The Lesson I Learned After A Year Of Blogging

December 27, 2013

I don’t know what this blog is about. Not this blog post, rather, this entire blog. I can hear every marketing advisor screaming at me right now. I’m not supposed to admit that I don’t know what my blog is about. I should know what I’m doing. And if in some rare case I don’t, for God’s sake I should not tell anyone! And I certainly should not blog about it. Do not, the gurus repeat, do not write a blog post about not knowing what your entire blog is about. I hear you, marketing guru, I hear you. But I’m doing it anyways. (You should also never listen to anyone who calls himself a guru.) It’s unbelievable to think that throughout this entire year of blogging, Monday-Friday, nary missing a day in between; I have yet to determine what my blog is actually about. (YOU may actually be clearer on my blog’s theme than I am.) Successful blogs are based around succinct topics—whether that is fashion, or tech, or food, or personal improvement, or music—they have overall themes based upon the blogger’s expertise or main area of interest. And they offer something to the reader. Something the reader can’t get elsewhere. The worst thing a blog can do is be like that coffee shop-sportsbar-Greek restaurant-gift shop-jewelry store smorgasbord place that you pass by everyday on your way home but never walk into because you wonder, what is it really? You have no idea what it is. And you don’t want to waste your time walking in to figure it out. You’d rather go to a coffee shop that’s just a coffee shop or a gift shop that specializes in just gifts, or a jewelry store that doesn’t place their bling next to the baklava. Sometimes I look at my blog and I think, oh shit. My blog has become a smorgasbord coffee-resto-bar-gift-jewelry shop. I placed the frosting next to the business advice. And the confessionals next to the cupcake recipes. I broke the cardinal rule of blogging—I smorgasborded! I’ve worried about this for a long time. I’ve wondered how I can tailor my blog to a specific topic—whatever my area of expertise is. Frosting? Cupcakes? So today in an attempt to resolve my smorgasbord ways I trudged through my blog stats and pulled my top five trafficked blog posts, searching for a reoccurring theme. And the results are in… (drumroll, please)…

1. Why I’m Sick And Tired Of You Being Offended
2. This Is The Story I’m Not Supposed To Tell You
3. Conquering Fears: Talking About My Eating Disorder
4. 7 Wardrobe Must-Have For International Travel
5. 7 Reasons Why You Should Not Open A Cupcake Bakery

Aside from number 4 (which baffles me… I must’ve inserted some damn good SEO on that one), I think I see the theme. And it doesn’t look much like cupcake recipes nor frosting techniques. Rather, it reminds me of why I’m here. It reminds me that my colorful life, hardships, and lessons, happened (and happen) because they were meant to be shared. And as many times as I try to fight it, the theme reoccurs, dancing in my face. (Taunting my denseness, really.) But today is the day I listen! And learn! (And unleash my unabashed love for parentheses!) I see now that you, my dear readers, click on the blog posts in which I express my struggles, frustrations, passions, and fears in my not-so-delicately and blunt way. You write me emails thanking me for being authentic and real. And I read and re-read those emails when my mind starts to wander and when my smorgasbord anxiety rears its head. Thank you, for your reassurance. Thank you for telling me what you want. Thank you for letting this blog be more about you than me. And thank you for your patience when I strayed away from the reason why I’m here. It’s only taken a year (year, schmear!) but I’ve finally realized my theme is something I’ve been saying all along...

It’s not just about frosting. It’s about being real.

Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.

Name *

Email *

Comment *

---

Also in Dollop Gourmet