As bloggers we all have blogging habits. Things we do everyday that revolve around our blogs. Whether it’s having WordPress open when doing work or checking stats from the second you wake. There are many other things that you can probably think of when it comes to your blog. And whether we admit it or not, we have all formed an addiction to blogging and there are habits that come with our addiction.
Sometimes habits can be formed without us even realising it, whether they are good habits or bad. I think it’s important to acknowledge these habits and recognise that some of them are not needed and are more annoying than anything else.
In todays post I wanted to talk about some of the more negative habits that I see forming amongst bloggers. Especially new bloggers who don’t really know the do’s and don’ts yet. Now I’m not pointing fingers here, because some of these habits I am guilty of too!
RUDE COMMENTS
You might think by rude comments I mean being nasty to others and spreading hate, which yes we shouldn’t be doing anyway but thats not what I mean here.
One thing I have noticed as of recently has been an influx of new bloggers leaving comments on posts asking readers to check out their blogs and follow them. It’s so rude and disrespectful. I have actually come to the point where I message/email the perpetrators asking them to stop when it happens to me. Especially if they do it alot.
I understand the want to gain more followers and grow your blog, but there are ways and means to do so. Our comment sections are not a place of publicity, especially when alot of bloggers charge to promote other bloggers or businesses on their blogs. I find it so rude and its one of the biggest annoyances of blogging for me.
SERIAL STATS CHECKING
We all do this, and don’t try to tell me you don’t. I wake up in the morning and one of the first things I do is seeing how my posts and blog performed overnight. But we need to stop, and I am preaching to myself here. Being obsessed with how many numbers are on your stats screen really isn’t important. It really is just a number.
You really can start to worry and obsess over your blog performance if you aren’t too careful, and thats not good for anybodies mental health. Let’s leave this one in 2020.
FOLLOW FOR FOLLOWS
Even though I see more of this on Instagram I have occasionally seen this in the blogging world too. If you aren’t too sure what this is, it’s basically when someone follows you so that you will follow them back. Then once you follow them back, they unfollow you. I’m really not a fan of this. I’d rather build up organic engagement and have people follow me who actually want to follow me.
One thing I really dislike too is people following you and then unfollowing you as soon as you follow them back. It really leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I think it’s almost a way to use someone, and it makes me feel differently about the person who does it.
Brands will see through this, so please be careful if you do it. They will see you asking for follows and it will put them off. They want to see people who have a credible audience, not one thats based of a follow train.
TAKING NO TIME OFF
GUILTY AS CHARGED!
If you speak to any of my friends you’ll know that I rarely ever take time off from blogging. Between Blogmas finishing and the New Year, I was planning on taking time off which would have been just over a week. I think I lasted 4 days. I think I came back purely because I really love blogging. It’s such an escape for me, but we have to remember even though its fun we should still take time away from it. It will help us to appreciate it in the long run.
It’s okay to stop and think about anything else besides your blog. This is for sure one blogging habit I want to kick this year.
Do you have any of the blogging habits I mentioned?
What blogging habits do you have?
What positive blogging habits are you going to create this year?
Blogging is fun, but with anything there are downsides too. Kick those bad blogging habits and replace them with new positive ones for this new year! I’ll be right there with you!
Olivia x
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I hate follows for follows and have also had people unfollow me as soon as I follow them back, which I honestly just find bizarre. What’s the point?! It has taught me to just follow blogs that I find interesting/can engage with.
I do suffer from having WordPress on whilst i’m working, which is very naughty, I know! But I love blogging so much <3
Me too! It leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It happens to me so much on Instagram, which just shows that people on Instagram only care about follower numbers not engagement. Which is sad!
I wont tell don’t worry!
I totally relate to you on these. I’d much rather have a genuine follower who interacts with what I post than a silent one just to get the numbers up or just so they’ll gain. I keep checking stats too…it really shouldn’t matter so much but it’s right there on the home screen of wordpress so it’s hard not too! Love this post xx
Caroline | https://envirolineblog.com/
Yes me too! Even if it means having less followers but more engagement! xx
Yup relate to these, at one point I seriously considered taking my laptop on holiday to continue blogging – realised how ridiculous that would have been ha, ha, ha
Hahha no way! I’m glad you came to your sense 🤣
Yup…. remembered this isn’t my living, it’s just for fun 😂😂😂
Love this!! I agree that people who follow you just to unfollow you is soooo annoying. That is why when someone follows me, it is a red flag if they haven’t engaged with my content or messaged me or interacted in anyway.
It really is so annoying and rude isn’t it!
Great advice as usual Olivia 😄 I especially tooo note of the having time off habit. I took a short break after the New Year.. I didn’t plan to. I was just trying to mentally prepare – working a full time job, teaching on the weekends and blogging can become overwhelming at times. So it was nice to relax although I did feel so unproductive! It’s good to get back into the swing of things 😄xxx
Took *
Unplanned breaks are the best kind of breaks. At least you listened to your conscience and took a break when you knew you needed one! So glad to have you back! xx
These are really helpful. I can’t believe people do the follow then unfollow thing – that’s so shady.
Really shady!
I cannot stand follow for follows and how insincere it can be! I also don’t like it when someone asks me to follow them. Although I have made this mistake in the past where I asked a blogger to check out my blog and follow if she liked it. Definitely a faux pas!
I know me neither! Its really annoying isn’t it!
Thank you for this article, I think the most important perk of being a blogger is that you control your time, hence can take time-offs, while it’s cool to be a workaholic, breaks don’t bite.
I agree! That is for sure one of the perks!
I completely agree. Some people are trying to optimize their blog’s visibility at the expense of their followers. Blogs are not just businesses, they can be personal and meant for real human connection. There’s this guy who keeps asking for donations and if somebody unfollows him, he says that they don’t have a taste and thst he doesn’t like people anyway. 😡 So rude.
You’re so right! They see numbers instead of people genuine followers behind those numbers!
That is very rude!!
Awesome post Olivia! I couldn’t agree more with every point you made. Thank you for sharing this 😀 You rock!
Thanks so much Amy 🤍 Always sending love to you!
You’re welcome Olivia! Sending love and smiles to you too 😊💕
Yeah follow to then unfollow is so rude, this mainly happens on Instagram. I dunno but i can not help check stats everyday. Its the convenience of having the app on my devices. Its good to take time off for a break. Because i still have oldskool habits and don’t do everything on my devices, i printed off monthly calendars from the internet so i can physically visualise and schedule dates for posts.
I have actually turned off my notifications on my phone for WordPress due to constantly getting notifications and checking the app. I hardly check it now unless I’m logged in on desktop!
I turned off my notifications for Instagram, i hear you
I think thats what I need to do aswell!
I take time off often 🤣 I want to leave that in 2020 so badly 😅
Theres nothing wrong with doing that though! Sometimes we need it!
Olivia – what a relatable post! I just wrote about the “stalking your numbers” issue and comparing those numbers to others’ numbers in my next to last post. So, you are absolutely right on point. I think we couldn’t call ourselves human if we didn’t have a tendency to check our numbers every once in a while, but there’s definitely a healthy balance. And, I don’t think healthy requires us to sit on our numbers every waking hour. So, thanks for the confirmation. Stalking my numbers and comparisonitis are two of the tendencies I’m going to work on tempering this year. My goal is to make sure I have a healthy competitive life — a life that promotes comparing my growth to myself routinely (but not excessively) and noting improvements I can make to successfully progress along my writing/blogging journey.
I’ll have to go and check out that post to read your take on it! I think its easy to get wrapped up in the numbers game, especially when you compare yourself to how others blogs are performing. We have all been there.
You’re right about a healthy balance. Theres a difference between checking a couple times a day and then checking every hour or so. I think we need to get numbers out of our head. Because those numbers don’t determine success in my eyes!
You’re so right, Olivia. It’s a shame that we put so much emphasis on the numbers, when in reality, they don’t define a person’s worth, character, or talent. It really upsets me sometimes that our world can be so externally-driven. But I figure a person who truly loves what they do and has a purpose-driven focus will continue on in spite of the numbers. And, eventually their tribe will find them.
Yes, you are so right! Your tribe will find you!
I’m new blogger 😛
Welcome!
Thankfully no one has left a comment on one of my posts asking for a follow. I really don’t know what I would say! I have seen it a lot on other people’s comment sections and, I agree, it is completely rude.
So far I have not got caught up in checking my stats. I keep seeing a lot of bloggers talking about that so I am definitely staying mindful and making sure I don’t slip into that bad habit.
As a (still fairly) new blogger this post was a nice heads up for habits to avoid!
I always delete those comments whenever I see them. I don’t even entertain it. Only if they do it alot, then I’ll message them to ask them to stop.
The stats one isn’t too bad in my eyes. As long as you arent becoming obsessive with it. its good to track progress!
I think that’s a good way to handle those comments. I’ll remember that!
The follow and then unfollow is so annoying. Relatable post. 😊
Yes! So annoying!
I agree with a ton of these!! Especially the stat checking, I do that too! One thing I find annoying is when someone doesn’t even like or read your post but the only thing they comment is ‘follow me’ great post olivia!!
Yes, so annoying!! I hope everyone who does it reads this post to know to stop!🤣
Nice and simple tips. Initially, I started doing this on twitter when someone was asking to follow; but as you mentioned, with time it was becoming more annoying than helpful; now I do follow after checking their profiles.
Wishing you a great 2021.
I think alot of the time it depends on the sincerity behind it!
Wishing you a great 2021 too!
I so agree with you on this one !!!!
So glad!
Me reading this as I enjoy my break 😂
Yesss love this🤣
I am definitely a Stats-checker, though I partly do it because I think it’s so cool seeing what country readers hail from.
A good habit is that I have a designated day where I do not write on my blog. I might check and write back if there are comments but I do not post on Wednesdays. I did a full week for Blogmas and I felt stressed because I didn’t give myself that day off.
Thats such a great thing to do, and sounds like it brings such great blogging balance in your life! Everyone should take notes of this!
Thank you! It definitely helps the creative process writing requires.
The follow for follow bugs me to. I also don’t promise to return comments just for the sake of returning comments. I comment if I have something of value to say.
Yes me too! Otherwise it feels forced and fake!
Thank for sharing! I love reading your tips about blogging!
Thanks so much for reading!
🙂
I dislike the follow for follow thing some people do. I like to think that everyone who takes the time to follow me is actually interested in my blog.
Me too, it really doesnt sit well with me!
Just started my blog a few months ago and the blog addiction is a slippery slope! Thanks for the reminder to stay human 😊
Thanks so much for reading!
I’m definitely at a point where I’d rather have genuine engagement than look like i have it. In a way we could say this is all fake? 😂😂
FACTS!
Thanks Olivia for your posts and sharing your knowledge. I learn a lot from you.
Great post! I agree. These are all things that need to be left in 2020. I really hate the follow for follow. I think everyone should only follow who they are genuinely interested in. Thanks for sharing!
I have always hated follow for follows. If I like your content and find it to be something I’m interested in then I will follow without begging for one in return! I’m trying to allocate days to blogging so the other days I can relax and do other stuff I need to do. X
Ugh, I can’t imagine following then unfollowing as a habit or strategy. That would not be an authentic or quality use of my time and sanity. I’ll pass on that one
Right?! Doesn’t it sound so weird? But I have seen so many influencers with big followings doing this!
I have had only a couple of people trying to advertise their own blogs in my comments (and I deleted them). In regard to follow for follows, I wrote a post about that exact topic. I agree that no one should feel obligated to follow someone. And I am definitely a stats checker, but not sure I can (or want to!) give that up. 🙂
Nice post and one I can certainly relate to. I do get a little obsessed with blogging although I started blogging just to promote my novel, now I’m more interested in blogging than my book. A while back I decided to do a new post every Saturday and that deadline keeps me motivated not only with blogging but writing in general. Someone above mentioned taking a laptop on holiday. I do that! Maybe I should take a step back for a while!
All the best, Steve
Some interesting points, Olivia. I think my “good” habits are building bit by bit and so this year should see me develop more useful content. I have read some really good posts along the way, including yours, which have said don’t sweat the stats stuff, and so I have taken this on board and so I don’t think about it too much.