One week ago I resolved to take a more balanced approach to this whole blogging thing so now seems like a good time to look at what's happened over this time.
I've lost traffic - almost half of what I was getting. That's scary but I'm holding to my course. I've read of so many writers giving up their blog because it was taking too much time.
I don't believe I've lost "regular" readers although people are not commenting quite so much. I think the traffic I've lost is, for the most part, people who weren't going to stick around anyway. But it's from that constant flow of passing traffic that the people who are going to return trickle in. I imagine my rate of growth will have slowed right down.
Does that matter? Probably not!
Certainly my blog round is turning into a thing of joy - most days! - rather than an endurance event that I sweat and gasp my way through. I check my blog first thing in the morning and I visit blogs who have commented at mine. Then I simply please myself. If I feel like visiting a particular blog, I do. I don't rack my brains for a comment. If something occurs to me, I write it. If it doesn't, I don't. I move on.
I'm like a bee. I flit from flower to flower. Some days I like red blossoms and some days I hanker after yellow, and some day I just want to sit in the hive and not bother harvesting at all.
Hopefully you don't have too many kiwis visiting so that I show up somewhere in your stats and you smile and think "ah, Dawn popped in today".
A Late Start
14 hours ago
14 comments:
I guess that shows you have to give comments to get comments but I think it's ideal to have a blog that is self-sustaining without ongoing maintenance.
If you're happy with your new freedom of time and less visitors and comments then it sounds like you've achieved your goals.
Ha! Just try to get rid of me!
Seriously, Dawn, good for you for this new outlook.
Do what works.
A blog that's self-sustaining without ongoing maintenance? Me too! I want one of those too! Where can I get one?
Good for you Talia if you've figured out how the heck to do that. When I stop commenting, particularly on high-traffic blogs, it shows up fairly quickly in my stats.
I'm with Leah, some of us regulars you just can't get rid of, Dawn. You're stuck with us now!
And I think you've got a great approach here, especially for a published author: keep writing entertaining posts; build deeply loyal readership as you're doing; and watch your numbers climb gradually over time as book readers join blog readers in a happy Dawn-Fest here at Flightless Writer!
(And if all that fails, just write a post about Big Bouncy Breasts.)
I know what you mean. It can be frustrating sometimes to not get feedback. The freedom of blogging and writing whatever we want gets overridden by our natural desire to simply know that somebody's reading what we painstakingly craft.
I do read your blog all the time, and when I don't comment, it's only because I'm a simpleton and I have nothing relevant to say. I didn't figure you'd really appreciate well-thought out comments like
"Huh. Stars is shiny!"
Trust me, I'm enjoying the blog. I'm just sparing you. Keep up the good work!
Until today I had not visited a single blog, including my own, in two days.
I found I did miss it, but at the same time I wrapped my mind around a few other things and sorted out a problem or two on my WIP.
Talia - Absolutely - you have to comment to get comments. I think I've got a good blance now. I've certainly achieved a lot more on other fronts this week.
Leah - One of my favourite coloured flowers!
Crabby - I haven't quite got to the self-sustaining without ongoing maintenance stage but if you hear of one of those for sale - I'll take it!
Reid - I'm developing a liking for blue flowers! (If anyone is totally mystified, look in the side bar. Reid hangs out at The Blue Zone.)
Thanks for telling me you're a regular reader. That means a lot to a insecure narcissitic type like myself!
Travis - Good for you! It's so easy to let THE BLOG take over.
I usually only have my 1 New Zealand, and I do actually think, "Ah, Dawn stopped by today!" But also you always leave a comment, so I have more concrete proof.
Like I've said before, I think you are doing the right thing. I am starting to jog regularly and have never been able to before. The reason is I am jogging really slowly,you could almost walk next to me. But it gets me doing it, and in time slowly I'll get faster.
Keep blogging in the manner that keeps you blogging, and in time the traffic will slowly creep up again. Besides who needs tons of traffic when you've got such great regulars like us, I mean, seriously!
PS: I'm not back yet to the blogging world (or indeed back to Ontario, Newfoundland is utterly gorgeous, I'm just loving it - pictures to come when I return to Toronto), just checking up on you, making sure you are behaving yourself!
Hi Dawn,
This blogging is a ticklish thing. Little did I know that there was an entire code of behavior for blogs and for blog visitors. Of course, I am only one-eighth of the women of mystery blog and I am sure my more savvy blogmates are up on all this stuff.
I do everything by time. Right now I have about fifteen minutes to cruise the blogs, so my option is: I can stop to comment or I can spend the fifteen minutes reading what appeals at the moment. If I don't set a time limit for blogs, email, etc, I could lose the whole day. Then when would I write?
Sometimes, I hit one blog and then hit a few that are listed on that blogs side bar, or a few from the comments. Sometimes I just flit around my usual suspects. Either way, when time's up it's up.
Was it Talia who said she actually uses a timer? I'm thinking of getting one.
My point is that what goes on in terms of visits to your blog may have more to do with what is going on in people's daily lives than whether or not you have visited them recently.
Besides, who else serves cream filled apple donuts, and what were those ginger cookies from your early blogs? Terrie
Adrienne - I'm so pleased I'm your only kiwi! I don't mean to be selfish but it's nice to know my visits can be spotted.
I haven't a hope of sorting all my American and Canadian visitors out!
Terrie - I suspect that you're right in that it is as much to do with what is happening in other people's lives. Sometimes I forget that the sun doesn't revolve around me!
Yes I'm the timer queen. Works for me. However right now I only allocate a very short amount of time to writing and that needs to change
Hmmmm thinking I might have to follow crabby to these high traffic blogs. Tell us all your secrets :)
I think you have to have high traffic to get comments without visiting but even when I get 2000 views in a day that might only be one comment...
Everything is ebb and flow. Besides with the weather getting warmer and nicer out (at least in this neck of the woods) - more folks are probably out and about instead of blogging.
I tend to go from reading many blogs one day to not reading any for a week. I think it's not so much a routine yet for me although I always end up checking my own stats pretty well every day.
I know I get a decent amount of readers, but I think I have had, maybe, 5 comments in all, and 3 of them are from the same person.
Or, maybe people just aren't interested in what I'm writing.
Anyway, I like your blog, if that counts for anything. :-)
When wreched Karen has to work on that thing she calls "curriculum", I get kicked off the computer. I could blog during the day, but that would require I give up my late morning nap or my after lunch grooming time. I'm just not willing to make that sacrifice yet.
It's very frustrating to have to fight with Karen over computer time. I've asked her to get me my own computer, preferably a laptop with a large screen (I like to bat around the screen saver) and her response was, "Of course, Penelope. And can I have your billing address."
And you wonder why I'm bitter.
-- P
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