How to Be a Boss at Blogging When You Have 0 Followers

Featured ~ Cristian Mihai

Sometimes I like to pretend I’m a photographer. Mostly with other people’s cameras. And the results are oftentimes… not bad.

I do not research the subject, I do not take classes, I do not read about photography, I do not actively aim to become better.

Yet, somehow, I am becoming better with each photograph I take.

And I wondered why.

Wouldn’t you?

Here’s an odd fact about me: I am an artist. I have been writing for fourteen years now. I love art. I love artists. And beautiful art has made me cry far more often than real life ever did.

This belief of mine works for me in all artistic fields. I don’t feel much pressure, just the desire to have fun, to enjoy myself, to take part in the ritual of creation.

I see beauty and I want to capture it, recreate it, change it, share it with the world.

It’s not the knowledge, you see, but rather the skill. And I believe that it’s not what we acquire, but who we become that influences our results.

It’s all about mindset.

“It is your attitude, more than your aptitude, that will determine your altitude.” – Zig Ziglar

Yeah, knowing the techniques and being a great storyteller matters, but it all comes down to self-confidence.

If you honestly believe that you’re a great blogger, you’re going to write a killer blog post on a napkin, or if you think of yourself as a great photographer, you’ll make due with a three year old smartphone. The same way folks who are into fitness find a way to exercise, even if they’re stranded on a tropical island with only two coconuts and a volleyball.

I am pretty sure you’re thinking something along the lines of, “It’s easy for you to say this, but I do not have any followers.”

Let me ask you a question: how do you define success as a blogger? Who told you that you have to have a certain number of followers or that you have to earn a living out of it in order to call yourself successful?

What if there was a new consensus regarding success as a blogger: you must punch the damn keys and do your very best to produce great work, even if you have 0 followers. Especially if you have 0.

If you have 50, you’re already a blogging god.

Gary Vee talks a lot about Macro and Micro levels. He’s stated that he did a lot of interviews that got 50-60 views long before being on CNN and becoming a big social media star.

And I believe this is the kind of attitude most bloggers simply lack.

In other words, some people get excited to write their best content even when no one is reading them, while others are secretly waiting for some day when they’ll be Internet famous to write their best ideas into existence.

That’s about it.

There was this post on Tumblr about this woman who had lost a lot of weight. She then noticed her husband was more affectionate towards her, and this made her sad, because she thought it was all about her looks. Then she noticed how people acted differently around her: joked more, were kinder…

It took her a while to figure things out: it was her who had changed. From the moment she first looked herself in the mirror to when she went to sleep, she felt different. She was happier, more alive, more confident. Smiled more. Wore different clothes. Her attitude towards herself was different, and thus the attitude of others.

People were simply reacting to the way she perceived herself.

If you believe nothing else of my posts, if you take just one thing, let it be this:

Mindset is everything.

If you have the right mindset, if you are self-confident, self-reliant, fueled from within, clear in your intentions and purpose, free from outcome, social pressure, or setbacks, then you will turn those 20-30 followers into thousands, even more, in no time.

That’s why the advice is to write for yourself. Write the kind of content that you’d love to read, because you must enjoy yourself while doing it, and not because someone else likes to read it (or needs to or would pay good money to).

Do you know why we make jokes? Say or do stuff we find funny?

Most people would assume it’s because you want to make others laugh. It’s not. You make jokes because you find them funny, because saying that one-liner out loud makes you feel good. It elevates your own mood, and that’s the only goal.

The same goes for blogging. Develop the kind of mindset that enjoys the art of blogging:

  • Looking for inspiration anywhere you can find it
  • Siting at the desk to write.
  • Having a schedule
  • Enjoying the interaction with fellow bloggers
  • Reading other blogs

The numbers game is going to mess with your head

When I first started blogging in April 2012, I was unstoppable. I’d blog every single day, even though I got 2-3 likes per post, some twenty odd views a day.

It didn’t matter.

I knew success was just a matter of time. Luck, also, but I knew that the harder I worked, the luckier I’d get.

But the thing is that the more followers I got, the more I lost track of the importance of just one reader.

My words became diluted somehow. I lost a great deal of clarity.

What do a hundred thousand people want to read? What do they care about? They come from some 200 countries, they speak vastly different languages, have different customs…

Blogging is all about two people: me and you.

That’s it. I write what I want, because I enjoy writing, because this is my passion, and because I want to do this until they throw dirt on top of me, and you, the one reader, the person who is reading these blog posts, who comments, who takes the time to like the content, or share it, or print it out…

If you can get excited about the act of writing a blog post, and then get even more excited with every single like, comment, or follow, then you’ll be successful as a blogger.

If not, there’s no knowledge, technique, trick or tip that will help you become successful.

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106 thoughts on “How to Be a Boss at Blogging When You Have 0 Followers”

    1. Thank you very much, James. It’s more an opinion piece than proper advice. Or the advice seems vague. Don’t know. My feeling after writing the post was that most folks won’t change their mindset in a way that it will positively impact their blogging.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. I replied to a Comment on your other post Blogging Is Dead to the same effect (though minus the blogging experience and know-how you have!), and really appreciate what you said here. I also laughed at the title How to be Boss w/0 followers. Maybe another title could have been Post It And They Will Come. :- ) Thanks for all you do to help flogged bloggers.

        Liked by 1 person

  6. I really loved reading this. I just started a blog and have been constantly seeing this just about how to gain followers and get likes. Seeing this post was like a breath of fresh air.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  12. Always enjoy your posts Cristian, there is yet a post I didn’t like. The information you provide is birth informative and appreciated.
    Yes! I start blogging this year and just recently hit the 400 follower mark. I try not to put pressure on myself, but just gradually raise my goal of followers. It’s a great accomplishment and I’m elated to be reaching so many through my journey.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  28. I am new to blogging. I m loving your posts. It’s a Bible for all new bloggers. Not sure if it’s OK to paste my blog’s link here , it may come under spamming (?). Anyways, You are doing an amazing job . Good luck 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  35. I am trying to figure out what I can do with two coconuts and a volleyball on my own 😛 I think you are right, but one thing I worry about is that when I begin to focus more on the audience and garnering likes, my own personal story and creativity becomes limited or restricted. At the same time having an audience is essential to draw better focus on how you tell your story so finding that balance between the two is incredibly hard.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  43. Yes! I loved the simple equation you wrote.
    Blogging = You (The writer) x Me (The reader)

    You notice I didn’t write a “+” sign. It’s a multiplication operation.

    You (the writer) will combine your thoughts, feelings, ideas and so on, which in turn will be added repeatedly to my own thoughts, feelings, and ideas.

    And I also love math.

    I believe in you, bro.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  45. This post is not just knowledge but encouragement and the secret recipe for anyone starting this journey or stalled somewhere in between. I appreciate your intent to share these thoughts and loved the simplicity and purity with which you put them across. This deserves to travel far and wide as a vaccine for Bloggers’ Virus 😛 . Re-Blogging it 😀 ! Keep the words flowing buddy!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  48. This is a great post! It is encouraging to a newbie such as myself. It gave me more gumption to continue and it is very practical. We often look for the validation from numbers and stats. It’s time we dance to our tune and move to the beat of own drums. Thank you for writing this post.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  49. “Blogging is all about two people: me and you.”

    Yeah, you’re right, but actually, I feel it is all about ME. I *need* to write. Sure, it’s great to have an audience, but more than that, I need a way to express myself. As much as my breasts leaked milk when I heard my newborn children cry, the writing needs to come out.

    Having said that, I’m glad that YOU are out there.

    I have confidence that the Universe will find a place, and a use, for my writing.

    Like

    Reply

  50. While I did not laugh during the read, my eyes were wide and smiling. A true gem in the grand scheme of this endeavor we all enjoy. Loved the altitude quote and the feeling I received from the woman in the mirror. 💞🌈☀️

    Liked by 1 person

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