Attracting Hits and Sticks - getting them to stay!
August 3rd 2007 04:32
Signature Tune
So now you have a blog and you're sitting there waiting for the readers to flock to your door and stay and stay and stay....
But, Hey! it's not happening.
Well, here's a little reinforcement and some new ideas.
It's good that you have something to say or display, isn't it?
But has it ever occurred to you that there may not be too many out there at all interested in what you do however well you do it.
Don't go cold, don't sweat, you're in the world of cyberspace and cybertravel now, you can pack up and go or live to see another day.
I am forced to admit, with some great self sacrifice, that readers really do go for content.
And it needs to be content that they want.
I think my most successful days have been those revolving around Paris Hilton and Beyonce's fall and really I'm not into celebrities at all.
There is something to be learned from that, and it is not, oh, well, let's all blog about celebrities although you may well do that if that is your way.
But I learned I would have to think about content a little more and draw on the interests of the day.
But the golden rule is true CONTENT IS KING.
Another thing you can do to help your readership is comment on people's blogs and engage yourself in some form of discussion, your URL gets picked up by the search engines here as well as your blog.
Similarly, you can encourage others to come and visit you but set the tone with your discussions and engage with your readers who are sharing their thoughts and feelings with you.
This is not my greatest asset but I can recognise the skills of others and the benefits that confers.
Link, if you must, and it is good to do so, to quality material, not just to any old thing. But, you'll learn as you go.
My view is watch your stats to see which posts get the most attention, you'll gradually build up a picture of what is working best for you.
Happy Blogging and Have a Good Day.
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Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
Luckily lots of other people get steady readerships, too, and blog about other things.
The funniest ones are the blogs about blogging.
Dianna
Comment by James Rickard
unlucky_ fishermen.com
Angling Fish
Check this out...
Comment by Louie
Climate Red
randomthoughts
Phil's Wellness Tips
I don't understand the linking and how it works, i use links to posts that have inspired me or that I refer too but I don't understand the benefit other than you acknowledge them but I read a lot about how links help.
Happy Friday......
Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
MS Paint Art
Yes, I understand the point you are making and blogs about blogging even posts about blogging do attract a lot of attention as I've also noticed from my stats.
We're all here for different reasons and I guess that does make a difference.
It was lovely to hear from you and have your views.
katyzzz
Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
MS Paint Art
katyzzz
Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
MS Paint Art
Apparently they like to see the discussion and the interest of those leaving comments and of course the more search engine traffic you get onto the more hits you are likely to have and hopefully at least some of those hits will translate into readers.
If you are getting a lot of hits but a disproportionately low number of readers I think you need to ask yourself how this could be happening.
I got a very large number of hits once but they didn't stay to read, I just seemed to attract the average readership for me.
I found this disappointing but I guess these little hiccups will happen from time to time.
If you diverge too much from average you need to question how you are going about things, you'll notice the average hit:reader ratio is in the vicinity of 2:l, that is for every two hits most attract only 1 reader, but you do need to allow for some variances here. Just keep a track of the trends.
The links you make are also picked up by the search engines, so if you link to a very good site you are more likely to attract suitable readers if that site is connected to what you actually do.
If you link to a poorly representative site, i.e. one not held in particularly high regard you are not likely to attract much interest to what you have to say.
There are a lot of other points to consider but I stick to what I perceive as being the most effective.
As my knowledge expands so I'll pass it on, I have a good readership for this kind of post but I am really a very small fish in a very large ocean.
Keep on keeping on, Louie,
katyzzz
Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
I've definitely noticed the hits-readers ratio.
It's like... 40 odd hits and like 10 readers sometimes.
Never knew the search engines picked up on our comments. That's interesting.
Blogs about blogging tend to be amusing though, if only because it seems-from hits and readership-that some newbies spend more time reading about blogging than actually blogging, which is no good at all.
Of course, I'm not sure if I spend more time writing or reading about writing, but, uh, that's besides the point!
~Dianna
Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
MS Paint Art
Just keep thinking about cause and effect and let me know how you go.
katyzzz
Comment by Winston
Small Thoughts on Big Questions
Mostly I just write about what I want to write about, and don't worry too much about if it will be popular. A couple posts I did that were more light hearted and "popular-oriented" turned out to not be nearly as popular as some other posts that I didn't think would get much of a look. I think it just depends on the day sometimes
Good post.
Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
MS Paint Art
I came with a purpose, or multi purposes you may say, so I figure if I am to pursue those purposes the more readers I have and the more I can encourage to stay, the better.
Hits, on their own, mean not a lot, unless one can find a way of turning them into readers, which will happen with some anyway.
My stats are generally on the rise but it has been very hard earned and I am a long way yet from where I need to be.
I think, just watching you, you have done very well here.
katyzzz