Somewhere around April last year I finally sat down to do the whole blogging charades thing – the lockdown and the mental health issues I faced after were my triggers for using this blog as a place to vent. But in turn I found some amazing people that helped change my perspective on blogging.
Perspective I: No one reads blogs anymore
Boy was I wrong – not only do some people read blogs – it is also a great way to make friends from across the globe! Again, I do think that the number of people readings blogs is limited to bloggers and their family/friends (who are forced to read their blogs :P) but the number of bloggers is A LOT.
Perspective II: Bloggers with a lot of followers are popular
I’m not throwing shade at anyone but bloggers with a lot of followers aren’t necessarily popular they are just people who have good marketing skills and are able to use different channels to effectively market themselves. I really appreciate these bloggers for putting in that kind of meticulous effort to market their blogs effectively. Trust me – marketing is A LOT of work (or maybe I am excessively lazy) – I applaud these bloggers for not only doing it but doing it well.
Perspective III: Having XXX number of followers is amazing
XXX keeps changing as you keep achieving those numbers but in all honesty it isn’t the number of followers that matters but the quality of followers that matter. You could have 50 followers but if they all engage and appreciate your work that is so much better than having 500 followers who don’t. This is from the perspective of someone who hasn’t monetized their blog. (PS: I’ve done a fun blog on conspiracy theories about people who follow you but don’t’ engage with you.)
Perspective IV: Writing about only one topic works to increase your ‘popularity’
Again, this is from someone who isn’t looking to make money off of this blog – I started this blog to write about my travel tales. During the lockdown it became my safe space to vent and share things about myself I wasn’t comfortable sharing with my closest of friends. Now I write about any and every topic under the sun that sparks my interest! Again, I’m not popular and I don’t have a lot of followers but my perspective now is that if you’re genuine and can find other genuine people – it doesn’t matter if you stick to one topic or write about multiple topics.
Perspective V: There isn’t much to gain from blogging unless you’ve monetized your blog
I couldn’t be more wrong – from gaining new friends, to learning new recipes, to having someone from across the world completely understand what you’re going through, to getting book recommendations, to getting travel tips, to getting amazing deals on products, to getting skincare reviews (so you don’t have to suffer a bad product) – there is just so much to gain from the blogging world! Here are some of my blogging highlights from 2020 .
Perspective VI: I will start getting brand deals once I get 1000 followers
Honestly, you can get brand deals with even as many as 400-500 followers. You just need to make an effort to reach out to the brands you like to get an opportunity to work with them. Create a media kit of your work and keep updating it. Send it across to all the brands you hope to work with and keep faith! Check out Maryam’s post that I found very helpful.
Perspective VII: Blogging is a fun hobby
It is fun and I love it but it isn’t a hobby – it is so much of work! I am just constantly thinking about the blog and working on it. I’ve already written a WHOLE venting out post on it – you can check that out.
Perspective VIII: No one wants to know about me
When I started writing on here, I avoided topics that included too many details about me. I’d pick more general topics to write about. But I’ve realised in the recent past that the posts where I talk about myself end up being the most popular. So if you’re shying away from writing about yourself – maybe give it a chance? (In no way am I saying share your personal details on here – just more about yourself as a person.)
How has your perspective changed along your blogging journey?
Give my other posts a read too –
Happy Panda 
No-one reads blogs anymore; I always considered that to be true. Well…my writing wasn’t anything that invited anyone to read from me. Fun fact: I had three blogs in the past which I deleted as my interests changed.
I started off doing anime reviews, then I tried to do a creative writing blog that I couldn’t manage within only a month of creating it. Then I started doing manga reviews because I loved the stories so much. And now here I am 😅
Tbh I don’t really think my perspective has truly changed overtime, more than the fact than I want to get better at writing while finding more people whom I can learn from and interact with 😊 and so far it’s been quite fulfilling!
There’s not one thing you listed that I didn’t used to believe when I initially began blogging. Of course all of it was debunked with time lol
Sorry for the lengthy post 😅 but I wanted to share my thoughts with you🤧
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Reading this post made me subscribe to your blog. Nice write up.
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Thank you 😊
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Great reflections! I had all of these same perspectives too 🙂
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I think most of us do when we start off new but slowly our perspectives change as we understand this blogging world better. 🤗
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Congratulations 😊
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Thank you 😊
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These are really interesting perspectives to explore. Very nice. 👏🏼
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Thank you ❤️
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This was a very engaging post! Whatever you said, I completely agree with you. I don’t think blogs are useless unless it’s monetized because I have genuinely met some of the most supportive and beautiful people here who love writing and share similar interests. It’s such an encouraging platform. I think that kind of emotional support should be considered significant. For me, my blog is sort of like my own retreat. When I feel upset or even lonely, even if I can’t write much at that moment, I can read and feel comforted. Like being in your safe space. I was pretty much a recluse initially here but now I’m glad I interact more with my fellow bloggers. 💜☺
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Same! In the beginning I’d find it so odd to communicate with random people but now those same people have become more like a second family to me. 🤗❤️
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Such a very interesting and well analyzed post!! I came to blogging out of boredom thinking no one will read and the number of followers decide the success of your blog. But now I’ve understood how great is blogging and it is so much more than that ❤️
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Yesss! As long as you have a loving blogging fam – nothing else matters. 🤗❤️
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Great post, I think I’ve felt all or most of those same things.
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Thank you! 🤗
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Very interesting perspectives, I faced many of these thoughts myself! I actually didn’t start blogging because I believed that nobody read blogs anymore. Then finally, I decided to give it a chance. I’m so glad I did, because like you said, I got to meet lots of awesome and talented people across the world! 😁😋
I also like to write about things that aren’t necessarily one topic. I like posting recipes most of the time, but I also like writing poetry or even a personal post! I think having a variety is much more fun, as it gives you the freedom to do anything you like! 🙂😃✨
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I think the number of people who read in general has gone down so much since these OTT platforms have launched. But there are so many bloggers that it more than makes up for the lack of readers. 😀
Meeting people from across the world is THE BEST gain from this world.
I SO agree – the freedom to write about whatever you feel like is the best! I couldn’t constrict myself to write about just one topic. ❤
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I started my blog after I wrote my first book and a webinar I had attended informed us authors that the next step was to market our book and a great way was to create a blog. So I did that.
What I’ve discovered over time is that the need to seek my books has faded into the background, as I had discovered that I got much more out of it by writing from the heart and sharing what I’ve learned.
I now see my mission is to share my message! I have been blessed to meet some wonderful people online who I can converse with on a deep heart level, either on my blog or on theirs! Either way, I feel so enriched when I get to chat with people!
Blessings to you and your blog family!
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Thank you 🙂
Honestly, your posts have guided me so many times when I’m down and I’ve chanced upon them in my reader. They’re little blessings disguised as posts. You have so much of wisdom to share and this is a great platform for that. 🙂 ❤
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😊😊 oh thank you! I’m so very happy to hear these words! They truly help me!
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I still have some of these perspectives ..😅😅😅😅 hope I overcome them soon but really agree on that hobby part , its not just hobby it really pulls your last brain cells and can be overwhelming sometimes😊😊😊
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SO OVERWHELMING! I hate it when I sit and stare at my stats at the end of the day but I just can’t help it!
I’m sure your perspectives will change – give it time. 🙂 ❤
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I absolutely agree with you 100% on all your perspectives. When I began blogging I didn’t know that it could be monetized 🤭 it was pure heart work and to this day I cannot put the 2 ideas together. I have left it up to destiny if ever I go that way, as of now I get so much more out of it that I don’t have much willingness to put efforts in marketing. Blogging is hard work, heart work and a gift for me. I love interacting and engaging with like-minded and kindred spirits, and believe in following people genuinely out of interest in their work.
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Same – I had literally NO idea that you could make money out of blogging and even though now I do know – I don’t want to make this space anything other than a place I an unload my feelings at.
I SO AGREE with you! It is so amazing to have all these friends from across the globe that you can share your thoughts and feelings with. That’s my biggest gain from this world. 🙂
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What delight to interact with you 😊💛
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When I first started my blog years ago I had the perception that I had to be perfect… Write the perfect post about the perfect topic that everyone was interested in… It was quite a bit of pressure on myself.. I also had a hard time putting pen to paper… I’m a writer by nature but I couldn’t think Segway topics to write about but now I just write about anything that pops into my head or every day events that I find hilarious from a “life is sometimes ridiculous” point of view 🙂 *crossing my fingers*I continue to be on top of it!! And yes, blogging is a LOT of work lol
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Same – when I started this blog in college I was very particular about the topics I chose and my content and it all aligning together to be perfect. I was trying to be Carrie from Sex and the City with PG content. 😀 But now I just write about whatever makes my heart feel lighter. I LOVE your posts – always leave me smiling! 🙂
SO MUCH WORK. *I say while avoiding my real full time job to reply to comments*
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Haha I love reading your blog too! Thanks for your continued support, really appreciate it! I’m glad along the way we’ve both found our true voices ❤️
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It’s so relatable😅. My blog is anonymous because I didnt want to talk about myself too much but when I started writing little notes about my life at the end of my posts I felt more connected with this community than I was before.
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Same! Every time I write about me – I find that so many people from around the world are similar and just reading their comments make me feel so good. ❤
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Wow! Great job. You seems a good friend and inspiring person. I want to be a storyteller. My interest changes with time but it is always keep moving around literature. Stories are the great way to start a healthy communication and continue it further.
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Story telling is a very fun and creative line to pursue. I’m sure you’ll do well. 🙂 🙂
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Hmm. Let’s see.
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You are so on point about —even if you have 50 followers but they all engage with your content it’s SO much better than having thousands and thousands that don’t interact with you.
I feel blogging is all about conversations and since I have restarted blogging in 2020 —I feel I have such a great community around me. It’s so lovely to see everyone’s thoughts on your favourite subjects or how similar we all are in so many ways than we realise💕💕 xx
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Truly – what matters is the quality of your blogging fam not the quantity. The amazing friends I’ve made on here (including you) are keeping me motivated to keep doing this. ❤ ❤
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I am glad💕✨
I feel we are besties 👯—our thinking as in sync😘 xx
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Definitely! ❤
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I must admit I’ve always thought that keeping a blog in a certain niche was a benefit, but if it’s not then that’s great! I always add tidbits about me into more casual posts, but I’ve always worried about losing followers by diversifying into different topics. I’ve half-considered it before – maybe I’ll give it a go in that case!
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Honestly, in my case I just write what I feel like writing about and it works to engage my core blogging family. But definitely if you’re looking to monetize or work on brand deals – having one core niche works better. Having said that I don’t think having one niche means you can’t post about other things once in a while.
I think people find us more relatable when we share details about ourselves. 🙂
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I had these same perspectives until I made up my mind to do this! I’m a new blogger and I’m very much determined to see to it that my blog does well. I’m also looking forward to connecting with other bloggers!
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Welcome to the blogging world! 🙂 I’m sure you’re going to find many like-minded amazing people on here. Good luck with your blog.
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Thank you!
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I still think no one reads blogs anymore 😛 I myself wasn’t reading many, I just started blogging like 5 days ago and this reader thing is making me read more and more articles. It’s like binge watching Netflix episode after episode.
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Really enjoyed reading this 😊 definitely discovering little perspective changes here and there!
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So true! Thanks for sharing 👏🏽 completely agree with you 🎯💯🌟
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I just started blogging not long ago so this is good to know. Thanks for sharing this.
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I love your 5th perspective! I have gained so much from starting a blog less than a year ago (and by this I also don’t mean money). I created my blog when I lost my job during this ongoing pandemic and it’s given me a peace of mind and something to do instead of sitting around twiddling my thumbs all day. In a way I feel like it’s helped me maintain my sanity. Thanks for sharing your experiences!
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i love love loved this post !! and i agree marketing is a pain in every sense of the word !
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Great insights. Im excited to see how I’ll reflect after my own first year.
I’ll look forward to reading some more from you.
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Thank you so much for the mention love! x
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Love this post. Thanks for debunking all the myths.
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Congratulations
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I loved this read… yes! As a blogger you get to meet so many different people and you never know who your helping based off of sharing your own experiences ❤️
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So true! So many posts have helped me discover new things and helped provide me with newer perspectives. ❤️
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I loved reading this post! It’s so relatable.
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Love all of your perspectives and 1100+ followers is a lot…to me 😉 Keep up the good work! (and i feel ya sis, it is A LOT of work!)
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I sure enjoy talking to other bloggers as well!
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Oh wow, interesting post! As someone who is new to the blogging community, I definitely have a lot to learn. But so far I am loving the little community, people have been supportive too 🙂
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