Hi I’m Ellie and I’m a broke blogger. I don’t have the funds to spend 200 quid on asos. I can’t afford a Gucci bag and I don’t go to press trips because I simply cannot afford the £80 train fare down to London. I. Am. Broke.
Money is always such a hush-hush topic in the blogosphere. Its awkward. Its personal. Its sticky.
But hey, I am going to put it out there and say that I am BROKE.
It’s easy to get caught up in so many other blogger’s facades and see them as this glorious, fashionable money-making-machine. But the truth is, that just aint the truth.
The reality is blogging racks in cash, but unless you’re Zo-f*cking-ella it’s not something that allows you to buy a 10 bedroom house and treat yourself to a new Gucci every month. (I like my Gucci, okay?) The truth is, making money from blogging is hard. Its a slow process and comes from YEARS of working up a rapore with brands, maintaining a relationship, justifying their investment. It takes time, patience and, above all, stubbornness.
But no one will ever admit that. The whole appeal of a blogger is how they market their life. Note the word ‘market’. They choose what they show you. They choose to highlight the good and hide the bad. They want to present themselves in the best light so that everyone can look and think wow, her. They want to glorify their brand collabs, because hey, if that brand worked with me, then what about this brand? They want to look irresistible, relatable, aspirational and humble all at the same time.
And you just can’t do that if you’re complaining about not being able to afford heat for a month, can you?
So we never admit when we are broke. We never admit that we had to borrow another hundred quid of our parents. We never admit that we got a credit card but are too scared to use it because we probably wont be able to pay it back and then we’ve ruined our credit score FOREVER.
So we soldier on. We put a smile on, put on a red lip and rock that blogging red carpet.
But I think it’s time to break the facade and shatter the illusion. Because it’s just. not. real.
I am a blogger. And I am broke. And hey, that doesn’t make me any less of a blogger. Hell, it just makes me a dedicated one, or a real one at the least. So the next time to see your favourite blogger swimming in brand collabs, gifted items and glorious press trips, just be impressed at her marketing skills.
