Last month was intense – not only for me as the blogger, but also for my readers who were swamped with 31 posts in 31 days. Time to take a break, don't you think?
Here's why I won't post regularly any more.
Stay True To Yourself
Ever since completing my master program this September, I found my way back to an old passion of mine: writing. As in (German) novels and short stories. This month I'm also participating in NaNoWriMo again, and I love it!
What does this mean for my blog? It means that I will put more energy into my writing, and therefore less energy into my blog. Not because I don't like my blog any more, but because it makes me happy. It does not mean that the quality of my blog posts will decrease – on the contrary! While the frequency of my blog posts will decrease, the quality of my posts will increase.
But more on that later.
As you probably already noticed if you have been following my blog for a while, the focus of my posts has been shifting. While it started out as a vegan recipe blog with lifestyle aspects such as fashion, beauty, books and movies, I'm starting to focus more on self-love, self-care, body positivity, and minimalism. That is because these topics have become increasingly important in my personal life – and that is what I call "staying true to yourself".
Stop Trying To Fit In A Box
This, what I call authenticity, is also the reason why I don't try to match a certain "blogging niche" any more. When somebody asks me what my blog was about I usually say: "It's a lifestyle blog". Because the things I post about are what characterizes my lifestyle. Food, health, yoga, ecological sensibility, homemade products, travelling...
I don't want to stick to one specific label/category, such as FOOD or BEAUTY or FITNESS or DIYs, and only create content that fits this category because "that's what people want from me". Instead, I want my blog to diverse and inspiring and thought-provoking. I want to blog about what I want, what makes me happy, and what is relevant to me right now!
Some people will advice you to create content that helps your readers. But I disagree. Create content that you love and are passionate about! Be personal, be honest, just be who you are. In other words: "create a blog that you would want to follow". To me, that's the best blogging advice out there.
I already mentioned this in my 31 Decluttering Challenge, and I'll say it again: Do more of what makes you happy!! Don't force yourself to put your energy into something that doesn't. Don't try to fit yourself in a box.
Blogging Isn't My Job
There, I said it. As much as I love blogging, it isn't my job. Neither do I earn money with it, nor do I do it professionally. I'm a student here in Germany, I am a freelance writer (in German though), I'm in a relationship, I do occasional jobs, and in my spare time I blog.
When I first started this project as a hobby all those years ago I bought in to the idea that you needed to post every day – or at least on a regular basis, such as Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays. I also thought for a while that I would turn my blog into a more professional, money making website – but honestly, that's not what makes me happy.
I want my blog to be a source of inspiration and joy, both to my readers and myself – not another task on my to-do list. I don't want to feel pressured to publish another blog post because it's Sunday, and I haven't posted all week. I want to post when ever I feel like it, and about what ever I like!
That is also the reason why I got rid of any ads that were taking up space and simply annoying me. Who wants to be bothered by ads on a blog anyway?
Quality Over Quantity
If you are into blogging yourself, you've probably heard about the algorithm and SEO ranking strategies. While I think it's great to use keywords to increase website traffic, I don't think it's necessary to keep up with a consistent publishing schedule to strengthen your SEO and be indexed higher by search engines.
Firstly, I agree with BlogTyrant on the fact that we are flooded with information, and I as a reader am basically stressed out when someone posts daily and clutters my subscription box because I don't have time to keep up. I also noticed this during my blogtober project. For the first time I tried out daily posting, and after a while I felt like spamming you guys. (I still like the idea of doing blogtober once a year to spice things up and challenge myself... or what about blogust?)
Secondly, I appreciate quality over quantity, and I think you do, too. Who wants four carelessly composed blog posts in a week instead of one well-planned, heartfelt post per week? My motto here is: If I don't enjoy researching, writing and editing a certain blog post, I won't publish it (these 1, 2, 3 blog posts are examples of posts I quickly put together because it was "publishing day" – so stupid! I really wish I took the time to retake the pictures on another day).
Basically, the post-every-day strategy takes all the fun out of blogging.
Oh, and also – if you publish a post every day it's only up at the top of your blog for that day. If you publish a post only once a week, it will be at the top of your blog for a whole week, and people will interact with it more since it's the latest, most relevant content for a longer period of time. Think about it!
Creative Break
Lastly, I won't commit to posting regularly any more because I want to take creative breaks when ever I need, without feeling guilty or like a "bad blogger". That way my blog becomes a space of creative input and output (I hope). Speaking of creativity, I actually have a Word document with 25 pages full of blog post ideas, so don't worry, I won't "neglect" my website! I will just post more irregularly – when ever I have time and feel like it.
That being said, I already have a couple of blog posts planned for this month which I will probably upload once a week, preferably on a Sunday. But if I don't post anything on a Sunday – it's because I'm busy doing something else and don't feel like doing overtime just to publish my blog post "in time".
I hope you understand :)
But Won't I Lose All My Readers?
Well. I don't know about you, but personally I would love my readers to be people who either have a common interest, or who like my personality and blogging style. Unless you are going to do a one-eighty with your website, I don't think you will lose any of your treasured readers. And even if you do – that is their choice! You can't force anyone to stick with you. You can only be the best version of yourself 😌
Not to sound cheesy, but in my opinion the blog is a representation of the blogger. I'm not the same person I was 4 years ago, and neither is my blog. Just like me, it will change and grow. And that is okay!
Bottom line – if your last post was a brownie recipe and you want your next post to be about the brand new Star Wars film, go for it! It's your blog. Your choice. To quote my fellow blogger Edye: We're all free to be 😉
Do you blog daily, or on a regular basis? What are your thoughts on the matter?
I'm thrilled that this post got featured over at the Wonderful Wednesday link party! Thanks ladies :)
♥
Maisy
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