When we post online and gain a bit of a following, or even just set out to gain a following with a specific topic in mind, we can quickly run into the trap of Self-Flanderization. Even here on Bearblog, you might be influenced by what you see on the Trending page or what posts of yours reached Trending. You now wonder: Is this what people want to see, what they follow me for?

The term comes from the TV trope "Flanderization", which comes from the character Ned Flanders of the Simpsons. TVTropes defines it as:

"The act of taking a single (often minor) action or trait of a character within a work and exaggerating it more and more over time until it completely consumes the character. Most always, the trait/action becomes completely outlandish and it becomes their defining characteristic, turning them into a caricature of their former selves. [...] The trope is named for The Simpsons character Ned Flanders, who was originally depicted as a friendly, generous Christian neighbor and a model father, husband and citizen, making him a contrast to Homer Simpson. As seasons progressed, however, he became increasingly obsessively religious to the point where he eventually embodied almost every negative stereotype of the God-fearing, bible-thumping American Christian evangelist." x

Self-Flanderization might look like leaning too hard into a single gimmick or persona because it gains traction online, flattening your personality or writing to fit what others expect or what gets engagement, or being trapped by your own brand or style, unable to express complexity or evolve. In Algospeak, Adam Alecsik writes on Self-Flanderization online:

"Beyond TV writing, Flanderization is alive and well on social media. Creators regularly caricature themselves for the sake of more views, because we have to stay relevant. I've watched many a TikTok series where an influencer plays a funny persona, but then hyperbolizes that persona as they try to optimize for more engagement or to maintain interest. [...] If creators know that concise narrative-driven labels feel more compelling or are more likely to go viral, we'll exaggerate our own identities [...]."

While it's more pronounced on corporate social media, you might still feel these effects anywhere that has a mechanism for ranking posts and offers analytics. It's easy to zero in on the type of post that tends to be upvoted; on Bearblog, that's usually posts against social media and about blogging itself.

Now, how do you avoid feeling locked into doing more of the same, in fear of losing readership? How do you stay true to yourself and avoid assimilating into a site's community culture and expectations too much? Here are the things to remember that help me:

your mix is unique

The containerization of many aspects of ours is widespread on the web. Separate social media accounts or blogs for any interest or purpose or influencers pandering to a very specific niche. It's difficult to find people to follow online that don't do this, because the algorithmic pressure rewards this behavior. Embrace that you stand out being more authentic and human online, existing outside of these algorithms. It means you're someone that is relatable and has many different facets to explore, instead of being a brandsafe, one-sided image of a person.

they can skip this one

The tolerance for less interesting or irrelevant things is higher in readers than you might expect. It's no problem for them to just skip out on posts that don't fit what they followed you for. The next one might be more their jam. I've also found that the more you share about yourself and your life, the more people not only follow for your specific topic, but you as a person. If you have ever enjoyed seeing someone nerd out about a topic you know nothing about, you should know that others enjoy this about you as well.

new topics = new readers

While it's true that shifting into new topics might cost you a few of your previous readers, it also brings new ones. Your backlog also still exists for others to find and wasn't a waste; range and depth is something important in a blog.

evolution is interesting, too

I'm sure you too have enjoyed seeing a person online evolve. It might just be interesting, inspirational, or you're just happy for them. Their new interests probably aren't always something you would have sought out yourself, but now you are accidentally exposed to it as well, learning things you wouldn't have otherwise. Don't rob your readers of this experience. You might bring people into contact with things they end up enjoying.

this is (also) for you

Having a blog is not worthwhile if it isn't something you also enjoy, feel free in, and share parts of yourself in. You might cease posting altogether if you simply don't resonate with what you started the blog with, and that would be a shame. It's better to change and keep posting, molding the blog around your needs and interests, than lose your voice and space.

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Self-Flanderization can also, of course, feel comforting and happen quite naturally, or is the entire point of that online presence.

If you want to resist it anyway to shake things up and stay exploring new things, it's worth asking yourself: "Am I sharing this because it feels true, or because it’s what people expect of me?" or “Would I still feel okay about this even if it got zero likes?”. Reflect on whether you're still excited by your posts or if it feels like a performance or a chore.

Break out of it by, for example, sharing something you have never shared before. How about your pets, or your niche hobby, or your favorite media? You could also start by decidedly exposing yourself to new things every month and documenting that journey on your blog - new books, new events, whatever makes sense for you. It's okay to admit in a post that you feel shy or scared posting this, or that this falls out of line of what your blog is usually known for.

How about interviewing a person in your life or community that you find interesting? Or possibly, letting others write guest posts on your blog or collaborate with others on your blog or theirs? These things help by giving you the opportunity of putting things out there that you otherwise wouldn't have within a format that explicitly encourages it.

In any way, I hope this gave you a word or mental framework to some struggles you have been experiencing or might experience down the line while blogging, and ways to fight it. :)