Re-Naming The Blogger Role

There have been a slew of posts all talking about what it is to be a blogger. I wanted to write my own post because the blogger term and the way it's perceived can come across incorrectly.

We all have different reasons for starting a blog. There are those who start blogging for the wrong reasons and there are those who simply get bored and don't stick it out. It's these types of 'bloggers' that have given the blogging world a bad name, which isn't really fair on those who are genuine. Surely we as bloggers and readers of blogs should be viewing the positives rather than the negatives.

There are a few standard thoughts on what a blogger is and what a blogger does, the top ten are:

1.Blogging is easy, anyone can do it :

2.Bloggers want free products and are greedy :

3.Bloggers just want invitations to events.

4.Bloggers want to be celebrities :

5.Bloggers can't write professionally :

6.Bloggers aren't experts in their field :

7.Bloggers are vain as they post constant 'selfies'

8.Bloggers are all bored housewives.

9.Bloggers just write about the products they didn't buy :

10.Bloggers can't be trusted :

So here's the truth.

Real bloggers have a wide array of reasons why they started blogging. I personally took the plunge while working in PR and working alongside national publications. I loved working in that role but wanted to focus on my real passions which were fashion, beauty and lifestyle - Well everything feminine and girly to be honest. Also as a mother to three boys I wanted to also do something feminine for me to break up the testosterone overkill in my house. There's nothing more feminine than blogging about pretty things is there.

Yes, you do get bloggers who start out for the wrong reasons. Good brands will find good reliable bloggers so anyone who doesn't take it seriously are only shooting themselves in the foot. I have reviewed free products before but only the brands I would have personally purchased or have purchased in the past.

I have also been invited to many press parties and launches but have not attended any! I'm a mother so attending parties has never been my priority. I know other bloggers who are the same.

Blogging is hard, you need to continually be five steps ahead of where you need to be. I aim to work a season ahead which takes a ton of research, organisation and planning. Blogging is not as simple as logging on, adding some pictures and writing a little bit about whatever you fancy. Professional bloggers have to continually find new content - enough to blog at least once every single day.

I also take our own pictures, alter them, research the products, test them out, write about current topics, promote my blog, learn how to do new things such as blog design and coding as well as managing social sites. Sounds easy? It's most definitely not. It's a full time job and when you're a mother and work in another role it makes it even more difficult.

We go unpaid, we can get a ton of abuse from nasty commenter's and trolls and to be honest most of the bloggers I've come across have all suffered some form of body woe or anxiety. blogging has pushed us to come out of our shells, to actually feel comfortable taking a picture and posting it online. I've found my confidence has risen since I started blogging and I like many other bloggers have begun to feel comfortable with our flaws and inequities.

I work hard to maintain my blog as do so many others. I'm continually learning how to improve my design, content and style of writing just so my readers can have a better reading experience. Most professional bloggers write because they have a real passion for their chosen topic, most write a lot of well written pieces which are never found by the public

We're unpaid lab rats, sales people, writers, PR's, journalists, promoters and organisers. We work on your behalf and don't expect anything in return although a little comment here or there does make it all worthwhile.

We want to make sure you're not being fleeced by brands that overcharge, brands that over-hype a product that really doesn't perform or worse still a product that causes terrible reactions or side effects.

So you see 'blogger' doesn't really cut it when it comes to describing what we do, does it? The overall perception of a blogger makes you think of the teen girl sitting writing about her week at school, the people that have annoyed her and who she fancies or a stylish young thirty something who sips cocktails while deciding which Chloe or Manolo's she's going to wear out for drinks with the gals.

There are some bloggers who are happy to be boxed into one of those types of perceptions. Funnily enough it's those bloggers which become really popular and have huge amounts of visitors but, I personally believe it's not fair on the readers who keep up that sort of pretence. Especially when your readers become fans and aim to own the same items you do while getting themselves into debt or start to feel dismal about their own lives.

My advice if you are considering starting to blog is to really consider it beforehand. Why are you wanting to start? What will you blog about and do you really have time to take on blogging? why not try to keep a daily diary beforehand? this way it gives you a tiny taster of what to expect (albeit on a much smaller scale).

If you find you don't have the time to write daily in a journal you might find it difficult. You could also try joining Dooyoo or Ciao to write reviews, this gives you a basic understanding of true review writing and when and if you decide to start blogging (if you plan to review items) you can transfer these across.