If you are starting a blog and wondering how to blog without showing your face, this is the guide for you!
Since blogging is becoming increasingly popular, more and more people are wondering if they can do it and at the same time preserve privacy in their lives.
Some bloggers have found great success without revealing their identity or even showing their faces in photos on their blogs.
If it’s important to you not to disclose your identity, this article will show you how to get started blogging anonymously and still have an audience.
Benefits of blogging without showing your face
Blogging anonymously not only gives you a chance to share your thoughts with like-minded people but also makes you feel less self-conscious about what others think of you – and that can lead to greater creativity.
Being able to write freely without the fear of being discovered and judged for your side-hustle relieves a lot of pressure.
This can create an environment where new ideas are flowing.
For some people, it can also be easier to stay true to their opinions.
Disadvantages of blogging anonymously
All that said, there are some drawbacks.
It can be hard to build trust with your audience when you are faceless.
This means it might become harder to grow an audience.
Blogging anonymously can reduce accountability, which could lead to lower-quality content.
Finally, you will be limited in terms of offering services and working with clients, as this would require you to disclose your name.
However, as long as you use the right blogging strategies, you can succeed!
Different ways to blog anonymously
There are different ways you can blog anonymously. You can choose whatever “level of anonymity” suits you. Here are some examples:
- You can decide not to use your pictures, but share your name
- You can hide your name as well as your face
- You might want to hide your name on the blog, but use it for reaching out to your email list
- Using a nickname everywhere, on your blog, email list, etc.
Whatever you decide, there are ways to make it work.
Platforms on which you can blog anonymously
There are multiple platforms for blogging. Mostly, here we are talking about blogging anonymously on your self-hosted website (if you don’t have one, you can start a self-hosted blog in 4 simple steps).
However, you can also blog without showing your face on platforms like Instagram, Youtube, and TikTok.
How?
There are many Instagrammers sharing pictures and videos that do not include their faces. This can be achieved by strategic posing or by sharing content that is not selfies, such as landscape photos, product photos, illustrations, etc.
Video platforms such as Youtube also have many anonymous bloggers. Simply choose a niche that does not require you to sit in front of the camera. You could be creating tutorials by recording your screen, instructional and animated videos. Here’s more detail about how you can create videos without actually filming anything:
Can you make money when blogging anonymously?
Yes! Blogging anonymously won’t prevent you from making money.
Most of the ways to make money blogging do not require your name or face.
Whether you want to monetize with ads or affiliate marketing, you can earn money from your blog without showing your face.
How to blog without showing your face – Steps
So what are the practical steps to blogging without showing your face? You’ll need a few things to blog anonymously:
- A unique email address that is not connected with your real identity in any way. Use this address for your contact form on your blog.
- A nickname if you choose to hide your real name (don’t pick one that is close to your real name).
- Enable domain privacy with your hosting provider, otherwise, people will be able to see your name as the website owner on Whois directory. You can easily add domain privacy with Bluehost for a small yearly cost.
- New social media accounts with your nickname or your blog name as an account name.
- Using only your first name in the Author field on your blog posts/ using a nickname/ removing the field.
- Try not to share personal facts which could identify you in your blog posts.
- As an extra step, you may decide to hire someone on Fiverr to create a cute custom avatar to use instead of your picture if you want to add some graphics.
How to build relationships with your audience when blogging anonymously
Blogging anonymously doesn’t prevent you from building relationships with your audience. You can still comment and reply to readers and fans and they will continue to follow you even if they don’t know who you are if your content is high-quality.
There are a few steps you can take to ensure you are building strong relationships with your readers:
- Be a good listener. You can’t build relationships with people if you don’t listen to them. When someone comments on your blog, show that you care by responding and asking questions about their interests or views. This will make them want to come back and talk more with you! Create content that people are asking for.
- Be responsive. Respond quickly when people comment on your posts or reach out via contact form so they know they’re not being ignored (even if it’s just to say “thanks for the feedback!”) Remember, we all like knowing we matter; we all like feeling heard.
- Ask questions in your blog post. This is important because it helps create dialogue and opens the door for others to share their thoughts too. It also shows that you’re interested in what they have to say. Just make sure to ask open-ended questions when you are concluding your blog post (“Tell me your views, experiences or memories about this topic.”)
- Have a social media presence. You don’t need to have your name on display to post engaging social media updates and start discussions that your readers will be interested to participate in. You can use these platforms to share your blog posts and encourage people to join the conversation. See my Instagram page as an example – I am successfully growing followers every single day without ever posting a selfie!
- Have a unique voice. You can still be one-of-a-kind and stand out from other online content even if you’re blogging anonymously. This can be done by utilizing a voice and personality that is different from the generic “me-toos” out there on the web.
Summary: How to blog without showing your face
Blogging anonymously allows you to explore more options for yourself. It is a choice that only the blog owner can make. If it allows you to be more creative and speak your mind without being judged, then why not?
You don’t have to show your face if you don’t want to. It all comes down to what feels best for you. After all, does it matter who’s behind the blog as long as they can provide value?