Bigger isn’t always better… despite what Sharpay Evans might say. As an industry, blogging is all about growth: increasing your follower count, enhancing engagement, and constantly working harder. These can all be awesome, especially if you’re trying to grow your audience to spread your positive message… BUT I find myself getting caught in the social media comparison trap all the time. So, today I’m going to share why I’m happy being a “small” blogger in case you struggle with that too!
1. My blog isn’t a full-time job, so I can take a break.
I think blogging breaks are so important for creativity, whether they be for a few days or a few weeks. If your blog is your full-time job, when you take a break, you take a break from a paycheck. Because blogging is my hobby, I can take a break and don’t have to worry about missing out on income or breaking a brand contract.
2. I can have conversations with readers/followers.
*Other than DMs about promoting a hair product, haha! If a reader or follower DMs me with a question or comment, I can respond to it and actually have a conversation. This is one of my favorite parts of blogging. Girls have messaged me to let me know that I inspired them to start a blog, and I actually cried, because it means that much to me! I feel lucky to have even the “small” following I do have and even luckier when those followers reach out to me.
3. I can go out of my comfort zone with posts.
I love that my blog isn’t defined by one niche. Of course, big bloggers can easily go between niches! I just find that because I’m a smaller blogger, I’m comfortable taking chances and writing posts that may or may not perform well. When I first started blogging, I tried to mainly wrote fashion posts because I thought that’s what I was supposed to do. But, the longer I’ve been blogging, the more I love writing lifestyle posts or fashion posts with a more personal twist!
4. Each milestone feels like a celebration.
This may just be me, but because I’ve been blogging for a few years, I am SO excited when I hit new milestones. I know that they don’t come easily, so when I reach a new goal, it’s a chance to celebrate.
5. I know that numbers don’t mean everything.
Going off of that, because I’ve been blogging for years but am still a small blogger, I know that milestones are exciting but they aren’t the end all/be all of blogging. Blogging can so easily feel like a comparison game, especially when you look at other bloggers who are newer with bigger followings. BUT, I recognize that the number I see in my follower count is just a number. It doesn’t define my blog, and it definitely doesn’t define me.
6. I create content I’m proud of.
Hopefully this will remain true whether I stay stuck at my current follower count or triple it in a month. I am SO proud of this blog, and I’m grateful for the way I’ve grown throughout the last four years of blogging. I am confident in myself and in my hard work, so I recognize that being a “small” blogger doesn’t make me a lesser blogger.
I’d love to know your thoughts on this topic!
xoxo, Cecilia
6 Comments
I loved this post! I totally agree with everything you’ve said! I took a break from blogging for a while but realized that I do it because it is a fun hobby for me and I can make posts about what I want, not what others want! Good luck in the new year with blogging, I can’t wait to read more posts 🙂
thank you so much Angela! it’s so nice to remember WHY we started blogging, no matter how small or large our following is!
I so agree with all of this! It’s the best to have such a fun hobby beside work and school. It’s a nice escape from everything else!
yes definitely! I love that at the end of the day, my blog is my own. thanks so much for reading Caitlin!
This post is so wholesome and truthful as a small blogger myself. Bigger isn’t always better, it’s the quality that matters most.
I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately and just love your perspective! I feel the same way!