I have been a fan of blogs long before I ever thought of creating The Budget Mama. I love reading and following blogs and getting to know the bloggers behind those blogs. I have followed A Bowl Full of Lemons back when she was still a tiny blogger still on Blogger. I have watched Sunny with a Chance of Sprinkles build up an amazing following and I have watched The Humbled Homemaker grow from a minnow to a giant fish in the pond.
I love blogs and I love bloggers but there are three things that have popped up recently in the blogging world that I feel need to go away, fast. I am a loyal follower of blogs and I want to love your blog but you have to want my love in order to get my love. So, if you are doing these three things, please stop.
You
There is nothing that drives me crazier as a blog reader than when I have just finished reading this life changing post and I immediately want to get to know the person that wrote it better, but I cannot find them. I look for an “about me” tab on their blog, nothing or if there is an “about me” section it is only a couple of sentences with no mention of your name or even a picture of you.
Y’all know what happens next? I do not follow you, not because I do not like you, but because I do not know you. You just rocked my world but I do not even know your name so now I feel as though I have been cheated out of a relationship.
Your readers want to know you. I totally understand if you do not want to share your last name or pictures of your family, but you need to at least share you with your readers. Give us your first name and just one photo so we can make a connection with you. We want to know that you are a real person, give us you, please.
Controversy
I feel like this has taken over the blogging world and is causing blogging to lose a little bit of its credibility – writing for controversy. Let me be clear, I am not referring to writing about your stance on a controversial topic – that takes intellect to do. I am referring to articles that are written for the sole purpose of stirring the pot.
Articles like “Why Stay-at-Home Moms are Useless”, “If You Have Tattoos You Beat Your Kids” and “7 Reasons Why I’m Happy I’ll Never Have a Boy” (yes these are real articles that I have read) are articles that were written for no other purpose than to go viral and to make people mad. They offer no facts, no helpful advice, nothing. I truly believe this type of writing is cheap and needs to disappear.
An important question to ask yourself is, am I writing this because I want people to share/comment/give me my fifteen minutes of fame or do I want people to respect me and to want more of my writing? Respect yourself enough to not fall into this “get-viral-quick” scheme.
Integrity
Oh this one, it is a tough one that I believe most bloggers struggle with at some point (and to be honest, I believe most business owners struggle with it as well). Keeping your integrity while earning an income on your blog can be tough. I know it has been for me. I have taken opportunities that I should not have in order to make money and I have seen other bloggers do the same.
There is another component of integrity that I have noticed after networking with several bloggers. The difference between the real life blogger and the blogger on their blogs. I have been met with huge disappointments getting to know some of these bloggers better only to realize that their sole purpose in blogging is to make money and that who they claim to be on their blogs is not who they are in real life.
If you are blogging for the shear sake of making a buck, you will eventually be found out by your readers. I know of two bloggers that were huge when I first started blogging almost three years ago. I loved following them until I realized that every post was so over monetized that they no longer offered anything valuable to me.
Your readers should always come first. Make sure you are holding yourself to a standard of integrity and still offering your readers a valuable and worthwhile experience.
I love reading blogs and I want to love reading yours, but please make sure that you are giving your readers you, avoiding controversy for the shear sake of going viral, and keeping your integrity in tack. The world needs your voice and only you can give us you.
Are you a fan of blogs? What would you like to see stop (or continue) in the blogging world?
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Julie@FrugallyBlonde says
Well said! I completely agree with all three. You have a great about me page, by the way. I just started my blog a few months ago, so I only use google adsense right now. I would love to here how you decide what monetizing opportunities to take and what to pass on.
Jessi says
Thank you so much Julie! Google AdSense is my favorite ad network (so far away) and I use Media.net as well (it helps bring your AdSense up because the ads compete – the two ads at the top of my sidebar are AdSense and Media.net so they are “competing”). I literally wrote down what I will and will not accept – I won’t accept any sponsored posts or advertising opportunities that involve debt since I don’t advocate it and I won’t accept anything that does not allow me to have control over what is displayed on my site (this is the reason why I didn’t go with PadSquad to monetize my mobile site. I had my designer help me with mobile AdSense codes). I hope this makes sense and helps! 🙂
Brittany Dickerson says
I would like to see bloggers stop hiding social media buttons. I love reading blogs, but I can barely remember what day it is much less to come back and check for post every few days.
Jessi says
Yes! Oh and the social share buttons. I hate it when I have to manually copy the link and then open up whatever social media account I want to share it to in order to share.
Maureen Campaiola says
I agree 100% with your post! Most importantly the issue about integrity – I won’t write a post for the sake of making a buck. First of all I need to be inspired when I write and if I’m approached by a company that doesn’t spark a flame in me, well it won’t be a very good post. I make a living in multiple ways so I’m not 100% reliant on making money from my blog. I strive to live in integrity in all areas of my life, not just on my blog.
Jessi says
So true Maureen!
Lauren @ThePlaceForBusyMoms says
Love it! Yea, been there done that and I ain’t going back! lol!
Jessi says
You are rocking your blog Lauren! I LOVE it! 🙂
Katrina says
Funny story, I actually have no idea if I have an about me page on my blog. I guess I’ll go check and write one if not. 🙂 And as for the controversial posts, you are correct. It sort of makes me want to throw my computer. When did being rude and bull-headed become the cool thing? Ugh. Anyways. Thanks for the post! Visiting from Thrifty Thursday. 🙂
Emily says
Fan of blogs?? Yes! I spent so much time reading them, so I figured I might as well join them. 😉
Great list! It’s understandable that some posts will be controversial because of the topic. But it’s frustrating when you read a post and you can tell that the post was written solely for the purpose of shocking people. Like those headlines you mentioned…seriously?!?
Yes…admittedly I don’t have a picture on my About Me page…I didn’t initially because I wasn’t sure what this blogging looked like for me and if I would enjoy it enough to stick with it (and i love it!). I am still on the fence about putting up pictures of my daughters. But I KNOW that i need to get my picture up…I just get sucked up into other to-dos & life with kiddos. 🙂 I do have a picture of me on one of my posts though. Does that count?? 🙂
Jessi says
Totally counts Emily! 🙂
Jennifer says
This makes so much sense. I’m very new to blogging and I struggle with too much secrecy vs. TMI. After reading this, I feel like giving my site a really thorough review and update will really make a difference. Thank you for sharing!
Jayleen @ How Do The Jones Do It says
Guilty! We have decided not to let it be known who we really are. We will show pictures of ourselves without our faces;0) Because of the hubster’s job, we have to be careful. I do have a pretty slamming’ about page though!
Controversy, I try to stay away from. Integrity, we got that!
Jessi says
You totally have me imagining that your husband is a secret agent – I’ll refer to him as James Bond now. 😉
Jayleen @ How Do The Jones Do It says
Lol! Nothing as fancy as that;0) He’s a middle school administrator … could you imagine how much fun those middle schoolers could have with my blog?! Lol!
Reality Check: We have gotten middle of the night phone calls with death threats. Ya … we’ll stick with anonymous.
Jessi says
Oh that is awesome – not the death threat part but the middle school administrator part. Middle schoolers are kinda crazy.
Kim says
Well, you have me intrigued! I’m so glad I read through these comments just for this! I love your blog and Jessi’s. Thank you both!
Jessi says
Thank you Kim! 🙂
Jayleen @ How Do The Jones Do It says
Lol! The mystery of it all;0) I could be your next door neighbor … TeeHee!
Jessi says
Hahhaha! That would be awesome! 🙂
Amy @ DebtGal says
I’m a little late to the blogging party – both as a reader, and as a blogger. I completely agree with your points about integrity and useless posts meant only to stir up controversy.
I do differ with you on the point about sharing who the author is, though. My blog is about my journey to pay down $60K in consumer debt, and this is not something I want to share with people who know me. I’m proud that my husband and I have gotten our act together and are making progress on debt repayment, but I’m not proud that we’re in this situation, and I just don’t want our friends and family to know about it. As a result, I keep my blog mostly anonymous (although Amy is my real first name!), should someone who knows us, find it. I’ve seen other PF blogs take this approach, and it doesn’t make me any less interested in what they have to say. In fact, in some ways it makes me feel “closer” to them, since they tend to share quite a bit of personal information with me as a reader. I know many more bloggers’ income, debt totals, and expenses than I do “real-life” people! 🙂
Jessi says
I think for me, since I’m from the south where everybody knows everybody and their mama, I only feel a connection when I “know” the blogger so that’s why an About Me section is so important to me. I love that you give your name! Most of the bloggers I was referring to don’t use a real name at all but their blog’s name so you have no idea who they are. I’ve even attempted to network and collaborate with these bloggers but because I don’t know their actual names (or even just nickname) it was too difficult to interact. I felt like I was talking to a robot and not a human. I think the key is just knowing who you want to be as a blogger. 🙂
Amy @ DebtGal says
Yes, it could be that we come from different “cultures” around personal sharing, too. But you definitely made me think about my About Me page, and ways to make it more personal, while still maintaining my (mostly) anonymity.
Erin says
I really enjoyed reading this. I write a blog, just to write (and help me continue writing), and although I do have ads on it, I would not call it money making. (At all).
As soon as I ready your comments about the “About Me” I went to check it out on my blog. I will definitely be revising mine, as it’s not informative at all!
Thanks so much!
Melissa says
Very true! I love your blog and post! I recently just published my first blog about 2 and half weeks ago and I’m struggling on getting followers but I definitely do not want to post something just to get a buck. Any advice on google adesence? I really Want to try to do that. Thank you for the information.
Jessi says
They key to Google AdSense is pageviews – usually the more pvs you have the more $$ you make. I would say that since you are just starting out to work on building up great content first, implementing simple SEO tactics, and start building a following on social media. Those things will help to increase your pageviews and thus, earn you more moola! 🙂
Gail Akeman says
Very good points. About me is good thing to have on a blog for sure.
Janeen says
These are good points. I’d add that a personal pet peeve of mine is when bloggers try to be too funny. There is a fine line between being yourself and interacting personally. When a blogger tries too hard and steps across that line, they sound a bit like they’re trying to crawl up onto my lap instead of having a nice personal chat over a good cup of coffee. Know what I mean? Love your “about me” tip. I’m always working to revamp that page.
Jessi says
Hahhaha! Yes Janeen! So true.
Joanne says
It’s funny how people engage with blogs differently. I almost never read “About” pages, but I do have one. Totally agree about being controversial for the sake of controversy. I usually skip over those. I try very hard to be selective about what I chose to read as I’m cutting back on my screen time, so I make the effort to edit out the negative stuff.
All Things Jennifer says
Great points! The social media thing is big for me, I hate having to seek out the buttons to find the best way to follow new bloggers.
Trish says
I have been blogging on and off for a year but have never really thought of the importance of a good about me page. I love reading other blogger’s pages and feeling that connection….so why wouldn’t someone want to get to know me the same way. I know what my top blogging goal is this week. Thanks!!
Hunter Collins says
I’ll be honest when I clicked on this on Pinterest, I was expecting to find another rant about crazy themes, and such. But this post, really helped me to stop and think about mine. I need to put more me into my blog.
Though I have a question, what do you think sets up a really good About Me page? I struggle with this still. Because everyone expects different things and after reading your opinions on this subject matter. I would really like to see what you expect to see.
Jessi says
Personality! 🙂 I love being able to get a “taste” of who the blogger is – like as if I was have coffee with them. Of course the basic facts like where you’re from (especially if you’re from somewhere cool) and your family life. I also like to know why you started your blog — is it just fun or is it because you want to become a professional writer, etc. Those types of things are all that I really expect to see. You seriously have no idea how many people have emailed me just to tell me how much they love the fact that I’m honest in my about me page about my love for Norman Reedus. It’s totally random and completely unrelated to the content I share on my site but my readers love it because it makes me real. 🙂 Just give ’em you!
Moriah says
Love this! 🙂
Deanna Wall says
Thank you for your fantastic advice! I found the link for this post on Pinterest. I love your advice being new to blogging and I agree with you that people should be real! I just did my first group quilting blog hop to learn about quilting. I have my about me page up and hope I did a real job to explain just exactly who I am and why I am blogging. I am looking for more new ways to learn how to blog from online classes and daydream to attend an actual blog conference. I live in Salt Lake City and just waiting for some to come to town. Thank you for your down to earth – honest post! Let me know if you know I resources I should be looking at. My blog is “Stitching through Life” so not just about quilting and sewing but also doing it in a real life as a mom raising children.
Jessi says
Thank you so much Deanna for your kind words! If I’m not mistaken, I believe the SNAP Conference is held in Salt Lake City every year and would probably be an amazing fit for you!
Casey says
I totally agree with all three! And now saying that, I have to admit I don’t have an about page – newbie blogger mistake! I’ll get on that! I haven’t had the opportunity to meet many other bloggers yet and I’m sad to hear that some people are not as they seem. I always want to be authentic, even if it means calling out mistakes and imperfections. Thanks for a great post 🙂
Jessi Fearon says
You’re so welcome Casey! Having an about me page is a great way to network with other bloggers – when I went to FinCon a few weeks ago, there were several bloggers that came up and told me how they’ve been following me for a long time but I didn’t recognize their name. It wasn’t until they said their blog name that I knew who they were – all because they didn’t have an about me page. 🙂
Brooke Riley~Re-fabbed says
I could not agree with this post more. You wrote this so eloquently, and there is SO much truth. I have been blogging for 5 months, and I already feel so strongly about all of these same things. Keep putting the truth out there. You have an awesome blog with so much to give. Thanks for being so sincere! 🙂
Jessi Fearon says
Thank you so much Brooke for your sweetness! 🙂 And congratulations on your blog! I’m excited to see where you take it! 🙂
Sarah says
Great advice! I just starting blogging a month ago and I have to say I’m loving it! I’ve been researching about the blogging world and stumbled upon your tips via Pinterest. Is my About Me page on par?
Sarah
http://www.sugarmaplenotes.com
cassie says
I love this post. I guess I do need to upload a picture on my about me page though. Lol eeek
suzi whitford says
Oh you’re a fun writer! I want to quote you ” I truly believe this type of writing is cheap and needs to disappear.” Could we grab some coffee and chat? I feel very similarly with you about blogging.. I also feel like I’ve wasted 10 minutes of my time if I can’t find or follow the person. 🙂
Jessi Fearon says
Thank you so much Suzi! 🙂 Are you in Georgia? I’d love to meet up with fellow bloggers!
Carmen says
This article alone makes me want to follow you. I just kept saying “Amen” as I read through. You seem real, graceful, and intelligent! Look forward to reading more.
Angela Michels says
I think bloggers need to stop having ads all through out the content of their articles. There is nothing more annoying than reading an article on a blog and accidentally clicking on a Credit Karma ad!