Why Bloggers Should Connect Rather Than Compete
JEANS / TOP / HAT / SHOES / BAG
The blogging world is enormous. I'm talking MILLIONS of creators all over the internet trying to carve out thier own piece of creativity, and find success with it. And especially in the Fashion / Lifestyle / Beauty categories of blogging, competition can be fierce for followers, partnerships, and even stretch to who has the best designer handbag, or who is taking the most Instagram-able vacations, etc...
I've found myself scrolling through my feed and thinking things like "God, I wish I had that Chloe Faye" , "Why didn't I get that partnership?" or "Why does she have so many more followers than I do?" But these are TOXIC thoughts!
Instead of being upset that these girls 'have so much more' than us, we should be celebrating that they are getting amazing opportunities and reaching so much success! I like a tip from Sarah Martin on my sister's podcast Water With Lemon that says every time you find yourself thinking how unfair it is that someone else has X and you don't, stop yourself and take a moment to send up a prayer or whatever you do that they will have MORE of whatever it is! If she got an amazing brand partnership, pray she gets an even better one! If she took an amazing vacation, pray she has a great time and gets to go somewhere else on her bucket list too!
I've found myself doing this SO often over the past few weeks, but turning around those toxic thoughts and sending good wishes towards a fellow blogger actually makes YOU feel better too!
One of my greatest focuses right now is choosing connection over competition. There are so many wonderful ladies in this blogging world, and you never know when hitting follow might lead to a lasting friendship!
I try my best to respond to every comment, genuinely comment on the posts of others, and actually read and get to know the people I follow instead of speed-liking every photo in my feed. The blogging community should not be about being better than someone else, it should be about supporting each other and building a network of boss-ass-babes who are striving for the same things as you!
When we choose to connect over compete, here are a few things we gain:
Support System - I regularly text my close blogger friends when I'm super frustrated about a blogging issue, and they are always there to help! They understand exactly what you mean, in a way that non-bloggers can't, and they often have great advice!
Sounding Board - If you're struggling with direction or creative issues, a blogging community is always a great sounding board for ideas! You can ask opinion of your blogger friends, or even post polls to Instagram stories with basic question like "do you want more X type of content or Y?". Your followers will always tell you exactly what they like and don't, and that makes setting direction SO easy!
Inspiration - almost daily I bookmark someone's post because I love the topic she wrote about, the shoes she was wearing, the way she styled a certain item, etc! Just make sure to make it your own and not blatantly copy anyone! Your followers come to see YOU, not a copy of someone else.
Friends! - If you're green with envy, you'll never actually get to know the girl behind the account! And often, they are incredibly sweet and make great friends!
Have you ever struggled with competition in the blogging world? How did you turn it into something positive instead?
xoxo,
Audra