But let me tell you why I joined the site in the first place. I have only been blogging since February of this year. I am very new to all of this blogging business. I wrote about ten posts and had about eight hits on my blog. And six of those were from me before I figured out how stop tracking my own page views. I realized that there is not much point in writing a blog if no one reads it. I wanted input on what I was saying, I wanted to instigate conversations and debates. But I needed people to interact with, otherwise writing a blog is rather pointless.
I started trying to find ways to gain a little exposure. I created profiles on a number of sites that I really had no intent of using very much. Sites like Reddit, Digg, and Stumbleupon. I posted my blog entries on G+ and Twitter. I did whatever I could think of to channel a little traffic to my blog. And it worked... To some extent. I directed some traffic to my page, but there was still no interaction. In a way it was more disappointing than not having any traffic at all.
So I tried to get smarter about this. I ran a couple of searches to look for blogging communities. I figured I could check out some other peoples blogs and get some ideas, and maybe find someone who's brain I could pick to get answers to some of my questions. I checked out several sites, and created several new accounts. But It was Bloggers.com that won my attention. Several people connected with me right off the bat. They sent me messages welcoming me to the site. People were really very friendly, and helpful with my questions. Now, I have limited time and I knew I would not be able to keep up with all these sites I had joined. So I chose to concentrate my efforts on Bloggers.com. I am happy with my decision, I really do like the community there. And yes it generated a little more traffic for my blog, but I have to admit I was still disappointed.
After three weeks of blogging I had received two comments. One from my mother and one from my cousin. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about who the comments were from, just that they were the only comments period. Bloggers changed that, sort of.
This is were I have developed my issue. Understand the word issue. It's not a complaint, or a problem, or anything I can't deal with. An issue is something you consider. Something your mind returns to and perplexes on. Something that just doesn't add up.
I did get some people to leave comments, but it was a trade. "Hey great blog, check out mine @http//etc. and join my page." Okay I'll bite, I'll play the game. And I visited some peoples sites, and I left some generic comments and received a few in return. But to me, for the most part, it was all pretty meaningless. It didn't satisfy what I anticipated for my blog. I got bored with it and I really didn't visit the site much for a while. I did find some great blogs, there were some that I continued to keep up with all along. Interesting, funny, and genuine people. Blogs that I really enjoy reading.
About a month into my blogging foray, something happened. I made my first Smoke and Mirrors post. There are twenty Smoke and Mirrors posts. It is too much to get into here. I followed a federal trial that a close friend of mine was involved in. I sat in the courtroom nearly every day, and when I had the time I wrote about it here. I was honest, straight forward, and passionate about what I wrote.
Then I got a comment on what I had wrote, from someone I didn't know, I had not left a comment on their page. I didn't even know if they had a page. I'm not going to quote this comment, but in my mind it translated to "Thanks for what you wrote Jon, it made a difference in my day." That was what I was I was looking for. It wasn't the thanks alone. It was because it was real... It meant something. And that is what I was looking for.
It went beyond that though. The comments kept coming and developed into this little community. People responded to what I wrote, they responded to what other people wrote. And the community grew. It grew to the point were I really felt a little pressure. I got more attention than I anticipated. My friends entire family and many of his friends were following along. I received a compliment from one of the defense attorneys, I received emails from people across the country with interests in the case asking me questions. I tracked many page views from Detroit, (Which is were the federal courthouse that the trial was held at is.) and Washington D.C. The U.S. Marshalls at the courthouse began saying things like "Good-morning Jon." It was all a little overwhelming for me. So once the trial was over, I disappeared for about a month. I didn't give up, I just needed a little break.
I'm just an average guy. I don't always have a lot of time to sit down and read everyone's posts, and surf the web to look at fifty blogs. And to be honest it's not really how I want to spend my time anyway. I would rather be out taking pictures and building new experiences to share in my next post. And we all have to take the time to make the money. So my time spent on Bloggers.com is still pretty limited. I really do like the site. I have found some great blogs through Bloggers, and some very cool personalities. I intend to stay there for this reason. If you take the time to send me a friend invitation I'll accept... I like to interact with people. I'll even push the vote button for you. But I don't even know what voting does. I don't care. It's just another number on the screen for me. I'll follow your profile on Bloggers.com so I can see what your up too and what's new. But as far as following peoples blogs from their actual page... That's a little different.
Following someones blog through Google Friend Connect or my browser or similar methods is for things I am really interested in. I display it on my homepage. I use it for my blogroll on my own blog. I don't want it cluttered up with things I'm not interested in. I'm not trying to be rude or inconsiderate. But that's the facts Jack.
If I don't follow your blog, it doesn't mean I don't like it, it doesn't mean there is anything wrong with it. But I don't need to follow twenty tech blogs, I'm not that technical. I'm sorry but I don't want to follow fashion blogs, I wear ratty clothes and torn up shoes so if I get too hot while I'm fishing I can jump in the lake. I don't need ten video game guru's spoiling the fun of playing the game for myself.
When I first started blogging way back four months ago, I didn't include an open option to follow my blog. I didn't and really still don't care if someone follows publicly on my site. It's another number. I write about some controversial things and have some controversial opinions. I understand that you may not want to "subscribe" to my page as many people view that as subscribing to the content. It doesn't matter to me. I don't want "followers", I can't stand the word really. What I want is that community. The interaction of real people about real subjects whether we see eye to eye or not.
So I'm afraid I can not trade comment for comment, follow for follow, I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours. (Oh wait, that's a different topic, sorry.) I just don't have time for it all. If I connect with you on Bloggers, I will check out your blog if you have one. I'll check out your profile. I'll communicate if you want to... I'm usually a fairly pleasant fellow. But if I don't follow your blog, please, don't be offended. I don't care about racking up the numbers. I would rather take a long time and develop that community, with genuine people and genuine interest, than amass large quantities of page views as fast as I can.
One last note, If I follow your site... Don't feel like you have to follow mine. If you join the site and never return to read anything it doesn't really mean anything. It's not real. Don't do it. When you follow someone's blog I think you should follow it because you like it, because it inspired you, because it made you laugh or cry, because it made you stop and think, because it helped you in some way or another. Not to generate a number.
With that off my chest, I am off with the rest of my day. I really don't want to offend... Just trying to keep it real. Happy blogging Bloggers...
I started trying to find ways to gain a little exposure. I created profiles on a number of sites that I really had no intent of using very much. Sites like Reddit, Digg, and Stumbleupon. I posted my blog entries on G+ and Twitter. I did whatever I could think of to channel a little traffic to my blog. And it worked... To some extent. I directed some traffic to my page, but there was still no interaction. In a way it was more disappointing than not having any traffic at all.
So I tried to get smarter about this. I ran a couple of searches to look for blogging communities. I figured I could check out some other peoples blogs and get some ideas, and maybe find someone who's brain I could pick to get answers to some of my questions. I checked out several sites, and created several new accounts. But It was Bloggers.com that won my attention. Several people connected with me right off the bat. They sent me messages welcoming me to the site. People were really very friendly, and helpful with my questions. Now, I have limited time and I knew I would not be able to keep up with all these sites I had joined. So I chose to concentrate my efforts on Bloggers.com. I am happy with my decision, I really do like the community there. And yes it generated a little more traffic for my blog, but I have to admit I was still disappointed.
After three weeks of blogging I had received two comments. One from my mother and one from my cousin. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about who the comments were from, just that they were the only comments period. Bloggers changed that, sort of.
This is were I have developed my issue. Understand the word issue. It's not a complaint, or a problem, or anything I can't deal with. An issue is something you consider. Something your mind returns to and perplexes on. Something that just doesn't add up.
I did get some people to leave comments, but it was a trade. "Hey great blog, check out mine @http//etc. and join my page." Okay I'll bite, I'll play the game. And I visited some peoples sites, and I left some generic comments and received a few in return. But to me, for the most part, it was all pretty meaningless. It didn't satisfy what I anticipated for my blog. I got bored with it and I really didn't visit the site much for a while. I did find some great blogs, there were some that I continued to keep up with all along. Interesting, funny, and genuine people. Blogs that I really enjoy reading.
About a month into my blogging foray, something happened. I made my first Smoke and Mirrors post. There are twenty Smoke and Mirrors posts. It is too much to get into here. I followed a federal trial that a close friend of mine was involved in. I sat in the courtroom nearly every day, and when I had the time I wrote about it here. I was honest, straight forward, and passionate about what I wrote.
Then I got a comment on what I had wrote, from someone I didn't know, I had not left a comment on their page. I didn't even know if they had a page. I'm not going to quote this comment, but in my mind it translated to "Thanks for what you wrote Jon, it made a difference in my day." That was what I was I was looking for. It wasn't the thanks alone. It was because it was real... It meant something. And that is what I was looking for.
It went beyond that though. The comments kept coming and developed into this little community. People responded to what I wrote, they responded to what other people wrote. And the community grew. It grew to the point were I really felt a little pressure. I got more attention than I anticipated. My friends entire family and many of his friends were following along. I received a compliment from one of the defense attorneys, I received emails from people across the country with interests in the case asking me questions. I tracked many page views from Detroit, (Which is were the federal courthouse that the trial was held at is.) and Washington D.C. The U.S. Marshalls at the courthouse began saying things like "Good-morning Jon." It was all a little overwhelming for me. So once the trial was over, I disappeared for about a month. I didn't give up, I just needed a little break.
I'm just an average guy. I don't always have a lot of time to sit down and read everyone's posts, and surf the web to look at fifty blogs. And to be honest it's not really how I want to spend my time anyway. I would rather be out taking pictures and building new experiences to share in my next post. And we all have to take the time to make the money. So my time spent on Bloggers.com is still pretty limited. I really do like the site. I have found some great blogs through Bloggers, and some very cool personalities. I intend to stay there for this reason. If you take the time to send me a friend invitation I'll accept... I like to interact with people. I'll even push the vote button for you. But I don't even know what voting does. I don't care. It's just another number on the screen for me. I'll follow your profile on Bloggers.com so I can see what your up too and what's new. But as far as following peoples blogs from their actual page... That's a little different.
Following someones blog through Google Friend Connect or my browser or similar methods is for things I am really interested in. I display it on my homepage. I use it for my blogroll on my own blog. I don't want it cluttered up with things I'm not interested in. I'm not trying to be rude or inconsiderate. But that's the facts Jack.
If I don't follow your blog, it doesn't mean I don't like it, it doesn't mean there is anything wrong with it. But I don't need to follow twenty tech blogs, I'm not that technical. I'm sorry but I don't want to follow fashion blogs, I wear ratty clothes and torn up shoes so if I get too hot while I'm fishing I can jump in the lake. I don't need ten video game guru's spoiling the fun of playing the game for myself.
When I first started blogging way back four months ago, I didn't include an open option to follow my blog. I didn't and really still don't care if someone follows publicly on my site. It's another number. I write about some controversial things and have some controversial opinions. I understand that you may not want to "subscribe" to my page as many people view that as subscribing to the content. It doesn't matter to me. I don't want "followers", I can't stand the word really. What I want is that community. The interaction of real people about real subjects whether we see eye to eye or not.
So I'm afraid I can not trade comment for comment, follow for follow, I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours. (Oh wait, that's a different topic, sorry.) I just don't have time for it all. If I connect with you on Bloggers, I will check out your blog if you have one. I'll check out your profile. I'll communicate if you want to... I'm usually a fairly pleasant fellow. But if I don't follow your blog, please, don't be offended. I don't care about racking up the numbers. I would rather take a long time and develop that community, with genuine people and genuine interest, than amass large quantities of page views as fast as I can.
One last note, If I follow your site... Don't feel like you have to follow mine. If you join the site and never return to read anything it doesn't really mean anything. It's not real. Don't do it. When you follow someone's blog I think you should follow it because you like it, because it inspired you, because it made you laugh or cry, because it made you stop and think, because it helped you in some way or another. Not to generate a number.
With that off my chest, I am off with the rest of my day. I really don't want to offend... Just trying to keep it real. Happy blogging Bloggers...
im trying to start a blog, its called the boxedpinklemonade and i dont know how or what to blog about so im trying to read other peoples blog sites but i still dont get it!!!!
ReplyDeleteWell... Reading other peoples blogs is a good way to get some ideas to start with. But you can write about whatever you want. Your hobbies, your beliefs, your opinions. You can blog about anything really. I'm kind of new to the game myself. I try to write about things that are interesting to me, and that I am at least somewhat knowledgeable about. I think that makes it easier to keep it interesting for others. Whatever you write about be real, be honest, and be yourself. The rest will fall into place. Good luck with your blogging adventures... And thanks for checking out mine. I will try to find your blog so I can see what you come up with.
DeleteJon, I just loved the way you have been so honest, up-front and straight-to-the-point about how you feel with blogging. No messing around. I totally see what you mean here as when it comes to blogging, we all know what we want out of it, but it doesn't always happen that way.
ReplyDeleteI only started in Jan 2012 and almost cried when I got my first comment and follower because I never believed anyone would find my blog let alone read it and follow it. As I started to get comments I then began to panic because I thought I would not be able to respond in a proper manner. I still get panicked every week trying to come up with a post that I think would cause the reader to interact with me.
Keeping up with all the blogs is very very hard because it does take a heck of a lot of time to read something and then comment if needed (I try to take it in turns to visit all the blogs I follow and those whom I have befriended etc) and trying to get your blog noticed is another issue (and hard work) especially if you are like me and not technically minded.
Jon, do what you can when you can, as you may enjoy it more that way. I will do my utmost to visit you when I can and I don't say this lightly. (I know you are not asking me to). I admire the fact of you wanting to build up a community, that is what blogging should be all about, not racking up high stats.
Once again, I just loved the way you wrote about this. :)