Often in these sorts of blog posts I tell you things you can do or things you should do to have a successful blog. However, today I wanted to do something different. I want to share with you three things you don't have to do as a blogger. Why don't you have to do these? Well, first off you're only human and you're probably only one person. Secondly, not every tip works for every blogger. Let's just jump right in so you can grasp what I'm saying:
You don't have to use every social media outlet
This is a big one and the reason I was writing this post. There are tons of articles out there that will tell you tips to be successful on twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram, on Tumblr, and on the next big social media thing. While it's fun to keep up with trends - think about what life was like before Instagram! - you don't have to be active on every platform. If you stretch yourself too thin you're not giving quality content on all of your profiles. Focus on the few that work for you. For me it used to be Twitter...but not I'm all over Instagram. I love Instagram because I can seem to be active on all my platforms - Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr - while only being active on one. It's not the same as posting different content on each platform but it works for me.
You don't have to fit in
You don't have to be a niche blogger, you can blog about what you like and what you care about in your own voice and your own way. You don't have to stick to your original blog plan either. As you change, your blog should change. If you update your about me section to reflect your interests, then guess what? Your blog is suddenly about your interests! It may seem weird to incorporate something new into your blog posts but bring posts in gradually until you find a rhythm in your own work. It's fun to change and do something new!
You don't have to follow the rules
Don't want to blog everyday? Don't. Don't want to offer freebies? Don't. It's your blog, you do you! You don't have to link your blog to your Twitter to automatically post. You don't have to have a $400 blog design. You don't have to be perfect. The only two rules you have to follow are (1) properly credit your images & (2) be yourself. The best way to be a good blogger is to create a space you'd like to be in. Write the content you'd like to read because odds are there's someone out there looking for what you have to say. That is the reason I started blogging...I felt like I couldn't find the things I was looking for and I felt I had something to say about it!
So there you go - three things you don't have to do as a blogger! I know when you're searching for blogging tips it often seems like you'll never reach perfection because there's always one more thing (or a zillion more things!) you could be doing to be better. However, we've got to remember we are the authors here....if we don't want to do something...who's to say we should?? Success is a relative term and we should be happy at every stage of our journeys. Hope this little post helped you relax and realize you do this for you!
What are things you would say bloggers don't have to do? How did you find your blogging balance?
xoxo, Moe