Most blogs have an “about me” page that shows the name and face behind the blog. But what if you don’t want to reveal your name or photos of yourself? Is it possible to be a successful anonymous blogger? Let’s talk about the pro’s and con’s of blogging anonymously.
You may notice that I blog “anonymously” here on PassiveClover. I still talk about myself on my about page, but I use my nickname instead of my full name and I don’t have any pictures of myself. This is simply because I want to be a little bit more private on my blog and focus more on the content. It’s perfectly understandable if you want to do the same with your own blog!
But will being an anonymous blogger hold you back from success? That’s the big question. The answer is….
No! Being an anonymous blogger will not hold you back from success.
Here’s why:
What is it that people love about popular blogs? The face behind the blog? Well, maybe if it’s a makeup tutorial blog or a personal fashion blog.
But in most cases, the thing that people love the most about blogs is the value that the blog gives to the reader.
You don’t need to show yourself and reveal your name to provide exceptional value to your readers!
Sure, showing your face does build trust and credibility quicker than a blog without a face, but you can still build just as much trust and credibility through your writing and personality!
This is completely true and I can speak from personal experience. I have a small blog in a health-related niche where I use my nickname and don’t show pictures of myself. On that blog, I help people solve an annoying problem and, despite the fact that they don’t know my full name or what I look like, I get comments and messages from people saying that I’ve helped them and that they trust my content.
Plus, I’m making money from that blog consistently!
There are many successful blogs out there that are run anonymously. Check out these blogs…
Anonymous Blogger Examples:
DIYProjects.com is a project and crafting blog with over 500,000 likes on Facebook, 54,000 followers on Instagram and more across the rest of their socials! I think it’s safe to say that this blog is pretty successful.
If you head over to their “about us” page, you’ll see that the owners of the blog introduce themselves as Lauren J and DIY Dave, a married couple who love crafting. There are no photos of the couple and they don’t reveal too much about their personal lives, yet their blog is trusted and popular.
MillenialBoss.com is a fantastic example of a successful anonymous blogger! She introduces herself as Julie on her about page. Julie blogs about personal finance, lifestyle and her journey to becoming financially independent. Julie’s blog has been featured on The Huffington Post, Forbes, Fox Business and more.
In one of her income reports, Julie talks about how she earned $6,698 in just one month!
BudgetsAreSexy.com is the least anonymous example, but I still wanted to share it! This blog is owned by a guy who goes by J.Money. J.Money was completely anonymous when he first started his blog. Eventually, he became a very successful full-time blogger.
He isn’t as anonymous as he once was, but most still know him as J.Money.
These are just three examples, but there are tons more in all different niches. So as you can see, it’s completely possible to succeed as a blogger even if you decide to be anonymous.
But why might someone want to keep their identity a secret from their blog in the first place?
Reason’s Why You May Want To Blog Anonymously:
- You’re blogging about a touchy/personal subject. It’s perfectly reasonable that you would want to keep your name and face off of your blog if you’re talking about something personal, controversial, embarrassing, etc. One great example of this is DiseaseCalledDebt.com, where a blogger shares their experience with the troubles of debt and paying it off. DiseaseCalledDebt even wrote a blog post about how the blog may have never been created if anonymity weren’t an option.
- You want to keep your blog separate from your day job. Some jobs may not allow you to have a blog. For that reason, you may want to stay anonymous so your day job is protected.
- You want to keep your blog separate from other projects. If you have other blogs, projects or businesses already up and running, you may feel unsure about immediately associating your identity with a brand new blog.
- You want to protect your identity. It’s 100% okay to want to be anonymous just for the sake of protecting your identity. On top of that, you may want to be anonymous due to the type of content you post to your blog. Here’s an example: Income reports are a very popular type of blog post. A blogger may be hesitant about revealing their income to the world, especially if it’s a substantial amount of money. Revealing this information anonymously could help them feel more secure.
- You want to be completely honest. It may be difficult to write about your honest thoughts, feelings, values and perspectives if you’re shy or afraid of people you know IRL finding out about your blog.
Those are a few good reasons why someone may feel that blogging anonymously is right for them. However, there are some cons that have to be considered.
Reasons Why You SHOULDN’T Blog Anonymously:
- It’s harder to build trust and credibility. People like to feel connected to the person they’re getting information and advice from. One of the easiest ways to do this is to say your name and show a friendly photo of yourself. It might take a bit more effort to build that same trust and credibility when blogging anonymously.
- People may still find out who you are. If someone tries hard enough to figure out who you are, it’s possible that your identity could be revealed. The good news is that, if your blog is innocent, people most likely won’t feel the need to put that kind of effort into finding out who you are. However, it may be best to reconsider your blog if you’re truly afraid to be associated with the content you post.
- Some companies may prefer to work with a non-anonymous blogger. This is especially true for fashion and beauty. It goes back to the idea that sharing your real name and what you look like increases trust and credibility.
- It may be harder to build relationships within the blogging world. You may find it difficult to make friends if you don’t want to reveal who you are to fellow bloggers, meet up with local bloggers or attend blogger events.
- You’re using your blog to lie, slander or defame. If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all! 😉
The biggest issue with blogging anonymously is that it’s harder to build trust and credibility. Especially if you’re wanting to turn your blog into a business. But, like I said at the beginning of this post, it’s entirely possible to build that trust without revealing who you are!
How To Build Trust And Credibility As An Anonymous Blogger:
- Give value to your readers. This is the #1 top tip! Valuable, good quality content is the most important part in creating a successful and trustworthy blog. Show your readers that you’re trustworthy by writing content that will help them, answer their questions, give them clarity, inspire, etc.
- Work on your writer’s voice. Your writer’s voice allows your personality to shine through your words. Check out this article for more information on the writer’s voice and how to find yours.
- Have a good “about me” page. A good “about me” page can help make up for your anonymity. Try to connect with your readers through your story and the goals you have for your blog. Be relatable!
- Write with proper spelling, grammar and punctuation. Having well-written blog posts will help give you that trustworthy quality you need to achieve. I highly recommend using a grammar/spell checker such as Grammarly to make writing easier and more efficient. Grammarly is a free web browser extension that will check your spelling, grammar, punctuation and more! I can almost guarantee that you’ll catch little mistakes you otherwise would have missed by using a spell checker (I know I do). Get Grammarly for free here.
- Ask your readers for their thoughts and opinions. Always reply back! This helps to build relationships between you and your readers! Asking for their thoughts and opinions will show that you care about them as individuals. Plus, they will really appreciate that you took the time to write thoughtful replies.
Should You Blog Anonymously Or Publicly?
The decision is totally up to you. Think about the pros and cons to figure out what would be best for you and your blog.
If you’re unsure, you may want to consider blogging anonymously from the start. That way, you can protect your identity while you get a feel for things. You may end up feeling comfortable sharing more about yourself as time goes on.
What’s your take on blogging anonymously? Do you think it’s more difficult to become successful without sharing your real name and face?