THEN I started thinking about why I blog and how I blog… I saw a great blog last week about blogging better [can't find at the mo] and it listed all these sites to increase traffic… but with my philosophy, could I DO a ton more? Could I read twice as many blogs every day? No. Do I want to visit the blogs I visit half as much because I have more to cover in a week? Not really… So I am going to plug along with my slow growth model and be content. I figure it is a quality set of peeps… anyone who makes him or herself known through comments and follows gets the reciprocation, and that is a pace at which I can make FRIENDS rather than just throwing you all in a sack, though I know there are few of you who'd probably like to get in the sack with a few OTHERS of you (and I'm not saying you can't... I'm permissive that way—I might even get in the sack WITH you if we all get to dance like I like...) I'm just not going to force it.
I had my 105th country on Tuesday, Mongolia. And then Wednesday I had my 106th, Cambodia (does that mean more than half the world has visited me? I think it does! HALF THE WORLD IS NAKED!!! And THIS tickled me like crazy (I found it in my counter list of where recent hits came from—which is an inadequate counter list, as it only tells me the last ten, but it's free, and sometimes it is CRAZY interesting)… I think it may be Hungarian, but I’m not sure. I love the arbitrary nature of things not translated… minski ramblings in particular pleased me.
But it IS Thursday, and I know I don't have to remind you what THURSAY means!
35 comments:
I want to get visited by Barsoom (John Carter of Mars) or Lothlorien (Galadriel of Middle EArth) or Asgard. Those flags would look excellent in my counter.
Just dreaming. Might as well expect a comment from 221 B Baker Street signed S. Holmes.
Sometimes it does feel as if we're playing to an empty house, and that feels lonely. But it's a big audience you have, Hart. Not everyone who reads comments or follows. Maybe they're marching to our own drum beat.
As always you have a fun post on Thursday, Roland
Go for quality, not quantity >:)
200 is great! I was overwhelmed when I passed 50 (followers, not years)
Cold As Heaven
200 is the new black, Tami. And I am with you- the current number of people I follow and who follow me I am comfortable with- more and I am not sure I would be able to do justice to them.
And yes, it does look like a lot more than half the world has visited you. But why not?
I love your coaxing to other countries! I know, that stat counter reveals surprising things. Sometimes I wonder who the silent folk are, and what I can do to make them feel comfy enough to talk. But mostly I just carry on in my own little merry way. :)
Roland, they really should MAKE those flags! I am friends with Aragorn, Obi Wan Kanobi and Sirius Black on Facebook, but I don't suppose those count *teehee* (especially as Obi Wan is a cat. It always surprises me what I get responses to and when I just hear a lot of chirping after posting...
CaH: YAY on quality! and I DO have it with my followers. 50 wasn't super shocking, as I coerced about 30 people I know to follow in there, but 100 was BIG.
Natasha-My twin, no surprise at all you'd be comfortable right where I am! And you, too, have a pretty darned international following.
Jayne-yeah, those silent ones niggle at me... Sometimes I run into an acquaintance at my kids school or something and they will start talking about one of my blog topics. I always about fall over because I separate my worlds pretty well in my head. But those people on the other side of the planet--I want to connect!
Hi Tartlette - I'm at 90 and feel overloaded. I'm totally with you - I know there are people out there with big blog gardens and they tend every flower in it with great care (dat's you Elizabeth S-C) but it takes me forever to get around to those I love. I picked up about fifteen new followers at the hurricane haiku barbecue (as I like to call it) and I'm not altogether certain who they are but I really know you and Natasha and Elizabeth and Elspeth and Stacy and Helen and Mason and Clarissa and Patricia and Talli and Alan and Margaret and Jane and Faith and Jemi and Mari and Denise and Liza and Niamh and Anita and Diane and...I have to stop now but basically what I'm trying to say is that even with my flesh friends I can only tend so many relationships - I'm not fooled by being on facebook to think that I have over two hundred 'friends'.
I have lots of lurkers too - my dad and sister and many friends who don't comment or join but read me daily. weird but true and I assume I'm not the only one.
I'm going to put an international thingy on mine!
I can tell you with certainty (as I close in on 500 followers) that it IS impossible to get around to everyone...which leads to LOTS of guilt. There are SO many lovely blogs out there, and bloggers, and I adore them all. I wish I could get around to everyone. *sigh*
I don't have a fancy handy-dandy flag do-dad. *pouts* I need to remedy that. :)
I'm unplugged...but I just had to sneak in and say howdy.
*sneaking back out on my tiptoes*
I'm pleased that you left it short. It suits me that way.
Re Hits, Comments, and Followers. I think that we're all aware that the more that we comment and follow the more comments and followers we accrue. But it's all kidology. If they're simply 'reciprocating', what's the point? I do comment sometimes as a way of networking, but mostly I comment because I want to. I only ever follow because I want to.
If people drop by my blog because they enjoy it I'm pleased and flattered. I see honesty as far more valuable than stats.
Have a nice day.
Please put me (and Mrs S?) down for a place somewhere in or near the sack.
All the best, Boonie
Don't you just hate that when you think you've caught up, you actually fell a little behind. Your topics are so full of humor, interesting and thought-provoking, so you'll get there. :D
*naked under my clothes*
I love naked Thursdays.
I'd postd blogging tips with Elana and Jen last week, and I know I blew some people out of the water with my confession that I visit 100 blogs a day. (Try that trick at your own risk!) But it's not the quantity of followers, it's the quality. Do you want 1000 followers with 20 comments a day or 200 followers with 40 comments a day? It's fuzzy math, but it works.
Jan-your genuineness... genuity? Definitely comes through, and you keep all those connections at 100%. Very good way to have absolute loyalty.
Lola-that is reinforcing... I suspected there was a lot of guilt involved. I think you can still do okay, but certainly need a SYSTEM, which requires organization I lack.
Boonie-I agree with you that the tit for tat thing... if that is the only reason to go... no good. I GO some places because I think I ought to, but if the content doesn't engage me, I'm not really the type to fake it. (and consider you and Mrs. S in the sack!)
Chary-Thank you so much my friend! Baby steps, eh? And Yay for naked Thursday!
Alex--yeah, 100 DEFINITELY blew me away. I'm sure it leads into your vast volume of comments. I tend to run between 20-30 comments given and probably 4 days a week I GIVE more than that, but certainly nowhere near 100.
ooh i'm with you. I'll grow at my own pace and make friends along the way instead of just followers
I have just hit 50 followers and I am thrilled. I would rather build comments from them than add a follower I never hear from. I've always been a fried versus acquaintance gal.
Alex got me with that 100 thing. No way I wouldn't get anything else done!
Just tryin' to get to 50! Actually, right now I probably shouldn't even be blogging, as I have too much other stuff going on. I still need to polish my query and sift through the agents on QT and, you know, multi-task on the rest of my life. Meanwhile, DH is wondering when I'm going to get inspired by all the hints of nakedness on this post. I'm trying, honest!
I think all the world and beyond should be NAKED!!! LOL!!!
Twitter my friend, twitter brings in peeps! It's proven - seriously! Good luck!!
I could never be a twit (hehehe!) myself - but it's the new green where 200 is the new black! LOL!
These flags are fab!!!
A few years back I went to Amsterdam and their paper money had great big sunflowers!! How lovely was that?!?! then the euro came to force and so no more sunflower money!
Take care
x
Your blog is an ENORMOUS success. Two hundred and counting is about...195 more people than I got. Personally, I'm afraid to get a counter or a followers box because my readership would be so pitifully small. On the other hand, that's my own fault because I haven't been building my blog the way I should be (and that will change soon). I also got top quality people I really like who comment on it. Like you, Hart darlin'.
Where do other people find the TIME to build a super blog, write a book, hold down a job, have a family, etc. etc.? Personally, I'd rather be naked.
*high fives Sarah*
Mary-it's true--the silent ones make me do wacky things... are they there? Aren't they there? Where are they?!
Carolyn-I take it DH is darling hubby, or some such thing? teehee... nice to be appreciated... and nakedness WILL free your inhibitions... There are days the blog interferes some, but I feel like it's an investment of sorts... both in networking and in sanity.
Jenny--Sunflower money! That sounds wonderful! Some flags are so fabulous, and others are just DULL. And YAY for Naked World Domination!!!
Oh... forgot the Twitter comment... I tweet, but not like I should, I think... I haven't bothered to really master it yet.
And Helena! You snuck in there! I think you'd be surprised at who is following if you put the boxes up. It is more than you'd think. Yesterday I had 30 comments, but 400 hits. YES, only about 1/3 of hits are typically 'fresh' (individuals) but that still is fewer than a third of people who visit that leave comments. And you can do all of it WHILE naked! (though I admit to neglecting family and home)
I think the flags are really cool! I'm like you--and wonder about the visitors from around the world and what they're writing.
My daughter's curriculum night is tonight. :) My son's was Tuesday. Can't wait to get past them!
woo!!! I been nekkid all morning~
did you stop by for a little b'love? I should've mentioned I think you *might* be my long lost sister. My older brother told me all the time I was found/adopted/left on the doorstep when we were little. Yep, he was like that... :D
I'm a little like you. I like to follow back my followers, but dang it all! I can't keep up. So rising to the big numbers is sorta scary for me. :D you, on the other hand, are a superstar~ <3
Larger numbers = intimidating. The more followers the more pressure to deliver. I’m impressed with the blogs with a large following and I’ve always wondered how they keep up with 68 comments.
Yeah, I'm sitting pretty with about five followers. Eh.
I know a few writers with suddenly massive traffic (Kristin Cashore, for example) have completely shut down their comment sections simply because they can't keep up with comments. I love that you get to everyone, though; that's amazing!
Elizabeth-Oi! Why can't the spread these curriculum nights out, eh? And I'd definitely love to know what the people across the world are writing!
Leigh-you were two people up my list for who to visit! Thanks for spreading the love! I am willing to buy that related thing... Thanks, hon!
Holly-TOTALLY intimidating! In fact those bloggers with 500+ followers who stop in here I always think 'holy cow! How do they have time?'
Ha! Shayda, you snuck in on me! You need a follower box! I am much more likely to follow if that is easy to find. But it does take a while to build, and finding someone who clicks with you and making friends with all their friends totally helps!
I'm with you on the go slow blogger thing. I've been stuck at 131 for some time now, and I doubt most of those followers actually read anymore. Ah well, at least the few folks that do swing by seem to be good ones!
I had this rush of followers one time and I almost became obsessed with it - questioning how I would make them ALL happy, whether I could write more, etc. And then I got stuck at 65...and I'm ok with that. I like to read the blogs of people who comment or follow me and I wouldn't be able to do that if I was pushing for 400 followers. That being said, I LOVE the blogs I do follow :-)
Ted- I think you do a great job! The followers DO occasionally get suck though, don't they?
Dawn-that is how it's best--to love what you read.
Oh, okay. I'll sleep in the nude tonight, just for you.
Also, what's all this stuff about dancing like you like? How do you like? Is that a metaphor? A euphemism? Do you like swing dancing? (I'm quite good at that.) The cha-cha? Salsa? Waltzing? The lambada? Er....
Okay, anyway. I've decided to write more and blog less, follower growth be damned. I can only comment on about 10 blogs a day anymore, and I've accepted that.
You're doin' fine, darlin'. Just stay you.
Ever since I hit 400, my numbers have been leveling off. Your blog is just as good as mine, if not better. You'll be past me before you know it.
I'm on the cusp of 400 and I think I'll probably reach it for my blogoversary next week. Then I'll be slowing down my blogging activity--at least that's what I keep saying--and my count will level or decrease.
Like Alex, I think having followers who read and comment is what counts most. I've been lucky to have some great commenters like you to give me some incredible comment sections.
I think soon I'll be able to compile just your comments into a book.
Thanks and don't worry. Your followers will be there soon enough.
Lee
Tossing It Out
when it comes to blogging the world is not enough.
I feel like this experience should be real. Blogging is a way to connect with people actually interested in reading good work.. congrats to 200 followers I just started my blog I have a long way to go
Simon, you mean you don't sleep in the mood EVERY night? And I really like any kind of dancing, but 'dancing like I like' is more sort of a men in a burlesque line kind of thing... Entertaining me... And yeah... gotta keep the writing prioritized!
Cheesy-I think they plateau every once in a while. You will go up again to... In fact I think when the growth spurts happen, they are proportional.
Lee-I think blogging less often actually works fine so long as you are reading at about the degree you are getting comments. And THANK YOU!
SY-WELCOME! Both here, and to blogging! I will head on over to your place in a bit! I agree--real is good!
You are so much further ahead than many of us. You blog faithfully AND write actual books for publication AND manage your family AND keep up with those of us whose lights dim in comparison. You are a marvel. The other half of the world doesn't know what they are missing by not following you. Cheers!
I've been blogging since 2006 and I can tell you, you've had tremendous success if you're at 200 followers. But I have to agree, the steady growth is really the one that seems to form the most lasting connections. At least, that's been my experience.
I was just looking at my feed reader and considering doing a "mark all as read" because I didn't feel like I could make it to all my faves tonight. That's when it feels like a job. A good job, but a job.
Also, I have a few visitors who have been around for years who have never commented. I see they visit every day, but not a peep. I'd love to know who they are.
Write on, my friend!
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