Being a blogger opens you up to all sorts. You get the admirers and the trolls. The great comments, the shades and the in your face insults. The job comes with both as we expose our creation (whatever it may be) to the whole world. So if there is one thing you need to have or work on asap as a blogger, is to grow a thick skin. Blogging is not only about writing. You have to spent a good amount of time promoting your blog and social media platforms, especially in the early days.
Putting your blog out there is essential in order to make a name for yourself. These actions usually attracts more eyeballs to your blog, which is a good thing. But then the trolls find you, and if you are not strong enough, the rude comments may stop you blogging altogether.
Growing a thick skin as a blogger
So how do you grow a thick skin as a blogger. I have been blogging for almost 6 years now and I have had a few rude comments but not as many as I thought I would if I am being completely honest. Which is a good thing I guess. I had most of the trolls in the first year of my blog, which I found surprising. I guess their aim was to kill the little confidence I had in my blog back then. I also have a feeling some of the trolls knew me in real life, which I find really sad for them.
Here are three ways you could grow a thick as a blogger.
Carry on anyway
I know how hard it can be. But the key to growing a thick skin as a blogger is to ignore the negative comments and carry on anyway. Delete any rude comment and block any troll on your social media platform. There is no need trying to have a conversation with them. The only aim of the troll is to make you feel bad about yourself and what you do. And that is because they feel bad about themselves. Don’t let them project their negative thoughts on you. Ignore them, use the delete.block option and carry on anyway.
Work on your self-confidence
In order to be a successful blogger you have to work on your self-confidence. This bit is very important. If you have no self-confidence, you wouldn’t be able to carry on anyway when the negative comments start rolling in. Once you have self-confidence and believe in your work, no one can get to you as much as they would if you don’t have any. You have the key to your self-confidence, use it.
Don’t take things personally
It is incredibly hard to not take things personal when people are nasty towards you, but you must learn not to. Nasty people live nasty lives which is why that is all they can give. Do not let them project their frustrations and bitterness on to you. Instead see right through them and keep it moving. Do not entertain or engage their negative energy.
What are your thoughts on growing a thick skin?
You’re right – it’s so hard to not take it personally, but is so important to try and get back into that mindset 🙂
Yes it is important to get back into the swing of things. Thanks for reading x
good advice…I am disappointed that some think it acceptable to be so negative…it has not happened to us yet, but I want to wipe out some of the comments I read on others blogs from readers. Most readers are respectful and courteous.
Most readers are lovely but some are far from lovely. Hope you never get those sort of readers.
Such good advice for us new bloggers. Thank you for sharing, just the motivation I needed today. x
Happy you like the post. Thanks for reading.
I think this is one of the hardest parts as a blogger and something you had no idea would happen when you start a blog! I need to get better at getting on with it!
Yea it is definitely one of the hardest parts of being a blogger.
Great point. I need to to work on growing a thick skin both online and in the ‘real’ world.
It is definitely needed.
This is so true. Thanks for this article.
Thanks for reading.
Great post this. You 100% need a thick skin to be a blogger I feel. You can’t win sometimes no matter what you write about lol
True that.
Good advice, it’s so hard to not take criticism personally but we do kinda open ourselves up to it but putting our lives on the web and asking people to comment on it! Thanks for the reflection that came from reading this post.
Thank you for reading and commenting.
Great post. I think it says more about them than it ever does about us that’s for sure.
Thanks Laura. Yes it does.
Great advice, it’s a shame I’m a complete wimp!
So many rude people about. Best to ignore them.
I’ll try, thanks for the great advice
It is really tricky not to take things personally isn’t it, but I just carry on and delete!
It is really tricky not to, but best to carry on.
Great suggestions. One of the hardest things about being a blogger is the trolls, I think. However, I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Yea me neither. Thanks Beth.
This rings so true! You do have to ignore a lot on social media and grow a thick skin x
Oh yes!
As much as the world seems to want us to throw every bit of ourselves online to be judged, I think we must keep some distance between out online self and who we really are. When people troll me, I know that they don’t know me, so I delete and don’t let it get to me. That said, I can’t stand for bigotry, so even though I have a thick skin, when I see comments online even when not on my own blog, that does sometimes make me mad enough to comment back even when maybe sometimes I shouldn’t.
I understand what you mean. Rude comments make me very mad too. Keeping a distance between our online self and real life self makes a lot of sense.
I have been blogging for four and a a half years and luckily experience very little negativity. These are great tips. Kaz
Oh good you haven’t Kaz xx
Nice read and thanks for posting. I’ve just started my blog and am excited about seeing different reactions from followers!
Ah nice. Glad you enjoyed the post.
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Good day
I didn’t think this was an issue in the blogging world, but in the real world this is sound advice
It is a real issue in the blogging world.