Last week, I read this post about the author's choice to not share her personal life (including work, family, or friends) on her blog. I totally respect her decision - the internet can be a scary place! It's totally understandable to not share certain aspects of your life on the internet, and even understandable not to share photos and/or names of your loved ones if that is your wish.
I am one of the bloggers who likes to share. I share tidbits about my life including certain aspects about my marriage, our home-buying experiences, what it's like to have a sick family member, and so much more. I do this because oftentimes, I'm not only sharing insight, but asking for advice or opinions. Asking questions and getting awesome answers is one of the best parts of joining the blogging world, in my opinion.
There are right ways and wrong ways to do everything - and if you're going to be sharing personal aspects of your life, I definitely think there's a right way. For example, many readers know that currently live in the "Montgomery Area" of Alabama, and when I shared about buying a new home, I don't give specifics like my current or previous address. Additionally, when I write about my marriage, I get very personal, but usually run it by my husband before I share details of our life, and even those details are pretty vague.
When we decide to bring children into the mix, I definitely plan on sharing! I don't know if I'll to weekly (or even monthly) "bumpdates" because I personally don't enjoy reading those types of blog posts. But I will definitely share my experiences, insights, and opinions relating to pregnancy and everything else me and my growing body/family are going through.
Some of my most "popular" blog posts are posts where I share a personal experience and either (1) teach a lesson or (2) ask a question. People love giving advice! Back in the day, I still shared my personal experiences, but I was writing more in a narrative way (This weekend, I did x, y, and z) but have gradually tuned my posts into a post in which my readers can take something away (This weekend I did A, and from that I learned how to do B and C). It's crazy how much more effective that type of post is in getting more interaction.
One thing I don't do is a lot of sharing of my blog with my personal friends or using my personal social media outlets. I have a Facebook page for my blog, and very few of my IRL friends follow it, and while I do have a link to my blog in my Instagram profile, I rarely promote my blog through Instagram. It's not that it's a "secret" but it's just not something I talk about openly. Maybe one day I'll bite the bullet, but that day is not today.
What type of blogger are you? Do you share personal parts of your life or just stick to the basics?
