Monday, March 19, 2012

Bumbling Blogger? That's Me!

    When I started blogging I thought I had something important to say. I also thought that anything I put out on the Internet would be automatically seen and read by millions. Well, I was much more than naive. After a few months I discovered that few or none were reading my blog. What should I do?


     So I got the "Blogging for Dummies book."  That would do the trick. First , I got the impression that  I had to be on search engine lists, I tried to put my blog on search engines and couldn't tell whether I got my blog on search engines or not. Anyway there wasn't any noticeable increase in hits.


    So what's next? I discovered that I had to follow some blogs. How do you do that? After awhile I got the hang of it and was following half a dozen blogs. I also found out that I had to have followers so I told my friends and got a half dozen followers. However , my friends didn't have blogs so that wasn't going to go very far. Still no more traffic. Finally, an honest to goodness blogger showed up to follow me and even left comments. Until  that time I didn't have any comments. Of course, I hadn't left any comments. So Red, get busy and make comments on other blog posts. 


     So the "Blogging for Dummies " book was consulted many times. I then knew that I had to follow more blogs and make more comments before I would be noticed. Slowly this process has been succeeding.


     Now the seed for this post started in another place. In writing courses you are told to consider your audience. In other words who are you writing to. Obviously the audience thing didn't sink in. I did not have it in my head who my audience would be.


    It would go like this. I might want to write about music so my audience would be musicians  and  music listeners. I might expand this to the arts in general and I could include acting, dancing, writing and visual arts. I had no idea who I would write to.


     Gradually I gained some readers and followers. These people don't really know what to expect on my blog. I bounce around on a wide variety of topics. Lately, since I have regular followers , I'm influenced by  readers. Comments give me ideas for posts. Other bloggers give me good ideas for posts from what they write. I write mostly about experiences I have had. 


      So after three and a half years of bumbling around there are some things that are making sense and bringing about more blogging success. When I look back some of these things should have made sense a long time ago. A focus of my writing may have made it easier for readers to follow me. I'm sure people drop by my blog and wonder ,  "What's this guy all about?"


     So I am extremely happy with the people who have chosen to visit me on a regular basis and that you can put up with someone who bumbles from topic to topic.

28 comments:

  1. I think I have ADHD and love the range in topics. I'm the same, I find a good topic from other ideas.
    Lately, I've been having fun with spring! I find your thoughts interesting and thoughtful!

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    1. You were a water shed moment in my blog as you were the first blog to follow me. My friend Jock has a blog and followed me before you came on board. I applaud you for the number of posts you produce and the research that goes into some of them.

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  2. I very much enjoy your "bumbling"! :) ANd I have been trying to teach my hubby how to get more people to read HIS blog. I do think a LOT of people read without commenting. I always laugh when my friends and acquaintances in this rural area all seem to know what's going on when I haven't told them. "Oh I know, i read your blog!" Gotta watch that in a small town.

    Keep bumbling. I love bumblebees!

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    1. I agree that people read and don't comment. There are certain posts that I don't comment on because I'm not interested in them or I don't know anything about them. I think that I'm better not to comment if what I say doesn't really cut it.

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    1. Thanks. I think I've found my niche in what I write about and the bloggers who follow me.

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  4. Isn't blogging fun? It's a new art form in many ways, and we are pretty much making it all up as we go along. I came across your blog because of Pete, and I like visiting you and finding out what you're up to. You have a very unique way of expressing yourself that I find refreshing. :-)

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  5. Agreed blogging is very satisfying. I think I was looking at you blog when "Out of My Multiple Minds" caught my eye. The Out of my Multiple minds said so much. It was a very intense blog for it's life and I'm glad I found it.

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  6. I've always avoided search engines and tried to stay small. Something else that would help you is for your whole post to show up in reader's just as Bloglines and Google Reader so that people would be able to read the whole post there. It's a setting in your preferences. I don't know if your aware that the whole post ISN'T showing up or you wanted it that way.

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    1. I wasn't aware of this so I will check it out.

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  7. Hi Red I went through pretty much the same stuff when I first started blogging, first on Bravenet and then on Blogger! Except I wasn't smart enough to get me a copy of the "Blogging for Dummies" book ;-) It's all been trial and error but along the way I've met some great people...somehow or other one night back in maybe 2009 I was blog surfing and managed to make a link leap from Bravenet to Blogger and met 3 great gardeners, one in Malaysia, one in the UK and one in Ireland, with whom I'm still friends! I have so many interests that I just decided to have more blogs (don't like PAGES much)...so I get to cover aging, blog challenges/memes, color, art, macro photography, gardening and my main photography blog! It gets a little complicated sometime...particularly with all the changes Google has been throwing at us but I'm still hanging in there! I went through my followers the other day and figured that at least a third of the total still come around every now and then and maybe a quarter come fairly consistently...so I figure that pretty good! And I'm still finding new blogs to visit! I often forget there're millions of people out there blogging!

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    1. WE certainly do have options and challenges in the blog world. You have done a good job through trial and error.

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  8. I have enjoyed reading your thoughts and experiences. I just write mine like a journal. I get the most readers to my posts where I am ranting about the school board, but I don't like writing them because I am extremely angry about something. I thought about separating the journal and school board posts into 2 blogs, but I didn't want to keep up with 2.
    It is true that one has to follow other blogs and write comments to increase their own readership.

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    1. The journal is a really neat idea. I was very fortunate to spend most of my career with a board that was very easy to work with. I was on the coordinating committee which was teacher board group that dealt with all policy. All decisions were by consensus. So there had to be give and take. I was also on the negotiating committee. . Today I still meet old board members and it's always most positive.

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  9. Hey Red, This blog is kind of like your own private room and you can write about whatever you want. Write for you and not for other people..although sometimes I think "I have got to get a photo of that and show it to my blogging friends!" Just be you..because your readers enjoy you and what you have to say:)

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    1. Every blogger has their own character. I like yours about being in your own room and howling out into the wind.

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  10. I have stumbled across many Blogs that I have ended up following, and as my list grew i came to realise that I couldn't keep up with, and comment, on all of them. That realisation has made me appreciate my readers more.
    Like all Bloggers, I love comments left by readers, but I have settled for the fact that there must be some who just read (I hope!)
    I don't trust any of the Stat sources that I have found though.

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  11. Interesting. I have stumbled acorss many Blogs that I now follow but have come to realise that I cannot keep on top of reading everything, let alone comment on everything. It has made me appreciate my readers more. Like any Blogger, I love to see comments from readers bt I have settled for the fact that there must be some who just read - musn't there?
    I don't trust any of the stat sources I have found, but I get more hits than comments, I think.
    I'll just keep on writing :)

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    1. The bigger your operation becomes the harder it is to comment and reply to comments. However, it's two way street and I think replying is very important.Today I will not be able to read all blogs or comment a it's a very busy day here from morning till bedtime.

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  12. Having recently found you because you found me...I can completely relate to your discoveries. I also don't have any real "theme" except that I started blogging for 2 reasons - as a way to showcase my photography, about which I am passionate, and to learn to say more with fewer words. That last part is still a struggle! I have enjoyed reading your blog this past week...and will continue to be delighted and entertained by your particular style! Glad we found each other!

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  13. Your photography is what got me to follow your blog. It's interesting that each photographer has their own unique style.

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  14. I don't know who stopped by where first but whichever one of us it was, I'm glad it happened. I think the key to blogging is to post whatever it is that interests you. Your own enthusiasm makes it interesting for others. No matter the subject.

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  15. Good point on enthusiasm and passion. They go a long way in making a good blog.

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  16. Very interesting post. I too feel I probably range around a bit too much in my blog - caregiving, gardening, grandmothering and what else! Haven't decided what to do about that, though I do know I definitely wouldn't be able to 'split' my writing into two or more blogs. It would feel too fragmented. So I stumble on, and though I love getting comments and followers, I do think I'd keep writing even without that because basically I'm probably writing mainly for 'me'. But I do try not to make my reflections too self-absorbed. I guess I'm always aware of keeping reader's needs in mind (that's the old editor in me, I suppose). But I do agree: the more you read and comment on others' blogs, the more you can expect others to do the same for you.

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  17. I see some blogs that are divided. I don't like it. Each blog seems to be somewhat lacking. As some commenters have said they are attracted to the variety. Comments are an excellent conversation because they are written and there's a little more thought put into them.

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  18. I like having people visit. I also like visiting others .... it is a window to the world so to speak.

    Linda
    http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

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  19. It's a super conversation when comments are exchanged. When we write comments more thought is taken so i think a better comment.

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  20. I loved your blog the first time I read one of your posts. A very interesting story. And I love blog because the posts are unpredictable and cover a lots of topics. Excellent work! Cheers, Ruby

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