I started blogging about 9 months ago. I love doing reviews, and I love offering giveaways to my readers, and most of the time I do it for free. I really like introducing you guys to new, relevant products, and the chance to win something awesome! I don’t make money from this blog, yet. Maybe I never will. I’m OK with that. I didn’t start this blog to get rich. My husband makes enough to support us. We are not rich, don’t get me wrong, but we decided from the beginning that he works and I stay home. I started this blog to talk about our experiences trying to eat healthier. Somehow I lost that. I want that back. As much as I love doing reviews and getting free stuff in the mail, that is not why I started this blog. It is hard to write EVERY.DAY. I’m lazy, and sometimes I don’t feel like anything that happened today is worth writing about!
I joined a Houston blogger group a few months ago. I thought it would be a great way to meet other bloggers nearby and just make some new friends. I did get to know a few women who I feel are genuine and I would actually want to spend time with. They meet in person and offer tutorials and classes. I thought it would be a great opportunity for me. I don’t know much about blogging. I googled everything I know. I designed this blog myself and I am quite proud of it.
I started a blogger marketing company about two months ago to help bloggers get the opportunity to review/giveaway products that are important to them. I have done the first three campaigns for no pay, which means the bloggers who participate won’t get paid either. These are products that I love, and that I think are useful and important. I thought it would be appreciated. I have had mostly great feedback and I think that the bloggers do understand that we don’t all get rich immediately. We have to work at this. Some bloggers don’t want to get rich anyway, they review products for the same reason as me, to share awesome products with their readers. This past month, I decided to organize a blogger conference in Houston. The bloggers in my group are not responding well. Apparently the leader of the group is planning a conference too, and it seems that everyone thinks the two conferences have to be competition. I hate that. There are plenty of bloggers in Texas to attend two events. They will be two completely different events. I, for one, will be attending both. I tried to discuss the details of the two conferences with her to see if I could reschedule mine to keep them from being at the same time/month/etc. I couldn’t get a response. I don’t know how to apologize when I don’t know what I did wrong.
I guess I am not really losing out on any friends. Just sucks because I feel like no one has taken the time to get to know me or understand my side of this “story”. I never expected blogging to feel like high school all over again, but this sucks! I need a drink!
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
It sounds like you have some really great ideas and it’s too bad people aren’t communicating better. Keep up your good work and stay true to your goals!
Sage recently posted..Wordless Wednesday
I love your goals and think your blog is awesome! I look forward to more post and your ideas/input. Best to you….PS- I will share a wine with you…
I was excited to find another Houston blogger! I just started, but I’ve noticed that blogging really *is* cliquey. Keep doing what you’re doing and ignore all the petty bloggers!
-Lauren
http://commonscentswithlauren.blogspot.com
Lauren recently posted..Dog Days of Summer
Brenda,
I think the problem is that it is confusing to bloggers who are experienced and make a living, how someone who just started and chooses not to get paid, can give advice and organize a conference teaching people about blogging. Plus, the questions that I have seen you ask in the blogger group are very beginner. I don’t know you, but I was SHOCKED to see that you were the one putting together a conference. Before I go to a conference, I vet every person teaching and putting it on. Most bloggers I know, would never attend a conference organized by someone they have not heard of.
Also when you come into an established group and use it to benefit you (promoting your projects immediately and stepping on toes) plus not have any respect for the owner, people don’t support that. It seems really spammy and disrespectful.
Bloggers are business owners, they want to be treated like business owners. We meet and hang out, but in the end this is our business, and I don’t consult with other bloggers about my strategy, take their ideas and then loudly do it myself on their blog. Thats when it isn’t friendly anymore because you are infringing on my business.
There are TONS of blogging groups for bloggers who do this as a hobby and I think that is where you really want to be. The atmosphere is completely different and your goals would be better suited. The Houston blogging group is super friendly and supportive, in 2 years I have never seen a problem.
You have a darling blog and I am sure will be very successful after you have some experience under your belt.
Tiffany Ivanovsky
MyLitter
Thanks for the comment Tiffany. I would like to clarify a few things you mentioned in your comment.
I don’t give advice to other bloggers. I think that any blogger can organize a conference, as a blogger, I know the things I would like to learn about and those are the speakers I aim to have speak at our conference.
I am new to blogging, but not marketing. I never claimed to know everything or even that much about blogging. My questions seemed beginner because I am a beginner blogger. I’m sorry you won’t be attending a conference organized by me, but I have received a lot of positive feedback and many bloggers are interested in attending.
I did meet with Lisa for coffee, but we did not discuss a conference, I am sorry that everyone only gets to hear one side of the story, but that is what happens when you don’t ask the other party about the situation. I am sorry that some members of that group don’t like what I do, and that is OK. I never meant to unfriendly or infringing, if Lisa had asked me to stop posting, I would have. At one point she even offered to announce an event for me in the newsletter. Like I said, I wish things had turned out differently but they didn’t. Good luck to you and your blogging businesses, though!