Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Be A Better Blogger!
Sounds like a title for a bulletin board in a kindergarten room but I'm willing to go back to kiddie garter (my daughter's name for it) if it will help me stop agonizing over this page. Over the holidays, while resting my stress fractured foot, I spent a lot of time on the internet. I ran across a blog that has 30,000+ followers. Why her and not me? I wrote an email to ask and she was kind enough to reply but the advice was what I've already done. I read other blogs. I comment. I try and post regularly. I link wherever I can. I want the attention I deserve!!
These questions are based on advice I found when I did a little research on blogging.
Do you think you should post daily? An article I read says "regularly" but not daily. I cannot imagine coming up with a subject on a daily basis. I think my resolution is to at least be here once a week.
Are you controversial? One advisor suggests that it is not a good idea. I suppose I should not have spoken out about painting antique furniture or the Picker Sisters.
Do you comment on the blogs of others? Do you read the comments of others or just leave yours and move along? Do you think the exposure helps? I get bumfuzzled with all the different ways there are to get a comment through. All seem to require a different process. One advisor suggests this:
"Sign your comment with your name and your blog’s name, for e.g. Samar @ myblog.com.
What about giveaways? Has that worked for you? Did you see positive results?
Guest posts? I've seen huge traffic on pages that share either in a linked in party or inviting a guest host. As I've said before, I get totally lost on those linked parties.
Style? I see more and more where only a blurb of the post is seen and one has to click further for the whole thing. I like the simplicity of my pages and have kept it that way on purpose. Perhaps I need to rethink it.
Content? What do I know? Antiques and home décor. It seems that the most successful blogs give 'how-to' advice.
If I'm going to continue, it has to be worthwhile.
I welcome comments and advice. I will even try to accept criticism with grace.
Welcome to the New Year!! New challenges await!
~Sami
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Happy New Year Sami!
ReplyDeleteDo you also watch your daily activity like a Wall Street broker watches the ticker tape? (yes. I do.) I'm beginning to look at my blog as a creative writing avenue. If others find it informative or entertaining and choose not to follow... eh, no problem. Those who do and never comment... eh, no prob-lem-o. And those who follow, and comment regularly or semi-regularly... yay!
Some days (weeks) I'm happy not to have the pressure of more than 29 followers. The 100 or so who look in each day are a variety of looky-loos who don't find my writing style or ever evolving topics consistent enough to count on and I'm happy with that, cause I'm not ready to be locked into a one direction blogger.
Have you read some of those comments that the blogs with 30,000 followers get? Who wants 75 complements that are nothing more than, "love your photos". I really, really don't. Unless they also add some interesting anecdote. Of your followers there is one who follows us both and is not a blogger, but I don't think she (?) has ever commented on a post of mine.
Another whom I also follow is "Castles Crowns and Cottages". Her new years post "Remember Why You Started", celebrates her 6th year of blogging and is a beautiful kick in the pants for us to focus on why we are doing this! ;-)
Cheers!
Dearest Sami! Hello! I am here by way of Linda, right up above me here. She is spot on when it comes to figuring out how to keep things at a manageable level. As she stated, my new post speaks (in my pithy style) about my sixth year of blogging. I don't mention too many details, but over the years, I have experienced many a disappointment and conundrum about why people chose to VIEW my blog (I can see it in the stats page) but never leave a comment or why people suddenly stop visiting. We all work so hard to compose our posts, and it is disappointing when "friends" just stop coming. But I think Linda is correct in focusing in on what OUR personal goals are. Yes, there are many blogs with thousands of "followers", but how many of them are friends? If it is friends we seek, then we must look at how to manage that. If it is to get our message across, then that has another type of attitude to take on.
ReplyDeleteBut as I mentioned to Linda, one "truth" keeps cropping up to my mind. BE KIND. Leave comments, be kind, have fun, be kind, let the experience allow you to grow as a communicator, be kind......
I wish you much success in all of your endeavors and your list here is very important for all of us to think about! BLESSINGS, Anita
My intention was to express myself, to share what I know, to write and to network. I am an experienced personal property appraiser so I know a bit about antiques and was willing to share that knowledge. It didn't seem to be a popular subject. I am a published writer with no particular outlet so at the time I started the blog I just wanted to write. I will admit that I have not truly felt free in writing here, though. I have another blog where I'm a bit more outspoken. I really didn't consider making friends as a goal although I now feel some of you are friends.
ReplyDeleteSami, I don't think there is any one answer to why one blog is more successful than another. I think I've tried it all over the last two years. I just recently participated in group giveaways, traffic went waaay down. Apparently my readers don't like giveaways. I've done guest posts with no real increase in traffic. It seems to really depend on your audience, and I'm still trying to figure that one out. Some advice I've read says to do just the opposite of what you read, that controversy will get you lots of interaction. I am trying to just be myself and not compare- it's too discouraging. By the way, thank you for visiting and commenting on my depressing post- it was super encouraging just to know someone understands. :)
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome. I will continue even though I am perplexed as to what I'm doing or not doing to be seen.
DeleteHello Sami,
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting my blog today! Downton has me reeling but I guess what happened to Anna is quite common in those times.
As for your post, there is no rhyme or reason why some people who merely regurgitate photos from other sources have so many followers and other bloggers who are incredibly talented have so few.
I think the only thing I can offer is that many bloggers with the large numbers started over 5-6 years ago when there were not so many blogs. Write what you like.
Have a great day!
Anna's situation was more shocking maybe because there has been so little indication of a big caste system wall between upstairs and downstairs. True, though, servants were treated as property to be used and abused by some. I'm still put off by the whole plot line. Thanks for visiting!!
ReplyDelete