I shouldn’t be writing a post right now. Haven’t you read the posts telling you when the best time to post is? Saturday afternoons are bad. So are Fridays. And Mondays. And Thursdays. And Sundays.
Tuesdays and Wednesdays are okay, but only if you publish them at the right time of day; before breakfast, or during the lunch hour – not at 5pm when people are getting home from work, or mid morning when everyone is busy.
No. You can’t post things whenever you like.
And okay, I get that there are optimal times to publish thing and I GET that sometimes traffic is higher and lower and if you want to “work the system” then you need to tune into these times and play the game. The problem remains however, if I only post at optimal times, then I’d never write anything.
I’m a bit sick of the system and I sure as hell don’t want to play the game anymore. Blogging isn’t a game to be tweaked, it’s STORYTELLING. I don’t want to tread on people to get to the top. Maybe other people do, but I’m not that person.
I’m doing it wrong.
I’m not scrabbling up a ladder, or jostling for position, or elbowing a baby in the head in the race to get to the front.
I can come to terms with this.
I’ve been “doing it wrong” for my entire life and look where that has gotten me. I have beautiful kids, a partner that I’m marrying next month and a life I love living. I think I can safely say that doing it wrong is what I do best.
***
I got caught up in the PR noise, chewed up and spit out.
It wasn’t until I sat down to really work out why I was feeling so blah about blogging that I realised: I had been basing my entire self-worth as a blogger on the pitches that landed in my inbox. Absolutely ridiculous.
I had been pressing send/receive, waiting for things to fall in my lap. Hoping that interesting things would happen and pouting when they didn’t.
Now that I’ve realised what was bothering me, I can let it go.
I should be basing my self worth on how I feel about things, rather than on what emails land in my inbox, or how many comments and retweets I get.
And frankly, I feel pretty good about things lately. Showcase Tasmania is doing really well and I’m loving it, there is a huge opportunity on the horizon and when I stop having panic attacks about it, it has the potential to be really huge (and really fun) and this is my blog and I can post whenever I like.
I think I can safely say, if this is doing it wrong, then I probably don’t want to be doing it right.
I’m doing it wrong too…. but bloody hell this being wrong thing is enjoyable! 🙂
It is indeed! I am having a lot of fun with what I’m doing.
I know what you mean. I’m all over the place with this blogging business right now. And that’s what it has become – a business. I keep trying to move away from that, but I keep getting sucked in. It was always supposed to be about telling my story. I’ll just keep trying to get back to that… Sigh….
And no matter whether I’m doing it right, or wrong, I feel like I’m not getting anywhere…. So go figure…
I’ve felt better in myself when I started thinking seriously about what was best for ME, not anyone else. So I accept the things I think are cool, turn down the others and create the opportunities I want to have. Seems to be working – but it’s definitely harder than just doing what everyone else is.
Oh my, I didn’t even know there was a rule book! And I definitely post at all the wrong times. Is there actually a right time? And have never ever even entertained the idea (or been entertained by) a PR blah blah blah. I agree, blogging is storytelling, community too. The rest I am happy to know nothing about.
Oh there are definitely rules, but I would suggest not looking them up. I think they’re designed just to make everyone think that they can’t make it without following the rules.
Storytelling and community. The best bits.
I don’t care about the rules.
Not that I have looked them up.
Nor do I intend on looking them up.
I blog for me and that’s that.
I love the fact that people do read my blog and leave comments.
I’d love more readers etc…
I’ll be keeping my eyes and ears open for you “biggie” on the horizon…
ps: would love to meet you one day…
Don’t look them up, rules are only there to be broken anyway!
I’d like to meet you too 🙂
Agree, agree, agree!
Any time I try and structure/schedule my writing, my brain wont comply. If that means I post three things one day and none the next, so be it!
Exactly. The only schedule I have at the moment is Showcase Tasmania posts on a Tuesday, because that fits in well with everything.
I don’t know about any rules that say when you (I) should blog or not, all I know is there are times here in Fullarton when the computer connections are being smiled upon by angels, probably 5% of the time, and I can work through a post without any trouble, the rest of the time it’s like the devil himself is sitting on my couch saying, “no, you can’t connect to there today” and just like that everything takes forever, or doesn’t happen at all. For instance I’m trying to upload some photos for tomorrow’s post and each photo is taking at least 40 minutes to upload or just not loading at all. I’ve turned off in frustration 3 times today.
I realise this isn’t the “rule” you meant, but this is me, venting.
Argh! Our Internet still occasionally does that and it usually means that I give up and go to bed with a book. I hope it fixes itself for you and soon!
PS, glad your blog is back. x
I like the way you are doing it 🙂
Thank you! I like how it feels lately. I’m not forcing it to “keep up with the Jones” which sadly, is how the blogosphere feels lately.
Your blog, your way 😉
Yup and hopefully, if I’m having fun, my readers will be too.
Keep being an individual with your own unique voice, Veronica. That’s why I keep reading your blog!
Thank you! I got lost in the noise for a while there, but I think I’m clawing my way out.
I love that you forged your own way with “Showcase Tasmania.” The posts reflect real passion for your home state and for the individual businesses. Very persuasive combo. I’ve been quite persuaded by some of the reviews so far and will add some of those to our list when we next visit Tasmania!
Ack, should have added this reply above. Anyway!
I am loving doing Showcase Tas, it is absolutely so much fun and something I am passionate about. I know that some people dislike any and all brand work and won’t read reviews, but to this point I’ve had really good responses to the posts. And, I’m super chuffed to hear that you’ve been persuaded to check them out when you’re down here next!
I have never conformed nor run with the crowd. I am the one who will stubbornly stand still, fixed to the spot, rooted by my moral code and contented with who I am.
I will not play this social game in cyber world. I am me.
And you are you.
So glad you sorted it.
🙂
See, I like to make people happy, so for a while, I was just going with the flow. Still holding tight to my ethics and integrity, but I stayed silent on issues I probably should have spoken up about, in order to avoid “rocking the boat”. You know.
And yes, I am definitely me 🙂
What the hell? How are you supposed to be at your most creative if you blog only at certain times, instead of when you feel you have something to say? Whoever wrote the rules doesn’t understand the spirit of writing.
Well yes, exactly. I suspect the rules were made up by someone studying traffic and writing a tech blog, not a personal blogger, or fiction writer.
I don’t have the time or the energy to work out rights and wrongs. I write when I need it, and don’t when I can’t be bothered. I do get caught up in the PR stuff, but that’s due more to my own indirection in life, rather than anything else.
I tend to hear about the “wrong” way to do things and while it doesn’t change what I’m doing, I get that little internal voice shouting “YER DOIN IT WRONG!” at me. Which is strangely creepy.
All wrong here too – and quite content.
Not out to change the world (virtual or real) – just to spill my guts!!
I have never, not ever, had a pitch thrown my way (with good reason!)- so I’m sure hoping my self worth is in no way connected to that!!!
Yours too, Mrs.
Keep up the wrong work!
🙂
Self worth and self esteem are funny things, they never seem to want to play nicely and work from the REAL things I am doing. Only the ones I’m not. As long as I’m aware, then it’s all good.
Love it! I think the best blogs are the ones that do it wrong.
Agreed!
i think I lasted about a month trying to be a “BLOGHER” and hated it, felt so pressured and unloved and unhappy.
Yep, me too. Trying to be what everyone else thinks they want is no fun. And it’s funny, the blogs I love best are the ones who aren’t following the crowd, or pretending to be something they’re not.
If I had to follow all the blogging rules I would have given up ages ago. Good on you, I say for doing it your own way.
Blogging rules are overrated.
You Listened to your own voice once the bloggy/PR noise had quietened….. That is the secret. Blog for you & no-one else. Comparisons are evil. Yet we all get sucked into the flattery/jealousy void & can’t find a way out until something hits you like this.
To your own self be true.
I read this post & could tell how much better you are feeling in general.
Love Denyse
Yep, that’s it. If I keep doing the things that I find fun, then it all works out.
IKWYM. The PR stuff is crazy. It can be fun too – but still crazy and can really rob the joy from a good blogging!! I’ve always had this little voice in he back of my head saying follow your own rules – but get distracted by those dang emails/events all the same. Rules are okay for guidance put are crappy masters – if you KWIM.
By the way I love your new blog layout. Sorry if you’ve had it for ages and I’ve only just noticed. It looks really clean and fresh.
Keep enjoying doing it wrong.
I have a lot of fun with a LOT of PR stuff, but I have to be able to work it into my story and my voice, not just regurgitate a press release. And I keep getting caught up in worrying about what other people are doing, rather than what I’m doing.
It’s a new header 🙂 I like to change them up every couple of months.
Totally agree. I have enjoyed reading people’s stories as much as writing about my own.
Exactly and it’s the stories that draw me into a blog, not what events they’re attending.
I’m so busy keeping up with myself to worry about the Joneses! Who are they to interrupt and compare themselves to my … whatever it is I am?! LOL
I’m loving your Showcase Tasmania and find it inspiring that you are getting up and doing something for the love it, not because you’ve been asked to. 🙂
And, is that a new header, or have I just not clicked through for awhile? I do like it 🙂
The bloody Jones’, causing trouble for everyone!
I’m really glad that you’re loving the Showcase Tasmania, because I love doing it.
And yep, new header. I like changing them.
Great post V. Just great! And I love your showcase Tasmania series too!
Cool! I love the Showcase Tasmania stuff, it’s a really great way for me to try and find new small businesses down here and support them.
I also do it wrong… good minds think alike! 🙂 xxx
Doing it wrong is the best way.
THIS. I’m feeling so useless and like such a failure as a blogger because NO pitches are landing in my inbox. And because I somehow lost 3 followers last night, and I’ve no idea why. And because some of my friends have a thousand facebook likers and I have less than 300. And it’s not going anywhere.
And I remember back to when I had a dozen followers. When I didn’t know about the big Aussie Mummy blogging community and the competitions and the ‘lists’ and I was happy. I loved my blog. I was proud of my blog back then.
I landed on a couple of lists this week. One of them is a vote one. I decided I am not going to mention it on my blog. I am not going to plug it on FB or Twitter. I was talking to a group of 15 or 20 bloggers and about a dozen of us were on the list. They all voted for each other and I voted for all of them. 1 of them voted for me. And I thought..this is all just a popularity contest. Screw it.
Back to just blogging for me. For the girls that were with me from the start.
Followers go up and down, which is a pain, but it’s the way it goes. People get busy and cut back, usually.
The competition between bloggers seems to cause a lot of dissatisfaction. Which is ridiculous, as it isn’t a competition.
I avoid reading the rules in the place so I don’t know what they are! Ha! (I didn’t even know the supposed right times to post).
I know the best times for my readership though. I make my own rules by learning as I blog, and even then, I don’t always stick to them. People often ask if I have a schedule but I never know exactly know what I will blog each week — keeps it fun for me. Good on you for going your own way x
I used to be highly scheduled and I discovered that I hated it and everything felt “watered down” for me.
Shows how little I know about successful blogging – there is a preferred time to post? No desire to compete here either, but hoping to finally enter the big bad world of PR at some stage soon. Yes, I know, I am officially the last blogger yet to do so, I am sure!
Apparently yes. Hehe. PR is good fun, but it is easy to get caught up in doing nothing but PR stuff.
Veronica, that was so well written and I agree with it all. I nearly regret joining some of these blogging parent web sites, which are set up to help you and get your blog ‘out there’. Why? I ask myself why did I ever bother to do that in the first place. I was quite happy blogging and telling my stories, to my kids for the future and thought I HAD to join them. I was wrong. All it does it put me under more pressure to conform to how and when I should I blog, what I should blog about, what ‘niche’ I should fall into, what conference I should go to etc etc. That’s not what I’m about.
Anne @ Domesblissity
Exactly! I almost regret it too, because it feels like a supressed air of competition there.
I can so relate to this – I am in a different country with a different blogging dynamic BUT this remains true!!
I actually had a small tantrum recently and was tempted to stop blogging all together – first time in the 4 years I have been doing it :-/
I have spent that time building a small but loyal following and I think I am ok at it but then the new “it” team enters the scene and I may as well not exist (see VERY juvenile behaviour from me) but it did sting a little. I am entering THEIR sponsored competitions and watching their blogs that have been around for 5 seconds take over the ones I have been reading for years :-/
But I also decided to let it go (I am still letting it go) and carry on in my little happy space.
The new IT team always makes me discontented. They’re NEW and SHINY and suddenly that’s all you see. I’m working on letting it go too.
I started laughing when I had only just read the title.
I am a failing, flailing wanker. That’s my secret. Most of the time I can’t see the politics and shiz because there is always some clusterfuck here I need to deal with. I think I blog to save my life. Or keep myself honest. Or I’m just addicted to it. Or I’m a bullshit artist.
I would tell you to just forge your own path … but I don’t need to, because that is what you are already doing.
X
Flailing is fun, if done correctly, for emphasis. I blog to keep myself honest, otherwise I wouldn’t speak half the things I write.
x
Of thank GOD. I started measuring myself with hits, with comment numbers and ratings on various sites. Then I snapped out of it. I blog because I want to, because I NEED to. For me. It’s nice that others enjoy it (mostly) too. End of story. If I sell it, it becomes a job. Being a choice is such a lovely luxury.
🙂
BB
For the record, I hardly have time to comment, but I love your blog and photos.
Hey, I’m your newest follower 😀
Looking forward to connecting with you!!
Hi 🙂
Great post – I’ve been doing it wrong for years 🙂 Glad I’m not the only one.
Doing it wrong is the best way 🙂
I love this post Veronica, and guess what I’m doing it all wrong too, that’s what makes it so fun. It means we have our priorities right- family first 🙂
Love this post, well done!
Thank you and glad you liked the post!
I often try and post at times when I’ll get the most traffic from around the world. On the whole, it doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of difference.
I am and always will be my most important reader.
😀
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