My blog is 4 years old ish. The first two years were just spent blogging, my second year was when I got the most traction on my blog ever. Then Instagram got really big and influencers were born. I realized I liked having an aesthetically pleasing feed and starting building my Instagram platform.
With this came a couple thousand followers, making me a micro-influencer. First I was getting free things and posting about them. Then I started joining networks where I was getting paid. I worked with companies like Burger King, Dunkin’ Donuts, Verizon, etc.
And it can be a lot of work to compose a photo and make sure it gets out on time. But what I disliked the most were the restraints. The scripting of a caption, what the photo HAS to look like and when it needs to be up by. Causing me to post a lot of things I didn’t really love.
With the Instagram algorithm always changing, recently my photos have started to flop and I’m just tired of caring about it. I’m also tired of following 3,000 people just because they follow me. I didn’t start blogging to become an influencer. I like free things, I like some pocket money, and I do like sharing products that I enjoy. But I need to start doing them on my own terms. If I don’t like the way I’m sharing something – why would anyone else?
I want to be just a blogger. I want to write and then supplement that writing with other platforms. While my Instagram will still be blog focused, I’m going to be extra picky about accepting any campaigns. I’ve already unfollowed thousands of people. My Instagram just didn’t reflect my real life that I put out on my blog and I never want to be unauthentic.
I’m happy to be just a blogger. I don’t need to make money, that’s never what this was about. I think most of the time the things I write are more helpful to me than anyone else, but that’s perfectly okay.
Rosie Culture 
Cheers. As the old Shakespeare line goes, ‘To thine own self be true.”
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Well done you – make sure you do you well 🙂
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This makes me so happy! It’s always so sad to watch bloggers fade away once they become “influencers”. You just need to do what makes you happy! 🙂
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Thank you for this post. I agree with your outlook and I have said the same thing to my friends. I want to be a blogger on my terms.
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Congratulations! I like that you are finding your voice again and following what you truly believe in.
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That’s amazing! Follow your intuition!
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Instagram can be a bear to keep up with. Don’t know how some folks do it
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This was an interesting podcast for a lot of reasons (and I think I’m going to get the book), but I was thinking about your Twitter post on this when I heard the part on sponsored blog posts. https://crooked.com/podcast/sweet-nothingness-heather-armstrong-on-her-new-book-the-valedictorian-of-being-dead/
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And by the way, saying you’re “just a blogger” means you’re “just a person who writes stuff she enjoys writing and that people enjoy reading.”
In another words, not “just” anything.
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Very true, thank you 🙂 I’ll check out that podcast
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Some of us are lucky enough to start a blog (with little expectations) and find it turn into somwething wonderful we never expected.
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cool! always important to stay true to yourself 💛
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It’s always a good idea to refocus when you aren’t happy with the way you are doing things💞. Lovely post sis✨
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I simply love how honest you are with your emotions. It takes great courage to do what you are doing. Keep inspiring 🙂
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Thank you 🙂
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Hello, I’m just starting to blog and your post is a nice dose of reality. It’s exactly what you said freedom to write and some freebies. I’ll be so suffocated if someone decides to script my captions. Aaa!
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I’ve never had someone not script my captions lol thank you for reading!
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When I read the first paragraph I said to myself, this person is about to take a turn. I was right.
It’s easy to fall where you did. You keyed on one huge thing: I’m cautious of Following 3000 because they followed me.
Sometimes we forget why we started all this and it takes the experience you just shared to remind us. This was an excellent piece and a warning to those falling into the traps.
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I feel you on this. It can be easy to lose your way with blogging once money comes into the mix. For people who started just for the money, I don’t think it matters much. For the creative spirits, it’s a pretty big deal. My blogging work is done for client websites, so I get to keep mine mostly ad free.
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Yeah I definitely agree if you didn’t set out to make money and then you find yourself in that situation it really just destroys the creative spirit
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I love being just a blogger & I have declined so many offers/collabs because they’re just too strict & complicated. I’m happy that you’re going to be more picky & authentic from now on. This space is yours! 🙂
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