I remember how shocked I was to find out that I actually had readers coming to my blog. Women who were taking time out of their day to read my words. I was absolutely blown away. Then the doubt crept in.
Why would they want to read what I say?
When is the criticism going to come?
I know that this can’t last forever.
Those words took a toll on me and confused me in ways I wasn’t expecting. Mostly because I didn’t expect anyone to read my blog. I know, crazy right? Why have a blog when you don’t think anyone will read it?
When I started blogging in 2014, I did it as a way to get thoughts out of my head. I did it on the advice of my sister in law who told me that it would help me figure out who I am. And so I just started writing. I shared it with 1 local Facebook group that I was a part of at the time and women were reading it.
Not only that. I had women messaging me. Thanking me for sharing my story and for being so open and honest about my past. Crazy to say that out loud because, for years, I had kept my past a secret because of the shame.
I truly believe in the power of sharing your story. I believe that it has untold healing measures. It can help you on your healing journey. It can help someone who reads it on their healing journey.
When I was told a few years back that I needed to do more than just write words on a website to invoke change, I got angry. They didn’t realize how many lives I had changed with those words. They included my family, my friends, and even strangers. All because by sharing my story, I healed myself. I was able to become a better mother, wife, daughter, friend, and contributing person to society.
They didn’t realize that I was already changing the world by sharing MY truth. They didn’t need to agree with me but they needed to learn to respect that it was my story. Respect didn’t happen at that time but at the end of the day, that is not my responsibility.
Why do I share this? Because there is 1 thing that plays an important part in creating loyal readers.
WHY YOUR READERS ARE LEAVING
I think most of the time, we are taught as children that telling the truth is always the best way to go. Right? That honesty wins. And then we grow up and we focus on showing only the best of our lives. We hide all the hard, all the messy and all of the complicated parts of our lives because we want our social media to look like we have a perfect life.
The thing is…
No one has a perfect life. No matter how much their social media portrays it. I love to connect with women who are honest and real on social media. I want to see a messy house. I want to see the complicated emotions that we go through on a daily basis. I want to know that you are not perfect because I am not perfect.
Show your readers who you really are. Don’t be fake. Don’t only show the positive parts of your life. Your readers want to connect with you and the best way to connect with them is to show who you really are. The number 1 thing scaring your readers away is when…..
You are trying to be something you are not.
I believe that readers were drawn to me in the beginning because I put myself out there. I told my truth despite the fear. I stepped into my power of who I was and bore all of me. The ugly, the dirty, the happy, the sad, the motivated and the lonely.
I knew that if I held any of that back, I wouldn’t be able to connect with my readers. They would be able to tell I wasn’t being truthful and honest.
The best advice I can give you is to be yourself. Be the messy and complicated person that you are. Because we all are that person. None of us have this figured out. Show your truth and you will help others to show their truth as well.
Are you ready to step into your power with blogging? I ONLY have 4 spaces left available for this round of Blogology. It will be the last time that it is this price so get it now before my prices increase.
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