As a blogger, it’s important to keep in mind the content you’re sharing and only write about topics you’re comfortable writing about. It makes sense, then, that some bloggers, while they identify as feminists, don’t want to write about feminism.
This decision could be from a range of reasons, like not wanting to polarize your audience, not feeling confident enough in your feminism journey, or something else entirely.
And no matter your reason, it’s totally okay to be a feminist and not want to write about feminism. Your decision is personal, and it’s no one else’s business why you’re choosing not to.
That being said, it’s still totally possible to be a feminist blogger without writing about feminism.
Don’t Be So Hard at Yourself
Self-care is an important part of feminism, because it’s proving to yourself that you, your experience, and your feelings matter.
Comparison is an easy trap to fall into in the blogging world. Remember not to be so hard on yourself. Your photography might not be your strongest skill. You might not have the energy to diversify your income as well as other bloggers. You might not be making any income at all!
Remember that it’s totally okay. Do what you have the energy for, and keep a wish list of things you’d like to get to someday. Don’t get down in the dumps if you don’t ever cross some of those items off. You’re doing what’s best for you, which might not be what’s best for someone else.
Support Other Women-Run Businesses
One of the foundations of feminism is raising up other women, and bloggers have such an amazing opportunity to do that! You’ve got a platform where people come to you for advice on clothing, food, business tools, and more. Where you can, utilize your platform to support other women-run businesses.
And this doesn’t have to be limited to e-commerce businesses. If you do weekly roundups of your favorite articles from around the internet, make sure to include some other amazing female bloggers that you love! Use whatever opportunities you have to support other women in the work they’re doing.
Be Uplifting in Your Posts
Feminism is all about equality, and everyone being able to do whatever the fuck they want, without fear of judgment. So, as a feminist blogger, try to remove judgment from your content where possible. Show your personality and talk about issues that matter to you, but don’t bring down others (without cause) in the process.
On a similar note, don’t perpetuate stereotypes! Be cautious of over-generalizations as you’re writing your content. This goes for racial stereotypes, stereotypes about people who live in certain cities, states, or countries, or stereotypes of people with certain careers or personalities. Just…. don’t.
Be Selective in Your Sponsored Opportunities
As much as we may hate it, money is important. So flex those feminist blogger muscles the next time you’re considering a sponsored opportunity!
For example, if I was ever contacted by Hobby Lobby about a sponsored opportunity, I’d say no. Even if I was turning down several thousand dollars, I wouldn’t be able to take their money in good conscience, because I don’t believe in the way they do business.
If you love Hobby Lobby, go for that partnership! Maybe you wouldn’t be able to bring yourself to promote Chick-Fil-A, Dick’s Sporting Goods, or Urban Outfitters. Whenever a partnership opportunity comes up, make sure you’re doing your research beforehand and deciding if it’s a company you want to be affiliated with.
Use Inclusive Imagery
Representation matters. If you use stock imagery on your blog, keep in mind the people in the photos you’re choosing. Are they all skinny white women?
Don’t get me wrong, it’s totally okay to utilize images of skinny white women, especially if that’s who you are! But try to also find images of people different than you. I personally love utilizing createher stock for a lot of my stock imagery, because they showcase photos of people of color by people of color, and the photos are beautiful!
While I don’t expect you to go and change every single stock photo on your blog, be mindful of the types of people you’re showcasing on your blog and how welcoming (or unwelcoming!) that could be to someone who isn’t a skinny white woman.
It’s okay to be a feminist blogger and not write about feminism, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up your ideals just to be successful! It’s easy to incorporate your feminist beliefs in your blog, even if you’re not writing about feminism.
