What 2 Months of Blogging Has Taught Me
Today marks Scribbles and Words two month birthday. With this occasion, I’d like to talk a little bit about my February experiences. If you’d like, you can first check out January’s wrap up.
Focusing
I rewrote the about page. I felt it needed a bit more umph in the shock value department.
I also redesigned the header and logo. Now it puts forth a tighter focus and does it in a simple and easily readable way.
The tagline was changed from:
“Helping writers, bloggers and artists make money online. Truthfully, honestly and with style.”
To:
“Exploring online opportunities — Writing, blogging, social media, innovation, entrepreneurship…”
Observations
Cliques
I spent two weeks this month going to the same 50 blogs and studying their posting habits, commenting rhythm and web trails. I’m reminded of high school, the way certain cliques would develop within the first week of a new year and remain that way throughout — only mingling between one another every once in a while to try and recruit new members and increase the overall egos of the cliques’ individual members.
Even in high school I was never the type to exist within one group, and that is mirrored here. I’m reluctant to participate in the wild linking frenzy taking place between small clumps of blogs who write about related topics and spend boat loads of time commenting on each others posts. I just can’t do it, even if it is good marketing.
There is too much quality information out there to consume and I wouldn’t want to miss it because I have some intangible obligation to read the same 50 in my feed reader.
Posting Frequency
One of the biggest arguments for developing a consistent posting frequency is the idea that your readership comes to expect new information from you on a specific day and at a specific time. While this may be true for some blogs, it doesn’t necessarily apply to them all. It would bother me if a daily webcomic was sporadic with their posting times, but I could hardly give a shit if a “writing tips” blog posted once, twice or twenty times a week. The beauty of this blogging medium is the fact that archives exist and I can delve into them whenever I feel the need. I don’t have to feel stressed about keeping up with the newest post on a thousand different sites.
It also depends on whether or not you’re trying to reach the type of people who are anal about checking their 72 blogs everyday. If you haven’t updated, they take it as an insult and unsubscribe. Good riddance. At least fifty percent of those people are your competition anyway — they’re just trying to stay up in the game. These people don’t necessarily need the information you provide nor do they click on your ads. ;o) However, it is a balancing act because they do provide you with back links and boost your authority in the particular niche you’re a part of.
There are millions of websites and millions of readers, don’t stress over loosing the people who can’t function properly without order and predictability in their lives. Post when you have something of quality worth posting. It may take a bit longer to rise to the top, but when you do, the quality you’ve provided will make sure you remain there.
Research
I’ve read a slew of articles about information, statistics, and advice that was relevant a year ago but has absolutely no relevance today. It seems these people do a quick Google search and half plagiarize what they find on the first results page without paying attention to when the information they’re researching was first published. Shame on you folks. You fill the web with cheese. Stinking, rotting, oozing, inedible cheese.
Commenting
Say you have a blog about turtles and 90% of the comments on your blog are by other people who have blogs about turtles. Sure, you’re strengthening your exposure to the turtle market but are you reaching people who don’t have websites about turtles and are looking to be enlightened? Don’t forget your true focus.
I comment for 2 reasons:
- What I just read actually made me think and I have something meaningful to add.
- I’m feeling snarky and I just want to talk shit or say something clever or funny.
Sometimes, I’ll even comment with “Nice post.” and I don’t care if that irritates you. You’re just too uptight.
On occasion, I’ll add keywords to my name like:
“Jay | Teaching you how to make money online because making money online is awesome and you should be able to make money online just like I make money online.”
Statistics
Stat checking is a sickness and eventually it will kill your inspiration. Developing a strict routine is a definite must.
Things like recent visitors, where they’re coming from, what they’re looking at and who’s linking to you should be checked once per day at most. Other stats like, Alexa ranking, Technorati rank, RSS subscribers, email subscribers, etc. should be limited to once a week if not once a month.
All-in-all
I love blogging. You just have to take all the rules that are shoved in your face and throw them out of the window. Then run downstairs, pick up all the broken pieces and put them back together the way you see fit. Don’t worry if you have pieces leftover, you can use those to create your own rules.
Link Love
I love it when people link to me. It makes me feel like summertime daisies. These special folks get a shout out for making a man like me feel like a dainty flower.
- Gary Hess from impNERD
- Opal Tribble from Addicted To Writing
- Colin King from CK Marketing
- Jason Frye from Jason Boom
- Jon Phillips from Freelance Folder
- Jason from GorillaSushi
Happy “web publishing” everyone.
Image credit: Bo Nasser.
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
“YOUR just too uptight.”
*ahem*
But overall, nice post.
Becky C’s last blog post..“The Best Unsigned Band In Britain”
Leave it to me to say something semi-insulting and misspell it.
Hey! You’re alive! Thought you’d gone and bought the biscuit on us. Good to see you haven’t. Nice header, btw.
So… the takeaway message from this post is… you hate us, right?
No way! These are just observations. There are of course exceptions to every rule, especially if those rules are simply just observations. You sirs, are definitely exceptions.
Besides, who am I to qualm with the comment king. I might fuck around and end up with my head in a basket.
Or losing the reigning title of Banana Man…
Thanks for the compliments, too. I’m glad to know that our blog isn’t amongst the shmuck ones out there, because you’re dead right on that observation. There are a frickin’ ton.
James Chartrand - Men with Pens’s last blog post..Fiction Writing: Characters Rule the Story
You know what the funny part about that whole “banana man” thing is…I actually eat at least 25 bananas per week.
Banana’s kick ass. I would eat a lot more of them, but they go black way too quick so I can only buy a few at a time.
BTW, thanks for the link!
Gary R. Hess’s last blog post..How to Write Great Content and Keep Visitors Interested
Dude. That’s what a freezer is for. ;o)
Just peel ‘em and throw them into a ziplock bag. Then you can use them in shakes or add some chocolate and smash it into banana fudge ice cream.
Ok, your post was hilarious.
I’ve got a story for you: Went to CVS today and was getting some regular stuff. It was one of those 24 hour CVS’s where people have to be on round the clock. I asked the guy about it being a 24 hour CVS…
“Yes, it’s a 24 hour one. I’ve noticed one thing about working later at night-that’s when the strangest things happen. I can’t tell you and you wouldn’t believe what happens in the parking lot.”
Of course, I wanted to know more, and at the same time, did not- the magic of curiosity and a great story.
BTW, nice post.
Love the new header (3rd time lucky?) and new tagline. The blog is really shaping up well.
It was lovely to hear someone else say that they weren’t disenchanted by losing subscribers. I suspect I’ve lost a few by only posting once a week or there abouts. Likewise, I lost over 200 when I published my “Productivity is dead” article. Hopefully that means the remaining ones are keepers!
How is adsense performing for you this month? I’ve been umming and erring over adding it.
Nick Cernis’s last blog post..Productivity is Dead! Long Live Living!
I take it your folic acid levels are right where they should be, Jay.
Thank you, too. I like greener bananas myself, and the damned things always ripen. Pisses me off. I knew about putting bananas in the refrigerator (peel turns pitch black, banana stays fine) but I never realized I could put them in the freezer.
Do they go all smushy when they thaw or do they come back to normal?
James Chartrand - Men with Pens’s last blog post..13.2 Design Questions From Students
Excellent post, happy birthday and thanks for the link! I think you’ve made me realize my problem - I’m a functioning stat-check-aholic. I’m going to seek help…
Jason - GorillaSushi’s last blog post..A Snapshot of Impending Doom Part 2
@ Jason - Don’t do it, man… don’t do it. Think of the withdrawal…
James Chartrand - Men with Pens’s last blog post..13.2 Design Questions From Students
Might not be you, Nick. We lost over 250 subscribers the day we posted our first article on fiction writing. 250 gone in one single day? On a blog that had been steadily rising at 5 to 10 people per day and was cracking the 500-subscriber point?
Makes no sense. What day did your post go live, btw? Maybe there’s a correlation with our loss.
James Chartrand - Men with Pens’s last blog post..13.2 Design Questions From Students
@Lawton - Glad I could lighten your day and thanks for the story.
@Nick - Dude, it’s like the 8th time but who’s counting ;o)
WOW! You lost 200 subscribers with that post? That is truly awesome. I guess you made people second guess their productivity routines and that pissed ‘em off.
Adsense is my lowest money maker. I did about $13 for Feb., affiliate commissions and private ad sales are the real producers. I’m thinking about loosing the Adsense altogether. There are way too many other competitors that seem to be showing better numbers for people in the same area of focus.
@James - Yeah, you’re not going to be able to enjoy a nice banana after its thawed…gets way too mushy. That’s why I just blend it up in the Vitamix.
You could try freezing a smashed banana, a smashed avocado and some chocolate chunks too…muthah f’in delicious.
@Jason - I should start a counseling forum. ;o)
There has got to be a better way of tracking subscribers right? Feedburner plays with our emotions way too much.
Agreed! Feedburner is frighteningly addictive.
@James: It came out on Monday 25th Feb. I’ve noticed the subscriber count dipping and rising, but losing 200 on a weekday certainly bucked the trend. I don’t mind, though — things seem healthy on the whole.
Nick Cernis’s last blog post..Productivity is Dead! Long Live Living!
[…] out of my experiences. No special format or expectations, just simple observation. You can read February’s wrap-up first, if you’d […]
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