So I started working on a blog the other day about viewership, interaction and the why and how. Blogging is just like life in that even if you are the very best at something (which I am not claiming to be) it's still about timing, luck and persistence...but even with all of that you still don't get the views or the feedback. And it's ok....it's not your trip, it's mine...but it makes you wonder what the difference is between some blogs and your own. Of course there are guaranteed ways to drive up your hits and there are countless pages both physical and electronic to give you the "expert tips". Some of them are even good. Most of them give you all the tricks...but I suppose showing T&A <<<(seriously...do not click this link unless you want to be directed to pornography...just warning you) would be the easiest way to get your hits up. Perhaps a weekly picture of the Travelling Man and his van could garner some public attention...even if only out of pure shock ;)
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But why did I make this post? (mostly because I deleted the other one after re-reading it...which is a regular occurrence for me). but really...it's because I found this post. The blog has been in my reading list for along time and I don't check it very often so it was ironic to randomly check it and read that post. I suspect that there are thousands of these posts for every one of those bloggers that get 200000hits per day and other assorted crazy numbers. And why does someone who writes so articulately only garner 1 hit in for a post? The writing is refined, the ideas expressed with sincerity and the frequency is up about 5 times over my own...I have no idea. but a quick search shows us that there are people that think they do...and they probably actually really do!
It also seems that One Artful Voice is blog world friends with my personal friends the Hecks....and holy heck are the hecks ever giving the blogging world heck!! I just realized that there are a shitload of people on their links list and I am not there... -1 for the Hecks :( +1 for possibly leeching their traffic by linking to them ;)
To be fair D did tell me that I didn't post frequently enough make another list they posted...and that is true. I don't want this to be a full time job...I just want it to be like hanging with a friend. You don't need to or even want to see your friend every single day and it's nice to be able to actually share some stories when you catch up instead of being all caught up. In 365 days I managed 99 posts...horrible ratio of public awareness but to have posted more quite frankly would have bored to shit out of me as I had ten thousand other things to be doing. That may change over the winter here but I can't guarantee it.
The reason to blog isn't for fortune and fame but sometimes I get caught up in the idea. The idea that someone will click a link and suddenly their friends click that link and others click and more click and one day so many will come to the blog that I will indeed have to deal with spam comments!!! Yes people get so many hits that they get SPAM comments!!
Key words are also critical...it's how i garner traffic searches like this one ....
fire breathing vagina ink master
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When my friend Cherry Wanders
told me she got more hits in a day than I had in my entire month it stemmed out of a comment about spam comments...I had seen the button on my dashboard...but in over a year nothing has been there. Spam is different than knuckle dragging idiots leaving shit talk....which I don't have any of either! ;)
So I make a post, add some pictures and the next day I know that my dedicated friends, who are keen to see where I am and what I'm up to, have logged in and checked it out. I get more comments in facebook than on the blog and I think that's probably just because they all have easy access to me there.
In the same vein as One Artful Voice and the resolution to continue the blog (although the only time I have wanted to quit was waiting 100000yrs for pictures to upload...but that is my own rookie blogger fault for not reducing them before the upload)....this is my journal of my time my way....BUT it is always nice to get some love from the world you are presenting yourself to....so feel free to drop me an electronic high five...send me a video...link to my facebook page...or don't...it's just that simple!
Wow...I never knew that was the original video to that song...le cheez
Okay. So, a few things.
ReplyDelete1. Did you not know that One Artful Voice is my sister? :)
2. I like your new blog design! But now I am over here on the comments page and I can't see the original post. So I don't like that. And I'm going to forget to say something because I can't go back and read the post.
3. That problogger article you linked to had one line that stood out: "blogging is a long road" or something like that. Which it IS indeed. When we were touring around South America with our blogger blog, I think that the most we ever got was 60 hits in one day. It did pain us that it wasn't more, but it was JUST a journal for us really, more than a blog. Now that we've decided to take it more seriously, we put in SO. MUCH. TIME. that it's quite ridiculous. If we had done this in South America, it would have changed our whole experience, so I'm glad we didn't. If you *really* want more views, you gotta put in the time. The "if you build it they will come" theory does not work for blogs as there are far too many.
4. You should be on Twitter. For reals.
5. Pete updates our links page about once every six months or so, we're pretty bad at keeping that up to date, and we often forget people. BUT HE IS GOING TO UPDATE IT SPECIAL JUST FOR YOU! :)
6. Keep on keepin' on B. You do good stuff here, and as long as you are enjoying your travels, and don't care to make your blog into a business, then you're doing just fine. :)
Brian, I love your Blog, I read it all the time. I read it because you're my friend but mostly because you write with humour, sincerity, and it is interesting and unpredictable.
ReplyDeleteThanks D!! I did not know that One Artful Voice was your sister....that is a little wild actually. No surprise though...good writing seems to run in the Hofferd blood!
ReplyDelete- Comments...will work on it
- Time ... agree that it would change everything...I'm lazy enough as it is but...it would be worth it to make travelling a fulltime gig
-Twitter...not gonna do it ;)
- Don't make me feel too special kids! ;)
- I love you guys!!
Satay - The chat and chow crew was one of the original reasons for even having a blog!!
ReplyDeleteMore seagull love for you come spring!
ps...awesome to see you! How were your mussels?
It was awesome seeing you, missed ya tons! Going down there with you, getting muddy, having some laughs and doing something that I've never done was so awesome! The mussels were so good, they will always put restaurant mussels to shame. Keep that little cove your secret!
ReplyDeleteHey! Thanks for the mention!!
ReplyDeleteI didn't start blogging for fortune and fame either. It was basically an excuse for me to write. Period. But, I am hoping that it helps me make connections with people that have similar interests.
Public writing is shared writing, and so there is hope that someone will read it. Otherwise, why blog? I could do all this in my pretty journal. It's about connection and it's hard to connect if people aren't reading, right?
Anyway, thanks for the food for thought!
Teri
I had no idea you were D's sister! No wonder you are such a great writer (or she is)!
DeleteI'll make a post soon about my keyword traffic. It's insanity what some people search and find my page ...
ReplyDelete