Never did I imagine I would have friends not reading my blog. When I started my blog, I was overjoyed. EXCITED! I was pursuing a passion and wanted to share with everyone my love of health, food and fitness. My mind was spinning with possibilities of where a blog could go. I never felt so strongly or motivated by something before.
I’ve had a very successful professional career in corporate america, but I never felt I was making a difference. Sure I enjoy the work I’m doing and the people I work with, but you rarely see the end result of your labor. Blogging gives me an opportunity to see a result, touch other people’s lives and hopefully, make a difference in the world.
When I started this journey, I thought my friends and family would read my blog, be there by my side supporting me along the way. After all, I’ve had a lot going these last years and with all the weird stuff life has thrown at me, I thought friends would be inclined to read as a way to keep up. I imagined they would cheer me on, encourage me to do more, pick me up when I fell down. Much like I always imagined when crossing a finish line a loud cheering crowd screaming, “go Megan!”
When my friends ask me how things are in life, my immediate thought is “it’s on my blog, why aren’t you reading? I may post a lot of recipes, but it’s my life journal.” I hold myself back from saying those things because I’ve learned that doesn’t change whether or not they read.
Why are your friends not reading your blog?
Not Interested in Your Topic
Maybe they’re just not interested what you’re saying. Not everyone wants to hear about running or see the recipe you made that day. It’s not everyone’s thing.
Everyone Has Their Own Life
Everyone lives in their own bubble and I don’t mean that in a bad way. Everyone has their own day-to-day life filled with joy and challenges. As you juggle work, school, health, fitness, family and everything in between SO ARE THEY.
It’s no different than friends who are married with kids. I continued living my single life while their lives changed. They have families with spouses and children and they are the most important things to them. For me, fitness, recipes and my blog are my “children.” My friends are interested in me, the person not my recipe of the week and that’s the way it should be.
While your blog may be important to you, it may not be to your friends.
Not Everyone Has a Passion
The thing about having a passion is not everyone has one. It’s a hard to explain to others why you stay up 24 hours to resolve a technical issue or why you’re always taking selfies and food pics and posting them on Instagram.
Passions are dreams and it’s hard to describe to others how or why you put so much time and effort into a dream. People don’t understand it unless they have one too. That’s why bloggers connect so easily with other bloggers because they get it.
The best thing that happened to me was connecting with other bloggers because they along with YOU, my readers, are my loud cheering crowd screaming and I couldn’t be more grateful for that friendship and community you have brought to my life.
What I have come to realize about friends not reading your blog, is that it’s ok. I’m sure there are many reasons why my they don’t read, but the fact is I won’t change that. It’s about accepting. Accepting friends for what they really are and what they really mean to you.
Do your friends and family read your blog? How does it make you feel? What are your thoughts about them reading your blog?
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I’m the complete opposite–I share some intimate things on my blog that I would not be comfortable if any of my friends knew so I try not to tell them I have one.
I probably should watch what I say about others.
I’ve experienced the same and I’m good with it too. I actually embrace it! It feels better to me to have real fans than friends feeling obligated to be fans! Very liberating! Keep up the good fight!
Very true! You want your readers to be as excited about your content as you not out of obligation.
Totally love this post–SO true right?!
I thought the same thing when my cousin asked the other day. Then I came to the realization that my life is SUPER cool to me, and at least it is to one person haha. People are busy–and honestly, I don’t think I could keep up with my friends’ blog if they posted daily. Life gets busy.
Again, awesome post. It’s clear that you are passionate about what you write about, which is super cool.
CHEERIO!
Thanks, friend!
Its always good to keep things in perspective and recognize that what you love your friends may not have an interest in! I am always a little intimidated when my friends read my blog for some reason, maybe because most of them are successful fitness professionals themselves!
Haha…I’m more intimidated when my family reads my blog.
Great blog!
This was a really great post, and I’m glad I found it. Most of my friends probably don’t read my blog, but for some reason it’s never bothered me because I guess I expected they wouldn’t.
Another thing I’ve learned is that just because they aren’t engaging doesn’t mean they aren’t reading. When I post my blog on Facebook, I might think no one is reading because no one says anything, but my blog stats tell me that people are clicking that link. And I’ll have people ask me in person about my Year of Living Without project, which always surprises me because whenever I post about that on social media I don’t get many comments or interaction. So even if people aren’t talking, they are paying attention. Although I still wish they would engage more – throw me a bone here, peeps!
🙂
Good point! There’s a difference between readers & those who are engaging.
I started my blog when I began to run and train a lot. I was pretty sure the majority of my friends were tired of listening to it and they didn’t run (minus a couple). So I started the blog and met a whole new group of people! My friends might read if I post to my facebook but other than that, I doubt it nor expect them to. And family same thing. I use my social media – blog, instagram and twitter pretty much to connect with runners/fitness people and keep facebook for friend use.
My blog has evolved to the same, but that wasn’t how it started out. I connect more with other fitness professionals & foodies via my blog too.
This is so funny to me because for a long time I didn’t tell anyone I knew about the blog. Then it became my job and I was like wait up people I know are reading?! We’d be chatting and they’d say oh I know I read it. Freaked me out. Then yes I started to assume I had nothing to tell anyone, but no one reads everything and trust me sometimes it’s way nicer if they don’t
Haha…very true! I know some of my relatives stalk my blog regularly.
Great question! My daughter-in-law blogs, but I can’t get the url from her or my son. So it’s a situation that goes both ways. I’d love to see pictures of their trips and animals, but it’s not convenient for them to send them separately. Needless to say, I’d be a regular reader! I just chalk it up to wanting to frankly talk on her blog without having to filter it through what her m-in-law might think. So I just accept it and don’t think about it. I found your comments very interesting – thanks for posting!
True, I don’t allow some of my relatives to see my personal facebook page.
I am new to blogging so not a lot of people know about this fact yet! I am still a little shy about revealing too much of me because of what they will think or if they would like what they say. I guess I feel more comfortable sharing my experiences with other bloggers since they are going through the same things as I and know what I am talking about! Ha.
Definitely! Other bloggers really get it.
I think I kind of like that most of my friends don’t read my blog. It give me more of a chance to be me without them putting in their two cents. Also, I know some of my friends that read want to be part of it with me. As flattering as it is, it’s my personal space. I feel bad telling them no.
It is liberating in a way!
I feel the same way! Some of my friends read my blog or at least read it occasionally. Other friends never read it! I don’t mind so much that they don’t read it, it only bothers me when they don’t realize how much I value it and sort of put me down for treating it like a second job (i.e., I can’t go out at 8pm on a Tuesday because I’m at home working out and then blogging etc). Or when they write it off as a stupid hobby or something that isn’t important and then expect me to participate in their charities, events, etc. I just try to realize that true friends value what I do even if they are not that interested in it!
Ugh…yes so many people think it’s a silly hobby. They don’t get it.
I shamelessly share my blog posts on my person FB page and invite friends to “like” my blog page. I assume they don’t read… and I’m sometimes pleasantly surprised when they reference something I wrote or try a recipe. I don’t think most people read regularly… and that’s ok. I guess not everyone is as fascinated as blog-land as I am?! Haha!
That said, I wish my mom read it more. She keeps wanting me to use thing thing called the telephone?!
Ugh…I hate talking on the phone & when it’s my Mom it’s always an hour ordeal. I avoid them except when it’s her.
Great post,I started reading this post because there’s a contest going on ,but I have really enjoyed all the postings,so I subscribed so I don’t miss any more posts.
I actually am the complete opposite and was super shy about my blog at first. I don’t think I told anyone other than Kyle or my friend Tiana about it for the first 6 months and I only posted the link to my blog for the first time on my Facebook a few months ago. For some reason it embarrasses me that people I know in real life read all the small things I post and my recaps haha!
Many people said that. It’s interesting how we have different perspectives.
great post
Although it would hurt my feelings a little bit that my pals would not take 5 minutes out of their day to support me… I must understand that they are each busy with frantic paced lives. They do not really have 5 extra minutes and if they do well I am certain they have other things to fill that time slot with that would be more of more benefit to them. Live and let live. That really is the way you must look at this. It is not like they are putting you down or discouraging you.
I want to start a blog. I have the time to do it. I have the desire to write one. I feel I could brighten someones day and perhaps teach things about gardening, cooking , life hacks, jokes,off the wall miscellaneous things that pop up, civic minded things ect ect ect. I also want to run give aways! I know how excited and tickled I get when I win a give away. Ohhh you would think I hit the lottery for 20 million dollars the way I jump around & get all twitter-pated over winning a couple bottles of shampoo! I want to be the one to give that kind of excitement to other humans.
You know what is standing in my way? ME! Yep it is my fear of failure! Awful, I know. I always want to do my best at everything . From making a meal to cleaning the gutter. I am scared I will not gather enough folks to read and that I will fail to keep them interested & entertained. I know I would put myself out there as I am a WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get) pronounced woos Cee-wig. In todays urban dictionary I guess I would be labeled as one who keeps it real. What if folks just dont like my wide open flair for life?
I want to tell you to keep on keeping on. At least you had the gumtion to start a blog! You are making a NEW circle of friends that DO read your blog. Right? RIGHT! You non blog buddies are still your buds . They are awesome ! They will discuss many things with you in the real world. They go to lunch with you and exchange holiday cards & gifts with you. They are important to you and you are important to them. Just keep that in mind and you wont be so discouraged about it.
I act like me on my blog but I try to be the best version of me… I do that in real life too but idk, it’s hard to explain. I was thinking of sharing a very personal thing on my blog (I haven’t yet) that alot of friends don’t even know… I tell some friends about my blog but usually I don’t mind if they don’t read lol
Just went back to read this one, because I definitely have friends that DO NOT read my blog, and have even said they don’t like to read blogs. It hurts, but I realize it’s not personal. 🙂
For me, it was a hard realization to come around to. I feel so passionate about blogging that by not having them read it I felt unsupported. Now I recognize they simply don’t read blogs.
Hi Megan, I can relate to your post. Both my BBF and I write blogs. My BBF – Blogging is her passion, she writes long posts, does extended research, edits each photo for hours, it is truly her LABOR of love. She writes about fashion trends and I have ZERO interest about what she writes.
Me? I treat my tiny blog as my free time kinda fun thing to do. My photos are quick shots on my iPhone, my posts are outside any schedule, whenever I grab 30 minutes and am up for it I will write.
Anyway, my BBF literally MADE me subscribe to her blog to make sure I don’t miss her posts (ha), I skim through them to be polite as she loves all the feedback, I always say I love all she writes because it does not cost me anything and I am sure someone interested in the topic her posts are great! It is a big deal to her and I am supportive so I would not just tell her that I do not want to be reading any of it, although sometimes I don’t as much.
Wow, Mariana! I’ve never had someone do that to me. That is a really uncomfortable situation to put your friend in and really what are you gaining? Another sort of follower? I would rather have true followers who want to be part of my journey.
Thanks for the post and all the insights everyone has! It’s truly helpful! I feel “What’s the use?” sometimes with my blog but then I get a few comments from people who are not necessarily close friends and that really means much more to me than comments from the people I would expect to comment who don’t. Great insights! Thanks all!
None of my friends comment on my blog, but my blog friends do! I’ve learned not to take it personal. If you don’t blog, you don’t get it so why would I expect them to?
This is definitely coming in late but I had to do a comment, your blog is so cool!
I started blogging a month back and I was super disappointed when my closest friends didn’t realize how important this was to me and a couple didn’t bother paying my blog a visit (my besties didn’t have the time till.weeks later and my older sister is consistently too lazy to even download my podcasts.. Lol).
However I realized that the ones I never expected to dig my site really did, I met new friends, I’m blessed to have such an engaging, small but growing audience and that’s awesome to me
I just posted my first blog post ever and realized…. I don’t think my friends really even care. So I googled this feeling I’m experiencing and up popped this blog. I will just decide tonight that I will never ask my friends and family to read it…. I’ll leave that up to them and I won’t care. 🙂 I feel better knowing that’s normal!
It’s completely normal! I felt the same way when I started blogging, which is why I wrote the article. I finally realized that I couldn’t rely on friends & family to read my blog for support and that the blogging community was actually a bigger support system.
probably late to the crowd, by I’m definitely feeling some kind of way knowing only a small percentage of friends takes time to visit my blog weekly
Yeah, no fans here either. I’m kinda sad, but I know they love me for me. Not my blog. My husband doesn’t even read it. But then again, he’s not a mother, wife , or woman. I have had to lower expectations to zero. It’s a bummer!
Keep doing what you’re doing. I discovered over time that more of my friends and family began to read.
Ah Megan,
I feel your pain. I have recorded 3 audio books, and not ONE family member or friend has listened to even one, despite rave reviews.
But we shouldn’t take offence .Understand that people close to us are often reluctant to willingly expose themselves to those they are intimately acquainted with, because enough is enough!.
No one wants to see or hear it, unless it is unavoidable an art piece hanging on the wall, especially if there is a critique expected on their part. ugh! I think most people are reluctant to peek under the ‘covers’ of a loved ones innermost thoughts…I’ts embarrassing in a way… I am sure there are many family members of highly successful writers who have never cracked a page of their best seller. It is gruesome in a way reading the personal thoughts of others or watching their interpretations in a role they are acting in… Few people who are related to you really wants THAT close a look into your secret musings and mental journeys. There is nothing wrong with this. Remember the truest of the old sayings.. You can’t be a prophet in your own town
100% true. it does not bother me either, but what bothers me is – they do it deliberately. like they are constantly on facebook / wtsapp and likes multiple posts or comment on multiple posts – but just won’t do it on mine. even if my friend does not feel like reading my blog (which I am totally OK with) – there is no harm in hitting a like for a friend. I do that always.
I’ve started a blog not so long time ago and… hmmm… yeah, I discovered that almost none of my friends / acquaintances read it. It’s kind of heartbreaking and to be honest, I believe that valueing your friends = supporting them in what they love. It’s even below the level of “minimal effort”. I want my friends to feel that what they do matters. If one is too busy to click one in a while then I guess we’re somewhere out of their list of priorities.
Everyone is busy, everyone has life to live and I know that people who want to take some minimal effort simply take it! I believe that many of my or your or other bloggers’ friends are also jealous about out passions. they don’t care because they don’t want to care.
My blog (in my native language, not in English) is just a hobby, I don’t make money on it, but people who are really successful and do make money, well…. I guess many of their “friends” have a visios of you become rich and famous 😉 which is waaaay above their threshold of tolerance. (It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not).
I’d say…. if your ,mine someone else’s friends can’t do such simple thing as even taking a quick look at our blogs from time to time, then maybe they’re not true friends?
The funniest thing is when they click on “Like” when I share the link to my new post on FB, yet don’t read.
I think people have no idea that we can actually see who’s reading, how many people displayed a post (well, as much as our platforms let us know about it).