A Case For Blogging (alternative title: Why I'm a D-List Blogger) | Confessions of a Stay-At-Home Mom

August 1, 2011

A Case For Blogging (alternative title: Why I'm a D-List Blogger)







So.


Blogging.


All the cool kids are doing it.


There are an estimated 156 million public blogs  taking up space in the expansive universe that is cyberspace.  We've all got our stocked Google Readers, our Facebook pages liked and our tweets all atwitter about blogs.


Tons of people have capitalized on their online weblogs, others have chosen to keep their little posting world quiet and private.  And between famous and unknown, there is a whole mess of bloggers in between: those with small or growing followings, those who businesses pitch brands to, those who post resourceful tutorials or recipes, those who use the blog for their companies, those who are incredibly humorous and well-written, those who are notable enough to host advertising, and those who just want to be somebody.


I started blogging almost 3 years ago when Little Chica was 6 months old.  Becoming a Mom was overwhelming and isolating and hard.  And I found very few women who wanted to talk about that.  Many of the Moms I knew were basking in their Momness and always seemed to have it all under control.  All the while I'm falling apart at the seams, trying to figure out which end is up (which, by the way, comes in handy when changing a diaper).  I wanted a place to be real, to talk openly about the highs and lows of being a parent. I also wanted a place to be more than just a Mom - to share my thoughts and feelings and beliefs and opinions about life.  I wanted to share my passions (recipes being one that come to mind). I had no direction or intention, just that I wanted a small little corner of the world to call my own.


And so this blog was born.


Here's the thing:  Blogs come a dime a dozen.  There are personal blogs, corporate blogs, local blogs, coupon blogs, women blogs, fitness blogs, pop culture blogs.  The list goes on and on.  There are an elite group of A-List blogs, who have millions of readers and make millions of dollars in advertising.  There are plenty of varying levels of B-List and even C-List bloggers.  Being from the Philly Suburbs, I know a great group of well-established, respected bloggers who impress me more and more every day.


So where do I fit in?


Well.  I'm the D-List blogger.


And I'm proud of it.


My life on the D-List: I've never been to a blog conference. I've never met anyone famous. Big companies don't know me. I, unfortunately, don't make a gagillion dollars a year on advertising.


You see, when you enter the blogging world, you start as a peon.  No one knows you from Adam.  So, it is validating when people begin to leave comments on your post. When companies ask you to do a review or giveaway.  Heck, you might even get offered money.  It makes you feel worthwhile and important.  Then you begin writing to the masses, giving them what they want to hear and what companies want you to say. You begin worrying about how much attention you garner from Google and what your Score/Rating/Rank is and fretting over how many unique visitors you have per month.


Then one day you wake up and realize: you've become a sell-out.


I do my fair share of promotion, reviews and giveaways. But it's been eating at me for a while. I can't help but wonder if doing those things means I've become a sell-out?  Today's post by Liz hit it home for me.  And I find myself asking...myself...ahem:


Who am I?  As a person? As a blogger?  Shouldn't they be one in the same?


Yes. They should.  At least, for the reasons I started blogging. I wanted a place for me.  To give me a voice.  To be my outlet.  To be true to myself. And if trying not to get caught up in all the overwhelming worrying of Blog Success (fame, fortune, etc) means I will forever remain a D-List blogger, then I wear that badge with pride.


Which brings me to my point: 

I think you should start a blog.



Say whaaa?

Yes. 

You.

You see, it doesn't matter if you'll become big bad SEO-savvy widespread money-making blogger.  Blogging should be about being true to thine own self. Having something that brings you joy, gives you purpose. The act of blogging is cathartic, therapeutic, enlightening. We all need our own little corner of the world. 

We all need a voice.

So whether it's your personal journal,  a spot to chronicle your recipes, an outlet for your interior decorating passion, a place to state your political opinions, do movie reviews, share couponing advice or parenting tips, or just a schmorgasboard of randomness, do it.  


Do it for YOU. 


Go ahead.  Start that blog. Maybe it'll become popular. Maybe it will make money. That's awesome if those things happen! But know this: It doesn't have to be pretty.  It doesn't have to attract attention, be widely read or bring in the big bucks.  Heck, you may forever be a D-List blogger like myself.

But you'll have a nice little plot of blog real estate where you can be true to yourself.  

And that's all that matters.








5 comments :

  1. Thanks! This is just what I needed to get back to writing my blog...for me....

    ReplyDelete
  2. D-List blogger: very Kathy Griffin.

    And I'm totally down with that.

    She's an interesting person to connect with blogging and being all D-List. I watched a documentary on stand up and getting started; how comics make it look easy, but there's all this trial and error that goes into creating a killer set. You don't just get up there and hit.

    See where I'm going with this?

    Well, Kathy starts talking about how the NY comedy people told her that if she didn't hit in the NY club scene that she was a goner -- not worth it, just give up. So, what does she do? She takes her beginning act to a book store. And she says, that if you can make people laugh over the latte machine, you're golden. She also tells the NY people to, well, fbomb themselves.

    That's how I feel about blogging. That's also how I feel about being D-Lister.

    Everyone has different goals. While I was reading your post, I was silently having a panic attack because I do care about numbers. I do. I have to be honest. If people aren't reading, I reevaluate what I've been writing. If something spikes, I do my best to write more about it.

    But that's how I am: I go big or I go home. I don't get into something to go willy, nilly. I am way too competitive for that. If I'm going to be a dbag, I'm going to be the best dbag, ever.

    My daughter is also eight, so I have a very different experience than someone with a little one. I shared the early years of motherhood from 2003-2008 on another blogging platform. Plus, I'm a writer by trade so that's also different.

    You bring up some amazing questions and we're all in this together!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have been blogging for 6 years now. I never put my name out there for others to see other than my family, so it is more of a personal journal type blog. I have to say -- I love it. I sometimes just click on a random date and look back at my life at that time. I have my children's lives so well documented because I have blogged.

    Then about 4 months ago I started a more serious blog. I have gained some readers and I am doing okay. Not making any money at all, but it is fun to find some like minded friends in the world who I don't know at all. So right now I am an F-list blogger, but I don't care if I ever even get to the D-list. I do it for me. It keeps me sane and grounded. I think everyone should blog too. It is a great outlet especially for moms.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ladies - I absolutely agree and I am glad you've been encouraged as I have! Liz - you said it well re: Kathy G. And really - we ALL get caught up in the #'s. This post was a reminder/challenge to myself. And heck - who doesn't want a few extra bucks in this economy? Who doesn't want to be KNOWN? I guess I just 1) don't want to be RULED by numbers (in that I don't want anyone to feel depressed at the end of a low-traffic day) and 2) I want people to feel liberated to blog - not intimidated or held back because they would get lost in the blogosphere or be a "blog nobody."

    Rock on, chicas.

    ReplyDelete
  5. thank you for writing this and re-reminding me that I never got into this to become well known. So what if it seems everyone around me has a gaggle of followers and my most faithful reader is my mother? (please lower your snickers to a dull roar,lol)My whole goal in starting was to write to encourage others and because I love writing.Somewhere along the line, I forgot that I love this and it discouraged me.....

    ReplyDelete

Hey! Share a thought or two - I'd love to hear from you! ~ Steph

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