Do You Consider Yourself a Blogger?
If you run a blog, do you consider yourself a blogger? Or, do you feel like the term is too limiting when describing what you do?
Last week, Dave Allen and I got into a discussion about the term ‘blogger’ (a contraction of the words web and log). I wondered, is it still considered cool and relevant? Or, has it lost some of its appeal now that everyone’s doing it?
Even though there are over 110 million blogs in existence, Dave mentioned that since many people still don’t know the difference between a blog and a website, the label ‘blogger’ can be confusing. Many times, if you ask someone if they read blogs, they’ll reply no. But, after some quizzing, they’ll admit that they do read blogs…they just didn’t realize what these sites were called.
During the time my site has been live, I’ve used the term blogger to describe what I do without much thought. My main career is in graphic design and I simply use my blog as a way share my work and thoughts with others. My frequent postings about design, style and marketing could get tricky and convoluted in another format, but a blog with categories and tags makes finding related subject matter a cinch. Blogging is simply my chosen medium of communication.
Some people like Problogger’s Darren Rowse are inching away using the term blogger because they claim that it can be too limiting.
Sometimes, writers are especially sensitive to being categorized as just bloggers and it’s easy to see why. Since bloggers are a dime a dozen, the term can be viewed as downplaying a writer’s talent and craft.
Though, as Mark Glaser points out, some formerly separate worlds have started merging over the last few years:
The time-worn debate of Bloggers vs. Journalists has finally run its course. For years, traditional journalists scoffed at bloggers as pajama-wearing screamers, while bloggers have pointed to MSM (mainstream media) as secretly biased and obsolete. While the extremists in this argument have had the stage shouting at each other loudly, what has happened quietly in the background has received less attention: Mainstream media reporters have started blogging in droves, while larger blog operations have hired seasoned reporters and focused on doing traditional journalism.
On the other side of the argument, categorizing oneself squarely in the blogger camp can make the discussion of what you do for a living less taxing. Entrepreneur Kevin Muldoon relays a common experience:
One of the things I have found about working through the web is my inability to correctly give myself a title, ie. a name which explains what I do for a living. Lots of people online seem to be using the term ‘Entrepreneur’ but I really hate it, it’s kinda pompous in my opinion. With blogging taking up most of my time now I am more than happy to use the title ‘Blogger.’
The blogger label is hip and cool now, but where will it be in five years? Will it still have any merit? Will using a different term really make a difference in how you’re perceived by your audience?
Blogging will probably always exist in one form or another. It’s not surprising that there are over 175,000 new blogs popping up every day. Blogging is an easy way to connect with a much larger audience while investing very little upfront. And, because of this, the number of blogs will continue to grow, whether a niche is already saturated or not. The appeal of sharing your views with the world and receiving instantaneous feedback is highly seductive.
In reality, the people reading your blog probably don’t care what your title is. They are visiting your site regularly because it offers a perceived value. Whether you’re a writer, an information architect, a web publisher, a content developer or just a plain old blogger, what really matters is that your readers love what you’re doing.
Do you consider yourself a blogger?
Tags: blogger, Blogging, business and marketing
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17 People have left comments on this post
I would call what I’m doing blogging, but I’m not sure I could call myself a blogger yet per-sé, I’ve only been writing my blog for a few weeks so far, it seems a little too soon to give myself a title, however long-term I intend it to be.
I agree with you, whatever you call yourself, the readers are there for the content.
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I do call myself a blogger, even though I come from a journalistic background. I find blogging much more rewarding as it gives me more freedom. However, I do get strange responses from people when they ask what I do for a living and I answer “I am a fashion blogger”. It is not taken seriously and it is seen as a fad. I am pretty sure if I introduced myself as a Fashion journalist I’d get less raised eyebrows. In the meantime, I probably get more people reading me now than when I used to write for magazines, so all in all, I’d say I am proud to call myself a blogger, as my readers seem to like what they read! x
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I agree with Mademoiselle Robot– if you say you’re a blogger, then people do give odd responses! I think it’s because “blogging” is seen as a hobby by some people & more of a diary than a means of communication & employment or work. It’s only in recent years that people have begun to use it in smaller business’ as it’s quite a hard thing to do if you’re just starting up & don’t have readers / visitors already. A newspaper for example, will already have readers, that will then go on the internet to read more articles, but a fashion blogger will often have to start from scratch!
Personally, I find it hard to pigeon hole myself– as well as blogging, I’m also a photographer, and like you with graphic design, the two mediums cross over. Despite blogging being my main form of writing at the moment, I don’t think I’d label myself as a blogger, simply because it could limit my opportunities with other work. I have no qualms with the term ‘blogger’ though! It’s sometimes easier to identify people when they have a label.
x
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While I do understand who/what a blogger is, I don’t necessarily like the term. The word, “blog”, even though a contraction..still sounds like someone puking up way too much jose cuervo in the toilet. Gross? Yes, but that’s just how it sounds to me whenever I hear it or read it.
Even though I have my own ‘blog’ officially now, I’ve been writing online since I was 16. So to say that I’m a ‘blogger’, not only makes me sound like an alcoholic, but also a newbie.
While I am no traditional journalist, either, I find that the term “writer” has very few limitations, if any. Instead of telling people that I have a “blog”, I tell them that I have a “Write-Site”. It may be corny, and not as hip sounding as “blog”, but it doesn’t sound like I’m worshipping the porcelein throne, either.
I do, much to my dismay, use the term ‘blog’ just to avoid explaining myself a thousand times over to people who wouldn’t have as much insight. It’s convienant to use the term, but that doesn’t mean I like to.
I guess it all boils down to the fact that if you know who you are and what you do, does the label really matter?
Wow. That was a really long comment! My apologies! If you made it this far…you deserve a cookie.
Much love!
Lucy D.
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I’ve been struggling with this lately actually. I think it’s particularly hard because my day job is soo old media (making trivia and travel books) and my blog and other projects are very new media. I generally just say I’m a writer and editor, rather than a blogger, since that’s not my main source of income or how I spend the majority of my day at least for now.
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This is a really intriguing question. I’ve never considered myself to be a ‘blogger’, meerly a girl with a blog. I’m still only 17, so I consider myself a student first & foremost. Writing a blog is something I do in my spare time to connect with like-minded people.
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Wellll I operate a blog, but I’m a college student and photographer… that would make me… a collegiate blogographer.
The blog is mostly for me to amuse myself and rant to a sympathetic audience.
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While I do blog, I don’t really consider myself a blogger. Instead, I’m a writer. That’s my main business so I think of the offshoot of blogging as just another place that I write.
-Writer.
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Mademoiselle Robot: That’s an interesting point about having more readers now as a blogger than you did when writing for magazines. I think that like any new medium, it’s still taking people some time to grasp that blogging can be a serious business!
Aimee Marie: I agree with you that the ‘blogger’ label can be easier to use, but at the same time, it is limiting if you use other means of earning an income.
Lucy Wiggins: Haha, I loved the way you described the way blogger sounds….it is definitely lacking in attractiveness!
Freya: Yes, agreed. If you have another career that is your main source of income and you’re happy with it, that label is probably a better choice than just ‘blogger.’
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I do consider myself a blogger and am very proud of it!
As long as blogging remains relevant, I don’t think it matters what it’s called!
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I consider myself a blogger. It totally depends on who I’m talking to but sometimes I’ll say, “I run a website,” and sometimes “I run a blog.” It usually has to do with me not wanting to have to explain what a blog is. =)
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I’m with Lucy, I absolutely detest the word ‘blog’! I don’t consider myself a blogger because most of my time is taken up with being a student..
however last summer I set up a blog to support my ebay store, and this summer I’ll be starting an etsy store so the blog is sort of like a platform to launch & support that… I guess I think of it as more of a side project for now!
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http://www.bunnycrush.blogspot.com
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I’m a blogger – I write a blog. I’m also a content developer, a project editor and a writer – but I get paid for those titles, so separate them out.
In agreement with Lucy, I too hate the word “blog” – it’s so ugly!
And I also agree that it doesn’t really matter what you call youself – sad but true, content is king!
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Hello!
Very Interesting post! Thank you for such interesting resource!
PS: Sorry for my bad english, I’v just started to learn this language
See you!
Your, Raiul Baztepo
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I say blogger, but unfortunately when a lot of people hear it they think of celebrity gossip blogs, and I have to tell them nope, that theres a whole world out there that doesnt deal with celebs or electronics.
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I do consider myself a blogger but also a writer. You can be both. Why let a term define you?
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