The Most Awkward Parts of Being a Blogger

Happy Monday, friends! With new territory comes new situations and interactions, and after being in the blogging world for two and a half years, I’ve encountered quite a few awkward elements of the industry. Today’s post is a comical summary of the most awkward parts of being a blogger (there are a lot, you guys!) and how to overcome those cringe-worthy moments!

Meeting people you know online in person for the first time.
This is the #1 most awkward thing for me! Whether it’s people you’re working with or fellow bloggers you follow, meeting for the first time is always awkward. These first encounters typically take place in an event setting. If it’s someone you’re working with, they know what you look like, but you don’t know what they look like. They’ll recognize you when you walk in the door and will greet you like you’re great friends since they’ve been speaking to you online (likely through email), yet you’re approaching them as a total stranger because you literally have no clue what they look like.

When meeting fellow bloggers, it’s that weird “I know who you are and everything about your life because I read your blog and follow you on social media, but we’ve never actually met” kind of thing. It’s weird, you guys. And in my opinion, it never gets less weird. And even worse, sometimes you can’t remember if you’ve met someone already or not, which just adds to the awkwardness. There’s no real introducing yourself since you already know each other’s names, so you basically just shake hands or hug. It’s like a blind date.

Networking.
Unlike most girls in the industry (or so it seems), I’m really not bubbly or outgoing, so networking can feel super forced and dry, and just doesn’t come naturally for me. I prefer one on one or a small group of two or three instead of a larger one giving each person an opportunity to speak, rather than inserting yourself into and group by trying to jump into the conversation. I like getting to know new people and talking about a shared hobby/business like blogging that we love so much, but the atmosphere has to be right. I like fellow down-to-earth people with a little dry humor mixed in, just being real and not feeling pressured to meet the social media mold. Generic small talk makes me cringe!

Taking pictures in public.
I’ve become a lot more used to this over time, but depending on the situation, it can still be awkward at times. This is something you have to learn to not care about and not pay attention to people who are staring at you. This was hard for me back in the day, but I’m so impressed with myself on how far I’ve come! Now I can pretty much shoot anywhere at anytime, which is super helpful for content creating. However, I still can’t really film myself in public or in front of Justin (sad, I know), but working on this is a huge goal of mine! It’s a process for sure, so don’t be hard on yourself!

Hate comments.
I haven’t really gotten these (yet) so I’m pretty lucky, however, I did have some MONAT haters come for me on my Instagram giveaway a couple months back. Ridiculous and unwarranted negativity thrown at you is awkward for sure, and if it’s something you’ve been lucky to not have to deal online before, it can even be a little uncomfortably comical at times. I either ignore or delete when this happens, but like I said, only time will tell how I’ll handle these if/when they continue!

Explaining that you got something for free.
When people ask you where you got something and how much it was when it was given to you for free, it can be awkward to introduce that side of blogging into the conversation. People thinking I’m bragging is a fear of mine, when really I just want to be transparent when someone asks. I never ever want to brag about receiving things for free because not knowing how someone will react is awkward to the core, so I’m grateful to have a humble foundation. I’m not in this for the free stuff — and to expand on this, meeting people who are in it for that reason is obvious and an entire new level of awk.

Promoting yourself.
When I’m out and about meeting people and making connections, the last thing I ever want to say is “by the way, my Instagram is @abbysaylor if you want to follow me!” I just can’t approach it like that — it’s just not me or who I am. Sometimes you’ve got to put yourself out there though if the time is right, especially when discussing your blog and what you do, but it’s cringey for me! Social plugs in real like aren’t my jam, and it’s probably safe to say my follower count has paid the price for that, even in the smallest capacity.

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If you’re a blogger, what have been some of the most awkward elements of the industry for you? Please share them in a comment below!

As I mentioned on my Instagram story over the weekend, I missed Friday’s blog post because I woke up with the nastiest strep throat! I went to urgent care and was able to recover within 24 hours or so thanks to antibiotics, which was well-needed with the crazy busy weekend I had with house-related stuff + a blogging event to go to. Follow along with what I’ve been up to on Instagram and lookout for more blog posts and Instagram brand collabs this week!