I used to sell myself as a 'book blogger'. I told people I met that I worked closely with publishers, that I worked hard as part of the marketing team behind releasing a book. I help promote particular books, and sometimes, my name even ends up in them. Sure, not everyone understand that those kind of things existed, that people actually did things like that, but that was how I referred to myself as.
Months down the line, a brand new blog later, and I'm no longer a 'book blogger'. I still work closely with publishers, and I still review books, man, I read less but I'm still reading, but I'm not a book blogger anymore. I dropped my label and realised I didn't want to pick it back up again. For the first time in what felt like a long time, I felt free.
Maybe free sounds harsh, I was hardly being kept, locked up in a tower until I'd finished reading every book I owned - if so, I would have been there for a looooooooong time, but by dropping my label, I definitely felt as though a weight had been lifted. I enjoy writing reviews, no matter the format, and I appreciate that I've found so many fabulous friends along the way, but I wasn't as passionate about it as I am about other things.
Rather than push through with something I wasn't feeling quite as enthralled by anymore, I stopped pressuring myself to focus on it, and put my attention elsewhere. I started putting that passion into my discussions, into conversations I had so much to contribute to, into issues that needed to be talked to, into advice, guidance, support, teaching, into slowly building myself up to what I am now.
I was asked a few weeks ago how I dropped my 'book blogging' label, and the answer is simple.
Simple as that. If you blog about a specific topic and you've labelled yourself in relation to that, the idea of dropping that label can be scary, especially when you already have a following that quite like your current content, but if you're not passionate about it, don't do it. Stop blogging about the subject you're no longer feeling, and blog about what you love instead.
Your following might not be impressed by the change, and it's important to consider to them in the equation. For example, I used to be all about the books, and my followers appreciated that about me. As time went by, I blogged less about the books and more about the blogging, and I've found a few followers, in response to my survey have said they'd like to see more book-related content, and man, it sucks to have to say this, but that probably isn't going to happen. The book-related content I post is more than likely the maximum you'll see on Nellie and Co. and for those followers, they've got a choice to make. Do they like my current, more blogging related content enough to continue getting enjoyment out of following me, or are we parting ways? That decision is entirely in their hands, but it's something I thought long and hard about when I started switching my content.
I didn't want to post half-hearted content. I didn't want to sit there, uninspired and unmotivated for a handful of people. I didn't want to produce content I didn't like, and wouldn't read elsewhere. To be pouring so much time, and hard work into something, I wanted to enjoy it, and catering for the few didn't, and doesn't allow me to do that. Creating content I'm passionate about means I'm never going to be lost for something to say, or something to write, and I'm likely to lose followers along the way, people who no longer like what I have to say, and that's a-okay.
Without a doubt yes. I know I've lost a few followers since I dropped my label, I've unfollowed people myself, but the traffic I've gained instead of has been, wow. My traffic as almost doubled on Nellie and Co. in comparison to Bookish Butterflies, my social media referrals has sky-rocketed, my Organic Search Results makes up almost 15% of my actual viewing figures, and almost 40% of my readers in the last two months have been new visitors. Pretty amazing for a 4 month old blog, am I right?
I don't for one second regret dropping my 'book blogger' label, in fact, I'd do it again. I'm free to explore avenues I could never have considered under my old label, and I'm once again passionate about my topics of interest. I'm creating content that I love, that my followers love and enjoy too, and I'm seeing Nellie and Co. grow huge amounts from absolutely nothing - all because of a label drop. I'm no longer a 'book blogger' although I still talk about books from time to time, but I refuse to doane a new label in place of. I'm a passionate blogger through and through, what else matters?
Months down the line, a brand new blog later, and I'm no longer a 'book blogger'. I still work closely with publishers, and I still review books, man, I read less but I'm still reading, but I'm not a book blogger anymore. I dropped my label and realised I didn't want to pick it back up again. For the first time in what felt like a long time, I felt free.
Maybe free sounds harsh, I was hardly being kept, locked up in a tower until I'd finished reading every book I owned - if so, I would have been there for a looooooooong time, but by dropping my label, I definitely felt as though a weight had been lifted. I enjoy writing reviews, no matter the format, and I appreciate that I've found so many fabulous friends along the way, but I wasn't as passionate about it as I am about other things.
Rather than push through with something I wasn't feeling quite as enthralled by anymore, I stopped pressuring myself to focus on it, and put my attention elsewhere. I started putting that passion into my discussions, into conversations I had so much to contribute to, into issues that needed to be talked to, into advice, guidance, support, teaching, into slowly building myself up to what I am now.
I was asked a few weeks ago how I dropped my 'book blogging' label, and the answer is simple.
I stopped blogging exclusively about books.
Simple as that. If you blog about a specific topic and you've labelled yourself in relation to that, the idea of dropping that label can be scary, especially when you already have a following that quite like your current content, but if you're not passionate about it, don't do it. Stop blogging about the subject you're no longer feeling, and blog about what you love instead.
Your following might not be impressed by the change, and it's important to consider to them in the equation. For example, I used to be all about the books, and my followers appreciated that about me. As time went by, I blogged less about the books and more about the blogging, and I've found a few followers, in response to my survey have said they'd like to see more book-related content, and man, it sucks to have to say this, but that probably isn't going to happen. The book-related content I post is more than likely the maximum you'll see on Nellie and Co. and for those followers, they've got a choice to make. Do they like my current, more blogging related content enough to continue getting enjoyment out of following me, or are we parting ways? That decision is entirely in their hands, but it's something I thought long and hard about when I started switching my content.
I didn't want to post half-hearted content. I didn't want to sit there, uninspired and unmotivated for a handful of people. I didn't want to produce content I didn't like, and wouldn't read elsewhere. To be pouring so much time, and hard work into something, I wanted to enjoy it, and catering for the few didn't, and doesn't allow me to do that. Creating content I'm passionate about means I'm never going to be lost for something to say, or something to write, and I'm likely to lose followers along the way, people who no longer like what I have to say, and that's a-okay.
Question is, was the label drop worth it?
Without a doubt yes. I know I've lost a few followers since I dropped my label, I've unfollowed people myself, but the traffic I've gained instead of has been, wow. My traffic as almost doubled on Nellie and Co. in comparison to Bookish Butterflies, my social media referrals has sky-rocketed, my Organic Search Results makes up almost 15% of my actual viewing figures, and almost 40% of my readers in the last two months have been new visitors. Pretty amazing for a 4 month old blog, am I right?
I don't for one second regret dropping my 'book blogger' label, in fact, I'd do it again. I'm free to explore avenues I could never have considered under my old label, and I'm once again passionate about my topics of interest. I'm creating content that I love, that my followers love and enjoy too, and I'm seeing Nellie and Co. grow huge amounts from absolutely nothing - all because of a label drop. I'm no longer a 'book blogger' although I still talk about books from time to time, but I refuse to doane a new label in place of. I'm a passionate blogger through and through, what else matters?
Are you a 'book blogger'? Do you like or loathe the label?
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