Blogging Community: Why You Should Be Supporting Bloggers You Love

When I think about the blogging community, a lot of different things come to mind. I’ve had amazing experiences and not so amazing experiences. 

Regardless, the opportunities that blogging has given me will always make me incredibly grateful for the community I’ve created.

Let me take it back to 2013-ish. Instagram wasn’t huge, we were still using Valencia filters, and people read blogs every single day. I have been on Twitter since its early days, and have found that so many of my blogger friends were found on Twitter! There were these Twitter group discussions for bloggers using specific hashtags and it was an amazing way to find bloggers from all over! I still love following along, read their blogs, and follow on Instagram.

Now, in 2018, it’s a bit different.

I typically have a hard time finding ways to build a community. I find that we’re all more concerned with getting to the top, and for those who aren’t bloggers/Instagrammers, they just seem fed up with us. Some people don’t follow others because they want to, they follow them because they want a follow back. Nothing seems super genuine anymore. This is all a really personal opinion, but it’s just what I’ve observed since Instagram became king.

The idea of the blogging community and supporting others has been on my mind for a while now, really since I re-branded at the beginning of the year (this was my first post of the new year, with my new name). When I think about community, I immediately think of Grace. The following and community she’s built over the years is one of the reasons why I still follow along…and push myself to keep doing what I’m doing for my brand. (PS: She has an amazing Facebook group that I LOVE being part of!)

So let’s chat about supporting those within the blogging community.

If you’re a blogger…

YOU SHOULD SUPPORT OTHER BLOGGERS IN YOUR BLOGGING COMMUNITY!!!

I think we get so caught up in the numbers, that sometimes we stay away from giving so-and-so an extra like or another comment because we fear it’ll ruin what WE’RE building. Nope. Nu-uh. NOT COOL. While I’ve certainly been guilty in the past, I don’t have this mindset anymore. If I’m scrolling through my Instagram feed, and I see a post I like, you better believe I’m leaving a comment and a like. I don’t care if that means so-and-so will have anther comment and like, I’m supporting that person because I WANT TO. I don’t care if they’re following me back or not. I started following someone because their content inspired the hell out of me.

The blogging community needs to stand together as close as possible. We are the only ones who understand what goes into our blogs, our social media accounts, and our day-to-day back end work. It’s such a simple concept, yet something that is so hard to grasp. The blogging community is such an inspiring place IF YOU LET IT BE THAT FOR YOU. The things men and women are doing in our (new-ish) industry are unbelievable. We are doing things that are unheard of in the marketing world. How could we not celebrate something like that?

At the end of the day, one big success for a blogger/influencer, is a success for all of us. So let’s just keep supporting each other and keep doing big things. OKAY?!

If you’re not a blogger…

YOU SHOULD SUPPORT BLOGGERS!!!

If that’s your thing.

I know some people read blogs religiously, or follows someone on Instagram and has post notifications on for them. It’s SO cool when you think about it.

If someone you love inspires you, tell them. If you’re loving someone’s writing, tell them. And if you think someone is doing something amazing, tell them. It matters. Listen, there’s nothing I am more grateful for than comments, emails, messages about my work. Especially when they’re from someone who doesn’t have a blog or Instagram. Now don’t get me wrong, I am beyond flattered when a fellow influencer says these types of things to me. But when someone who doesn’t necessarily know what goes into blogging, notices your hard work, that’s when I know it’s all worth it.

I’m also not here to tell you that you should be on your phone 99.9% of the day like most of us bloggers. But by now, you’ve all heard us complain about the Instagram algorithm, blog stats, and hosting site issues. While these things may not pertain to you particularly, they’re still issues bloggers need to face. So for a non-blogger or influencer to take the time out of their day to comment, email, message their favorite blogger, THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES.

And this might be a bit more personal, but for me, I’m tired of Instagram defining me. My blog is my baby. This is where I want to focus about 80% of my efforts. And it’s actually where I do focus most of my time and effort, but sometimes I feel like I’m only evaluated by Instagram account. And while Instagram is really important, it’s not something I own. So why would I put all of those eggs in my basket? Doesn’t seem worth it. For me, if you’re a non-blogger, you coming to my blog is just unreal and I am SO appreciative of your support here!

If you’re a hater…

^^ Although I hope you’re not;)

What I mean is that I know it can be difficult to celebrate someone’s success. We get those thoughts in our head that prevent us from truly being happy for someone else. But we gotta get rid of those thoughts. For starters, it AIN’T good for our mental health. And to be honest, we should want other’s successes to at least push us to want more.

There’s room for everyone in this blogging community, so I suggest you get used to being supportive. I always feel so proud of my friends when they land amazing partnerships. It makes me so happy to know them, and I admire their hard work.

And if you’re a non-blogger yet happen to be a “hater”/disliker/whatever(!), maybe you should talk to the blogger. Maybe there’s just a part of this blogging industry that you’re not familiar with, and giving you a bad taste in your mouth. I wouldn’t feel shy to reach out to someone and get their perspective on the issue you have. I’m an open book, so I’d be the first person to respond to a reader email like that. The more you know about a particular industry, the more clear of a picture you’ll be able to paint.

— END RANT —

But seriously. If you’re still reading, YAY. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the blogging community and supporting each other. Whether you’re a blogger or not, your opinion really matters to me!

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photos by allie provost