exact same feeling for the last few years. blogging has not been fun for me for a long time, and i have definitely scaled way back. sometimes taking a break is just enough to get the creative juices flowing. i have stopped blogging for other bloggers or trends, or brands, blog just what i feel like, and that has helped. as long as i try to forget the traffic i used to get.
hopefully the blog refresh and break will bring the fun back for you!!
Thanks so much! I hope the same!
I started blogging on livejournal, move down to WordPress, and had a domain for a few years before calling it quits in 2008. It was fun while I did it and it really didn’t matter if if anyone read it or not. I miss the days of personal blogs…they were so much fun to read and there was more of a sense of community. Remember when ads starting showing up on blogs and everyone freaked out?
I’ve thought about starting blogging again to share my experiences in PT school as a non-traditional student, but the idea is so daunting. If I did, it would totally be an old-school free WordPress blog that gets updated like once a month. Lol.
It’s definitely gotten to the point where I don’t read a post of it is sponsored. I don’t care for the commercials and I’ve stopped reading so many blogs altogether because they are so commercialized. I understand they need to pay bills, but it’s crap. I miss the personal stories. Another thing that is awful is most bloggers (not you, you are awesome) don’t even take the time to respond to comments. Come on.
Honestly, I would love to read more about your life and wouldn’t mind less food posts. Enjoy your break- I hope it allows you come back refreshed and if you decide not to continue blogging, know that you will be missed.
Hey Brianna! Haha, I do remember when ads first showed up on blogs and people were super confused by it.
So, I wanted to address something. I know sponsored content isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and I dislike them just as much as you do but for you to say, “I understand they need to pay bills, but it’s crap.” Do you mean it’s crap that they need to pay bills and it’s not a good enough excuse to do sponsored content? Or do you mean the sponsored content is crap because it’s so commercialized? Wanted to clarify this bit with you but am interested in hearing your response.
I REALLY REALLY loathe bloggers who do not take the time to respond to comments/messages on IG/social media when they’re the ones vying for it. Like, it’s rude and bitchy.
I won’t be leaving blogging completely. I’m definitely only going on a break :) thank you for the message!!
I am a reader and do not have a blog. I don’t care what you write or what recipes you post . I just flat out love your blog. I enjoy people’s stories and the recipes they share on blogs. You keep it real.
I am signed up so I will get your email when you post.
What I needed to hear! Thank you so much, Michelle!
On instagram you said you just want to share recipes and inspire people in the kitchen. I think you do that every day. The problem I think is that you’ve decided that you care more about how much you make. That’s not to say income doesn’t matter but if you truly only care about it as a hobby and to share with and inspire people then keeping up with the Joneses doesn’t matter because fundamentally all keeping up has to do with is $$. Comes down to pageviews, brand compensation etc.
You have the luxury of having a full time government job and making six figures with something you basicly describe as a hobby. At the end of the day it seems like you need to decide if this is a hobby where hey you make some money too or is it your job and then you might need to re-evaluate whether it makes sense to quit your “day job”
Hmm, so I agree and disagree with you. I agree that the additional income is nice and completely unexpected when I first started blogging, but I also disagree that keeping up with the Joneses = has to do with money. I want people to see my content because ultimately that is what sharing and inspiring people is about. If your content isn’t out there/is not visible by means of keeping up with the latest SEO, GDRP – which is a legal thing for the EU coming up that we need to comply for or face consequences, and much more…then you’re basically talking to a wall and might as well just turn this blog into a private memoir only for myself. I like the interactions I have with people and I love hearing success stories of everyone in the kitchen with my recipes. You’re correct that I need to evaluate whether or not this hobby is worth continuing. Thanks for your insight!
I truly have enjoyed and appreciated your blog and all the effort you have put into it to give it that personal feel. I can understand your frustration with all the technical “upgrades” that combat us everyday. Just when we think “alright, I got this!” Here come an “upgrade” that sets us back…I really thought you were “Wonder Woman” in disguise. A full time job, new house (moving into), husband, dog and an “amazing lady who happens to have a fantastic blog.” I didn’t want to call you a “blogger”, because you make it feel personal and warm, like you were talking/emailing directly to me. I’m not on twitter or instagram or a lot of sns accounts, but I am in your private facebook group. Still not sure how to post pictures yet, but I do enjoy looking at all the posts.
In short, I just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate all that you do and have done….Loves from Hawaii….
Joyce
Thanks so much, Joyce. Haha, it does take a toll so yeah, you’re seeing the effects of all that now :) which is why I’m considering this break and regrouping and refocusing on everything!
Screw writing for SEO and catering to algorithms. Do what you want and your authenticity will attract a more dedicated crowd. Quality over quantity applies to audiences as well. They will come back to you to see what’s new, instead of you constantly trying to reach them on social media, against all algorithms. If someone doesn’t like your stories, they can go find a website that fits their needs better. Let ‘em go. Stick to what you enjoy and forget about the rest.
I love this. Thank you, Beth. This is very powerful and insightful and I will be taking this to heart. You’re so right…I need to stick to what I enjoy and the rest will follow suit, if they want. And if they don’t…I shouldn’t care because I should want the ones that do like reading about me and what I post than ones that are fairweather anyway.
What a refreshing post to see someone speak their mind about being frustrated with the state of blogging. I’m not a blogger myself, but if I had to vent…social media in general has been the bane of my existence. I miss the days of getting a card or letter in the mail, coffee/tea outings with a friend in REAL life, empathy on a personal level (no…posting “sorry for your loss” on FB/Instagram/Etc or sending an emoji or meme, is NOT really connecting to another human being), I miss a phone call on a birthday or special occasion rather than a barrage of texts, messages or memes…the list is endless. No wonder we have so many individuals with depression and anxiety, so many lacking tolerance, and so few who actually take the time to filter their words in an effort to be considerate…we have taken away human interaction and replaced it with speed, convenience, technology and an attitude of devil-may-care. I wouldn’t even say it is solely isolated to the Millenial generation because if I’m honest, this goes far beyond one generation of peoples…people in my generation and that of my parents have also fallen hook, line and sinker for the “wonders” of convenience and the “joy” of being offensively blunt without consequences. It seems we all need a time out from technology to remember we are human beings who should be social in real life…social with other humans in person, social with nature and social with our own needs. Good luck discovering your next step.
You’re SO right with the emotional and mental state of everyone these days. I was talking to a friend yesterday and she said the pressures of our area and just society in general is what is driving people to have anxiety because they feel they HAVE to do all these things and they HAVE to do that 110% because they think that 95% isn’t enough. Yeah, outings with friends become hooked into technology because instead of putting phones away, we have them out and are messaging people as we are talking to someone right in front of us. Guilty as charged and I do think social media has reallllly affected all of us negatively. I do love that it’s easier to keep in touch with friends and whatnot but there are things that I miss about what you said about receiving cards, phone calls, hanging out in real life, etc.
This post couldn’t be more accurate, Julie. I’ve been feeling so frustrated with the state of blogging for a good year now. There are just too many things to keep up with on the backend of blogging and I just feel like I’m drowning. Between working full-time and having two toddlers at home, I can’t keep up. My income is way down, but I still need the pittance that I do make for bills and such (living in Orange County is so expensive!). At the same time, I don’t really make enough to hire other people to help me. I probably am doing so many things wrong, but I’ve come to accept the fact that I will never be able to keep up. My sponsored work is also way way down and the offers I do get are so ridiculous, it’s like brands have no clue what readers want to see and ask for so much from us for so little pay.
Our readers have most certainly changed too. Every time I post something personal, I lose followers and email subscribers. I now hate writing blog posts and feel so uninspired because it seems like most people could care less about what I have to say, but like you’ve said, blogs are not supposed to be just straight recipes.
I just want to make good food, take pictures, and write posts. I too miss the good ol’ days of blogging!
Haha oh gosh..Orange County is like way different than here in Washington D.C. BUT I do get what you’re saying with the cost of living. Definitely way higher. I agree that whenever I post something not overly indulgent or cheesy, I lose followers too. It’s deflating and uninspiring but I think that’s maybe what we need? Like a way to refocus and figure out what we really care about and screw the haters? Shouldn’t matter about the numbers when there are people out there that will embrace us for whatever we post? I don’t know. I don’t like talking to a wall lol but I also don’t want people that aren’t interested in me.
I’m so sorry you’re feeling this way! I haven’t noticed the shift as I probably follow more food blogs than friends and view you guys as my friends ? If nothing else please know your hard work is appreciated. Your chicken sausage orzo recipe is one of my all time favorite dinners as well as your Chick-fil-A recipe and a ton others. There are blogs I cycle through in following but you’re one of the ones I’ve followed for years and will) never stop. I love how you’re real, you tell the real story behind why you make something or the ingredients in it and of course I feel like I know you through insta stories haha. I had a food blog for about 2 years but shut it down because it was much more work than I thought, not just sharing recipes and why you love them like you said. I do continue to share pictures of my food because that was the main part I loved. Not that I’m an expert but I guess my advice would be to get back to focusing on what you really loved in the beginning about blogging. You mentioned the site redesign might be like having a baby in a doomed relationship and I feel like that’s a good metaohor for focusing on why you fell in love with your spouse in the first place which can equal to what you loved about blogging in the beginning. I think if you continue to focus on that you will stand out for not following the robotic crowd and truly enjoying what you do.
I hope you can find your love for blogging again and fond what makes you happy. I don’t know what I’d do without your recipes! ♥️♥️
Aw thank you, Macy! I definitely do hope I can find my blogging happy place again soon. I think a break is a good time to get recharged and refocus on what is best! Thanks for following!