Life doesn’t always go the way we plan. And neither do our blogs. They may not have ruled the school, but there’s a lot we can all learn from the characters who attended Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion. From shrugging off those who doubt you and staying true to who you are (even if you are a bit obnoxious at times), bloggers can take a few cues from the film and apply it to their internet endeavors.
1. You Can’t Make Up for Lost Time — Pace Yourself!
Remember when Romy and Michele found out about their 10 year high school reunion? Remember how excited they were? And how hard they tried to make up for lost time and acquire dream jobs, dream dates, and dream lives in 10 days instead of 10 years? (Because that always ends well, right?)
Romy and Michele may have had style out the wazoo, but they were too narrowly focused on the perceived success and happiness they assumed their classmates had built up over a decade, rather than looking at the joy of what was right in front of them. As a result, they got crabby, burned out, and fought with one another.
Whether you’re starting to work on your blog or are trying to resurrect it after a long dry spell, Rome-y (and/or Michele) wasn’t built in a day. Take things one step — and one blog post at a time to avoid blogger burnout. And even if you do get a burst of energy and feel the need to crank out those blog posts, you can space them out by scheduling your posts to go live on staggered dates.
2. Don’t Try Too Hard to Be Liked
Not everyone is going to like your blog. And that’s okay. The Internet is a really big frontier. If you spend too much time worrying about whether you’ll appeal to EVERYONE out there on Teh Inturwebz, you won’t be able to really resonate with the people who could become your most loyal readers and advocates.
If you’re wasting your time trying to appeal to the A-Group mean girls who probably wouldn’t like your blog anyway — like that snotty Christy Masters-Christianson and her gaggle of sycophantic girlfriends — you miss out on making honest connections with the loveable, true-hearted (and successful) “nerds” out there like Sandy Frink.
3. Be the Real You — Even if the Real You is a Little Off-Putting
Blogging isn’t all sweetness, light, and positivity. While your blog can be a wonderful platform for talking about something you are most passionate about, every blogger has a unique voice to separate them from their competition. While some bloggers’ naturally kind persona comes across genuinely in their posts, other bloggers have a bit more of a “bite” to their style. If it’s truly who you are, don’t be afraid to serve up your blog with a healthy side of snark. Embracing that side of your personality on your blog may be what sets you apart from others and may make you successful in your endeavors.
Case in point: Heather Mooney.
A sullen, sarcastic outsider in high school, Heather Mooney couldn’t care less what people thought of her then. And she sure didn’t care what her classmates thought of her ten years later, after she became the uber-successful inventor of Lady Fair Cigarettes (“Twice the taste in half the time for the gal on the go.”).
Sandy Frink may not have reciprocated her “thing” for him back in the day, but he still remained Heather’s loyal friend, as did sweet, overly-enthusiastic Toby Walters. They liked Heather for who she was, even when she was being completely obnoxious and throwing some (usually well-deserved) shade at her classmates.
Forget sucking up to haters who are gonna hate anyway. Be yourself, whoever that may be, and it will lead you to blogging success.
4. Don’t Be Mean to Your Biggest Fans
Bloggers — like bands and entertainers — are nothing without a loyal brigade of fans. While a healthy dose of snark can be fun or even endearing in certain blogging circles, being mean and insulting to readers can result in blogger backlash. The Internet is a touchy place and even a perceived slight or blogging faux pas may result in a mass exodus of fans running from your blog as if it just emitted a bad fart.
Be true to yourself, even if you’re a bit of a misanthrope on the web. Just try to be mindful and sensitive about how you treat other bloggers or respond to comments on your blog.
After all, not everyone may be as nice as Toby when they feel hurt by your words:
5. Meet-Ups Can Be a Good Thing… Or Totally Humiliating — but let’s think positive!
Like high school reunions, local blogger meet-ups only happen once in a blue moon. (Okay. They happen a lot more frequently than high school reunions, but aren’t an everyday occurrence.) Meet-ups are a great way to connect with other bloggers and see what they’re up to, get great insight from others in your space, and possibly team up on a project or two.
While they hit a few stumbling blocks on the road to their reunion and had a few brief humiliating experiences, a lot of good came from Romy and Michele attending their high school reunion. They got funding to open up their clothing boutique from Sandy Frink, saw their high school nemeses get their comeuppance, and made a few new friends and connections along the way. If Romy and Michele can do it, you can venture out of your shell and attend a meet-up to help give you a boost, too!
Header image courtesy of: http://schmoesknow.com/
