Three years ago, I came across the book, Quiet: The power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking. It changed my outlook and shifted my perspective…of myself! I learnt it was alright to be quiet and reflective.
The author Susan Cain so rightly points about a certain surprising fact about introverts.
Studies have shown that, indeed introverts are more likely than extroverts to express intimate facts about themselves online that their family and friends would be surprised to read, to say that they can express the “real me” online, and to spend more time in certain kinds of online discussions. They welcome the chance to communicate digitally. The same person who would never raise his hand in a lecture hall of two hundred people might blog to two thousand, or two million, without thinking twice. The same person who finds it difficult to introduce himself to strangers might establish a presence online and then extend these relationship into the real world.
I nodded in agreement to every word of every sentence above. Three years ago, I was a closet blogger who really did not want readers or subscribers to her blog or increase her social media fan following. I just wanted to write and that is all. Needless to say, I got disheartened by lack of comments and interaction on my blog. I went public on a free WordPress platform.
A month ago, I shifted to a self hosted blog. Out came the realization, about all the work that a new blogger should do – self promotion, social media promotion, comments, networking, interaction etc. As an introvert, it overwhelmed me. The above paragraph no longer held true for me. Blogging was not turning out to be the calm hobby that it was before. I realized I was losing my vision of why I wanted to blog. Three weeks went by without any written work.
Hence I decided to take a few steps to keep my introvert sanity intact. Hope it helps you too.
Six tips for the introverted blogger :
1. Networking – To gain success as a blogger, one of the first few steps you have to do is networking. Especially with people in your niche to form a community. Comments. Social media interaction. Follow for follow. Though all this was behind the screen, it still overwhelmed me! Seeing 1000 of updates from people on my social media feed made me want to crawl back into my cave. I still cannot reply to the comments on my blog at a stretch.
Solution – Make different lists for Twitter. Eg: – Friends/ Mom bloggers/Lifestyle bloggers/Twitter friends/Faith etc. On Facebook, customize your news feed – prioritize whom you want to see first, unfollow the pages you do not want to see information from. (If you have participated in a like for like thread, unfollow the page instead of unlike to stay true to the challenge undertaken – I might get so much flak for this I suppose!) On FB groups, change the groups that you use often to favourite. Reply to blog comments and emails when you are relaxed.
2. Self promotion – This is the hardest for me. I have 500 odd friends on Facebook. I have been blogging for 8 years now. I am pretty sure 95 % of them do not know it. I just cannot do it – self promotion of my blog on my personal Facebook profile.
Solution – Write guests posts. They not only bring in new readers to your blog but also gives a back link thus helping in DA ranks. Give your very close friends/siblings etc the task of promoting your blog. Also remember growing a blog takes a good few months or maybe even years and not to always rely on stat counts or social media following numbers. Introverts have this quality as pointed out by Cain – Being relatively unmoved by rewards gives you the incalculable power to go your own way. It’s up to you to use that independence to good effect. Exactly! If your last pin or post hasn’t done well, persevere until your big break!
3. Blogger events – As much as blogger events overwhelm me, I also know that I am missing out on a lot which would help in my blog’s growth.
Solution – Take small steps. Go for small-scale events or events with people you are already comfortable with. The author of Quiet suggests, ‘Attend as many events as you can comfortably stand. You decide in advance what that amount is – once a week, once a month, once a quarter. After once you have met your quota, you have earned the right to stay back home without feeling guilty.’
4. Over exertion – As a newbie blogger, I joined many groups, courses and signed up for innumerable newsletters. Not only was I stretching myself too thin, it was keeping my productivity low.
Solution – If it is not bringing you enough benefit, leave the group. Be active in a few core groups related to your niche. Unsubscribe your emails. Having 100 blogging related emails and reading none and have two core newsletters from authentic writers and reading both – Which is better?
5. Authenticity – Be yourself. I do not like publishing mine or my family’s pictures online. But one of the first few suggestions I heard was to put personal photos to give it a personal touch. But it is just not me.
Solution – There are so many successful bloggers without a single photo of theirs in this big world of internet. Still their blogs are successful. Do what you feel is right or is that agrees with your beliefs and rules. In Susan Cain’s words, ‘The trick for introverts is to honor their own rules instead of allowing themselves to be swept up by prevailing norms.’
6. Blog content – Introverts are well, introverts. Sensitive, deep thinkers who have a way with words. They are better at expressing themselves through words than speaking. Hence why the blogging world is quite appealing to an introvert. But it is easy to get sidetracked in this loud world of blogging and feel your soulful long articles are being swept underneath by trendy listicles.
Solution – Write on topics that you are comfortable with and which appeals to you. People are always gravitated towards a personal incident or experience. Do not lose focus of why you wanted to write in the first place. A final advice from the book, If personal space is vital to creativity, so is freedom from ‘peer pressure’. Mark your own blazing blogging trail!
Are you an introverted blogger? How easy or hard has blogging been for you?
This is ME!! I’m so happy that I have company Lol. Thanks for sharing such a great post
Thank you! 🙂
Check your FB inbox 🙂
Thanks for all your support and help. May Allah bless you!!
Love this!! Thank you!
welcome!
I actually enjoy reading this article. Thanks for sharing!
https://hainauddin.com/
thank you
All great tips! I read that book as well and it made me think a lot differently about my introversion too, and I now embrace it. Could not agree more with the first quote about being more comfortable to express yourself online, that is so me! And I also doubt many of my FB friends know i blog….I wrote about introversion once on my blog too and I think I am going to write about it more soon…because it really is a big part of who I am. Here it is, if you ever wanna check it out. https://thegoodthingscomin.wordpress.com/2016/01/14/a-letter-from-your-introverted-hermit-friend/
i”ll check your page out ! 🙂
I found this so useful. A newbie blogger myself, its given me some pointers to concentrate on. Thank you x
Thank you for stopping by here
THIS is so so me!!! Loved all these tips 🙂
Xo,
Maca
Thank you
Love the tips! i do give a little personal touch to my instagram but its to hard for me to take a step to the events that I have started getting invited to! I am usually alone and don’t really know anyone from the blogging world and my social anxiety just kicks in! but this is so helpful! definitely will work on a few!
Thank you for reading!
These are definitely some great tips and seems I am following most of them but I am not able to attend blogger events because it’s not possible to leave the baby alone. Let’s see later, when he starts school.
yeah, almost the same here!
It appears as though this article is written just for me. Ironically, I never thought myself to be a introvert! Am I? ?
There is no way I would post my or my children’s photos online just for few likes. Thanks for the tips. Insha Allah, will try to implement them.
Thank you for reading by!
I’m so glad I read this post, I totally relate! The only person in ‘real life’ who knows about my blog is my Mum 🙂 I, too, am absolutely useless at self-promotion. Thank you so much for your tips, I imagine I’ll be coming back to this article again and again for little boosters!
even my mum doesn’t know haha! But then if ever I have some writing skills, it is from her! Alhamdulilah
Oh my god, this is good! I´m big introvert and I found myself in every single point, haha. My biggest problem is self-promoting, just as you said. Thank you for nice advances
Ally,
http://www.inspo-book.blogspot.com
Thank you for reading.
Great tips, love! I think we’d all be surprised to see how many of us are actually quite introverted in real life!!
Exactly!
great tips, i’m an introvert too so this really helps me out thanks for sharing 🙂
welcome!
This is me!! I’ve come a long way since I started blogging, but need to improve on networking at events. Thanks for sharing this.
thank you for reading
Yes! This is so me. As an introvert, I crave deep, real relationships. But I have a hard time talking to people in person. I love being able to reach people with my blog where they can connect with me on a real, honest level.
I relate to every word of that..the craving for real deep relationships.
I love this so much! As a new blogger I can use all tips!
Would love to know how you like my blog?
Much love, Tina ♡ http://www.savourbytina.com
I’ll just check out our blog!
Great tips! I think even the most extroverted blogger can learn something here, too!
Thank you
I’m an introvert as well so these tips are really useful!
Thank you
I consider myself a writer. I’ve written songs; I’ve written content for the non profit I work for including grant writing and newsletter publishing. I’m telling you this so you know to give weight to what I say next: in this world of a kazillion bloggers, not all of them can or should write. You can and should. Good article; several points for me to consider.
I read this comment as you posted. I have been feeling giddy reading this 😀 Thank you so much for your kind words. I have been debating with myself if I should send a few guest posts or not to a few blogs and your comment made me to decide to send it anyways whether they are accepted or not.
Thank you so much once again.
Good! Keep writing!
YES! Love these because I can sooo relate. Most of my IRL friends have NO CLUE about my blog. I have no problem promoting amongst strangers, but not the people I actually know.
haha. Same here.
It actually took my awhile before I introduced my blogging to my friends and family. I kept it a big secret, but I feel so much better that’s it out there now. Thanks for sharing!!
Thank you for reading.
Some great suggestions. I still struggle with self promotion sometimes when it comes to my blog.
Yeah, same here!
I think I need to read that book! These are helpful tips. I’m definitely more on the introverted side!
I loved this post! Need ti bookmark it to come back to it from time to time, to remind myself it’s OK to be an introvert in this whole blogging world 😉 It all describes me perfectly (well, apart from the photos’ bit, I don’t mind showing myself). One thing I definitely struggle with is self-promotion among people I know, sometimes I avoid sharing more personal posts even on my blog’s FB page, knowing that my parents follow it!
I absolutely love this post!! Self promotion is definitely my weakness, and it never REALLY hit me until I made the decision to start selling on my blog. I’m so uncomfortable approaching people for stuff like that, even over social media!! I think writing about what you love and feel comfortable with is really important, it makes the sharing bit a little easier. Thanks for the tips! <3
What an awesome post! I can reflect to lots of this and had a few moments that I say HEY Yeah! thanks so much for sharing!
A total introvert here and I really appreciate this post!
Great tips! I’m a new-ish blogger, and self promotion s so tough! Thanks for sharing this!
I can’t promote my blog on my personal profile either. Feels too invasive and some people I might not want to know lol
Great post, agree with all… Wrote longer comment yesterday but I see it wasn’t submittet 😛
These are awesome tips for any blogger! Thanks for sharing.
I finally read ‘Quiet’ earlier this year or maybe last year, can’t remember now but it had such a profound effect on me as an introvert. It was like a moment of welcome revealation – I couldnt stop talking about it.
I can relate to all of your points. My guiding principle is to do what works for me and makes me feel most comfortable; not against my Deen and principles no matter what anyone says – whether it’s thought leader, guru or whoever. I make my rules online and offline as well.
For me, I share my blog articles on my personal FB page and even discuss them with others in my daily life. Thats no big deal for me. Alhamdulillah, I’m self publishing a book very soon and actually excited about the launch. It’s a big step for me. The message of the book and my passion for the writing kinda overpowered the introverted side of me. Thanks for sharing your tips and views.
Guilty as charged. This post was perfect. I feel I am a lot more talkative online than in real life. I also find I need alone time every couple of weeks or I get anxious.
In my opinion, my extended family doesn’t really understand blogging. They think I share recipes or pillow folding tips for fun. They don’t understand the metrics behind newsletters, or sponsors, or SEO. I guess that’s just how things are 🙂
There’s something to be said about introverts putting themselves out there. I’m an introvert attempting to extrovert myself as a parent through a blog. Thanks for the post.
Great tips! I tend to get overwhelmed by all of the self-promotion and networking. I think it’s a great idea to narrow down the groups, and also to get help from others to promote. I’ve not been to a blogging event yet, but will definitely have to start small.
This is definitely me! Love tips 4 and 5…thanks for sharing this will be very helpful to me
Yes! I totally relate! These tips are going to be so helpful! And I want to read that book now.
Yes yes yes! I was smiling and nodding to each one of your points. I launched my blog last month and already feel exhausted from just the pressure of “networking” and self-promotion. Thank you for validating that we don’t have to conform to proven strategies and “rules” of online marketing. Lots of love! SakeenahBegum.com
These are great tips to introverts and extroverts alike. ?
Even though I am not an introvert, these are great tips for me as a blogger! Thanks for sharing!
I loved this! I’m a total introvert myself and my blog is my safe space where I can be myself from behind the screen. Great tips, I really enjoyed reading this post!
this is so true
Such a great post! Loved it!
Quite powerful tips. Thanks for sharing. Introverts are not limited in their life just because they are labeled ‘Introvert’, they may approach and deal situations differently however that is the beauty of it.
Wow! this is so me! For a second there I thought I just wrote my feelings while reading this…
“I nodded in agreement to every word of every sentence above. Three years ago, I was a closet blogger who really did not want readers or subscribers to her blog or increase her social media fan following. I just wanted to write and that is all. Needless to say, I got disheartened by lack of comments and interaction on my blog. I went public on a free WordPress platform.
A month ago, I shifted to a self hosted blog. Out came the realization, about all the work that a new blogger should do – self promotion, social media promotion, comments, networking, interaction etc. As an introvert, it overwhelmed me. The above paragraph no longer held true for me. Blogging was not turning out to be the calm hobby that it was before. I realized I was losing my vision of why I wanted to blog. Three weeks went by without any written work.”
Thanks for the tips. They’re very nice and helpful. 😀
A few days after reading your post..I started my own blog! Thanks for the tips!
So very happy to hear that. Good wishes with your blog. I’ll check it out.
I couldn’t agree more! I abandoned my first blog for the sole reason that I wasn’t happy with the content I decided to write about. My current blog motivates me to work harder, and post more because I enjoy blogging about my current content. Great tips, btw =)