As I've mentioned a time or two before, I blogged for about three years
before I had any idea there was a "community" of other bloggers in this world.
(I'm just kinda oblivious like that sometimes.)
If I got a new follower once a month it was a good day,
I received my first "comment" about 650 posts in and had no idea what to make of it.
Did I know this person? Were they making fun of me? Was I supposed to respond?
What I'm getting at here is that for the longest time my only readers were non-blogger folk.
They were pretty much all friends and family that came my way thanks to my longtime love,
Facebook statuses/updates.
I lingered around 1,000 hits a day, and my follower count was just under 100.
So sometimes when I get all "bloggy" with my posts and start throwing terms around I know they
don't quite understand, like "giveaways" and "sponsors" I feel kinda bad.
Because up until last summer I had no idea what any of this meant either,
that was ages ago back in pre B.C.
(Pre Blogger Cult.) I'm totes a member now.
I think I am anyway, if not someone really owes me an explanation
for why I drank that Mormon rabbit blood a few months ago.
And now to answer a few questions my non-bloggy friends often ask.
(Permitted you haven't already clicked away once you saw the word "blogging" in my title.)
1. Do you like actually make money on your blog?
The answer is yes, technically. However it should be noted I spend a lot as well.
See those faces up and down the right side there? Those are fellow bloggers,
sometimes I call them "sponsors" because they have paid to advertise their blogs on my blog.
I do the same thing on other blogs. Crazy, huh?
Some people think it's "janky" to pay other bloggers to get your name out there,
I think it's advertising.
2. But like why do you pay other blogs?
I ask myself this question all of the time, imaginary-question-asking friend.
I guess I do it to draw more traffic to my site, which in turn draws more readers (I hope)
with the ultimate goal being this can be a full time job somehow.
I should clarify and say I don't want to be a paid blogger, I want to be a paid writer.
And if blogging is the means for doing that, so be it.
3. I don't get it, what does it mean to follow?
It means clicking the right side over there where it says "join this site."
That's it, you don't get emails from me or notifications, you just click follow.
4. What's the point then?
Again, good question. What's the point of having a lot of followers?
This is a tough one for me because like I said, I did this for years without getting followers and didn't care one bit. So follower count is not why I started blogging, or why I continue to blog.
But as I've learned, having a lot of followers does sort of solidify you in the blogging world.
To a certain extent...
It's no different than having a store or restaurant that a lot of people frequent, the way I think of it.
Some bloggers get a bit high and mighty about "not caring about follower count" but I guess
I'm not as high or mighty as them because I do get genuinely excited when I see more traffic.
It's the writer in me, we all just want a little validation.
Scratch that, it's the human in me, we all just want a little validation.
5. So what are these giveaway things? How are you always giving so much away? You can't afford a new coat for God's sake.
Wow, don't be so brutal, non-blogging friend.
All of the wonderful items you see up for grabs are donated by the lovely faces
(sponsors, remember?)
you see to the right.
And you don't have to be a blogger to win!
6. So you're just buying followers?
Sure, if you want to think of it that way.
I think of it as buying exposure.
If you saw J Crew was giving away a $10 gift card for every 100th customer that came in would you think,
stupid J Crew, always buying their damn customers!
Maybe you would, I wouldn't. I think of it as a promotional way to thank current customers
and also find new ones.
Then again, I was in a sorority and proudly bought all of my college friends and stillthink know
it's one of the best purchases I ever made.
And I'm also not the type of person to get upset over free stuff, I usually tend to like it.
7. Why do so many bloggers think they're like super cool or celebs or something?
Joke!
I just threw this one in there for shits and giggles because nobody outside of the blogging world would ever ask this.
We're all just a bunch of glorified journal keepers/scrapbookers.
(And I mean this in the nicest way possible, blog friends, many of you are so awesome at blogging it blows my mind.)
I just always get a kick out of accusations made that certain bloggers think they're celebs.
Granted I can only speak for myself, but I'm yet to meet a blogger who isn't just a... blogger.
8. You really blog every single day?
Yes. Well except the weekends. Why? Because I love writing.
Let me be clear on this, I don't love blogging per say.
I hate editing photos, I really hate taking photos in general to be honest, especially photos of myself,
and I hate worrying about the overall aesthetics of my page.
*and I hate spelling aesthetics.
Sidenote: Fashion bloggers, who is taking all of your photos? Seriously? And after you're all dressed up and looking so fab in the middle of the afternoon do you go get groceries in those spiky heels?
And why are you always shrugging? I feel like you're probably thinking-
Should I keep these clothes on all day or can I put on my grey sweats? (insert shrug)
Sorry, just some questions I've been wondering about for awhile.
Anyway,
I love to write and in order to be a better writer you have to do it on a consistent basis and blogging holds me accountable.
Like my very favorite English professor told me before he died,
just make sure to write every day and it will happen for you.
Sadly, he didn't tell me what "it" ever was.
Is it a baseball field? Or a blank check? Maybe a TV show?
I'm really not sure, so I guess I better keep doing it until I find out.
XOXO
Jenny Blogger
before I had any idea there was a "community" of other bloggers in this world.
(I'm just kinda oblivious like that sometimes.)
If I got a new follower once a month it was a good day,
I received my first "comment" about 650 posts in and had no idea what to make of it.
Did I know this person? Were they making fun of me? Was I supposed to respond?
For those of you that remember, this was the one photo/background/layout
that stayed on my blog for roughly two years...
What I'm getting at here is that for the longest time my only readers were non-blogger folk.
They were pretty much all friends and family that came my way thanks to my longtime love,
Facebook statuses/updates.
I lingered around 1,000 hits a day, and my follower count was just under 100.
So sometimes when I get all "bloggy" with my posts and start throwing terms around I know they
don't quite understand, like "giveaways" and "sponsors" I feel kinda bad.
Because up until last summer I had no idea what any of this meant either,
that was ages ago back in pre B.C.
(Pre Blogger Cult.) I'm totes a member now.
I think I am anyway, if not someone really owes me an explanation
for why I drank that Mormon rabbit blood a few months ago.
And now to answer a few questions my non-bloggy friends often ask.
(Permitted you haven't already clicked away once you saw the word "blogging" in my title.)
1. Do you like actually make money on your blog?
The answer is yes, technically. However it should be noted I spend a lot as well.
See those faces up and down the right side there? Those are fellow bloggers,
sometimes I call them "sponsors" because they have paid to advertise their blogs on my blog.
I do the same thing on other blogs. Crazy, huh?
Some people think it's "janky" to pay other bloggers to get your name out there,
I think it's advertising.
2. But like why do you pay other blogs?
I ask myself this question all of the time, imaginary-question-asking friend.
I guess I do it to draw more traffic to my site, which in turn draws more readers (I hope)
with the ultimate goal being this can be a full time job somehow.
I should clarify and say I don't want to be a paid blogger, I want to be a paid writer.
And if blogging is the means for doing that, so be it.
3. I don't get it, what does it mean to follow?
It means clicking the right side over there where it says "join this site."
That's it, you don't get emails from me or notifications, you just click follow.
4. What's the point then?
Again, good question. What's the point of having a lot of followers?
This is a tough one for me because like I said, I did this for years without getting followers and didn't care one bit. So follower count is not why I started blogging, or why I continue to blog.
But as I've learned, having a lot of followers does sort of solidify you in the blogging world.
To a certain extent...
It's no different than having a store or restaurant that a lot of people frequent, the way I think of it.
Some bloggers get a bit high and mighty about "not caring about follower count" but I guess
I'm not as high or mighty as them because I do get genuinely excited when I see more traffic.
It's the writer in me, we all just want a little validation.
Scratch that, it's the human in me, we all just want a little validation.
5. So what are these giveaway things? How are you always giving so much away? You can't afford a new coat for God's sake.
Wow, don't be so brutal, non-blogging friend.
All of the wonderful items you see up for grabs are donated by the lovely faces
(sponsors, remember?)
you see to the right.
And you don't have to be a blogger to win!
6. So you're just buying followers?
Sure, if you want to think of it that way.
I think of it as buying exposure.
If you saw J Crew was giving away a $10 gift card for every 100th customer that came in would you think,
stupid J Crew, always buying their damn customers!
Maybe you would, I wouldn't. I think of it as a promotional way to thank current customers
and also find new ones.
Then again, I was in a sorority and proudly bought all of my college friends and still
it's one of the best purchases I ever made.
And I'm also not the type of person to get upset over free stuff, I usually tend to like it.
7. Why do so many bloggers think they're like super cool or celebs or something?
Joke!
I just threw this one in there for shits and giggles because nobody outside of the blogging world would ever ask this.
We're all just a bunch of glorified journal keepers/scrapbookers.
(And I mean this in the nicest way possible, blog friends, many of you are so awesome at blogging it blows my mind.)
I just always get a kick out of accusations made that certain bloggers think they're celebs.
Granted I can only speak for myself, but I'm yet to meet a blogger who isn't just a... blogger.
8. You really blog every single day?
Yes. Well except the weekends. Why? Because I love writing.
Let me be clear on this, I don't love blogging per say.
I hate editing photos, I really hate taking photos in general to be honest, especially photos of myself,
and I hate worrying about the overall aesthetics of my page.
*and I hate spelling aesthetics.
Sidenote: Fashion bloggers, who is taking all of your photos? Seriously? And after you're all dressed up and looking so fab in the middle of the afternoon do you go get groceries in those spiky heels?
And why are you always shrugging? I feel like you're probably thinking-
Should I keep these clothes on all day or can I put on my grey sweats? (insert shrug)
Sorry, just some questions I've been wondering about for awhile.
Anyway,
I love to write and in order to be a better writer you have to do it on a consistent basis and blogging holds me accountable.
Like my very favorite English professor told me before he died,
just make sure to write every day and it will happen for you.
Sadly, he didn't tell me what "it" ever was.
Is it a baseball field? Or a blank check? Maybe a TV show?
I'm really not sure, so I guess I better keep doing it until I find out.
XOXO
Jenny Blogger
