I'm going to be honest. I struggle, sometimes, with this blog. I will often spend hours (hours, people, I'm not exaggerating) on a post and discover that no one has read it. Some days, I will take five minutes to write about a ridiculous outfit I am wearing and it will become the most highly trafficked post in the history of this blog (I'm serious).
I use this space to write what I enjoy writing, to share what I love to share, to learn what I can from all of you. I know that other blogs have a lot more to offer and I'm not interested in competing with them. I just give you myself and my thoughts and hope that's enough.
The friendships and connections I have made through blogging have been invaluable. So, I do not worry about how many followers I have or how many comments I get. But I do worry that there is a preference for posts I don't write...if that makes sense. That people would prefer I write about what I'm wearing (skinny jeans, brown boots, a long black sweater with a cowl neck. Yes, I believe in wearing black and brown together, fyi) or some other content I have not been giving.
Anyway, that's what I'm thinking about today. Or worrying about. Sometimes I feel as if I have a worry list and before I go to bed I check my worries off. Did I worry about this today? Did I worry about that? This issue I speak of is on it. I don't know why. Don't ask me. It just is.
I wonder, do you worry about content for your blog? Am I the only one?
Sometimes I worry about it, but mostly I just write what feels important to me at the time I sit down to write. It could be about my family, my clothes, the state of the world, my hopes and dreams, my plans for dinner.
ReplyDeleteThe relationships I have with other bloggers is what's important to me too. Not everyone who reads my blog will care about everything I have to say. But if it helps me to say it, then I will :)
Does that make ANY sense??
I think it makes perfect sense, Becca and Melissa. I, too, can labor about some dumb post for hours or days and it's always the posts that I didn't give much thought to that seem to get the most traffic.
ReplyDeleteBut...who cares? Blogging is therapy, it's fun, and as long as I don't take it too seriously, it makes me happy.
P.S. I believe in wearing black and brown together too...:)
I TOTALLY wear brown with black. ;)
ReplyDeleteI think we all worry about this to some degree. Frankly, it feels good to have someone read your stuff and take the time to comment.
Still, the reason I love your blog is because you're always you (in every post I've ever read . . . though I may have missed the fashion one.) I say just continue what you're doing and just enjoy. I know I do. :D
Janet speaks an important truth. We love your blog because we love you.
ReplyDeleteI do the same thing - a few of my latest posts have been ones I worked really hard on and hoped to get feedback going, and they sit dead. They get views, but no comments. Kinda frustrating. Especially when "popular" bloggers share one pic or sentence and get 700 comments - even though those comments ARE just "So cute!" or "Hehe!" Fickle internet.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I worry because everyone seems so focused on having a, well.. FOCUS for your blog/identity/etc. Then I look at my followers and there are many who followed me from the A to Z challenge, from other writers' blogs, from guys' blogs, etc. So I know they like a variety of things, but bottom line is they like ME (I hope). If they don't like a particular post they might skip over it, but I take that how I would in person - maybe someone just doesn't want to have that particular conversation with me.
That being said, I read your blog because I like YOU. And I read every post but don't comment too often because I can't think of things to say or, as this comment shows, think of too MUCH to say...
I think everyone has felt like this. Some of my most popular posts have me scratching my head too :)
ReplyDeleteWell, personally, I'd rather read about your writing experiences than your skinny jeans, but maybe that's just because I don't look good in skinny jeans and I'm jealous! :D
ReplyDeleteI think the Blogger stats are nonsense. My most popular post ever (according to the stats) is about The Tooth Fairy, and most of my referrals come from a blog I've never heard of (and has no link to my site).
As for comments, I never know what will attract the most comments -- and I never get more than a handful. Meanwhile I see other bloggers who write not much more than: "Hiya guys! I have nothing to say today!" and get 40 comments.
It's a mystery, but I love it anyway.
Hi Melissa! I'm the same - I worry about what I'm writing on my blog, LOL! But usually I'm interested in about anything fellow writers want to share about, particularly about writing and stuff. But it's also interesting to read about fashion from time to time, or food. After all, we also live lives and we still do what normal people do. So, you're not alone, Melissa! Whatever you write, I think that most people read them. I must be honest, sometimes I read and lurk but unable to comment when in a hurry :)
ReplyDeleteI am celebrating Friendship/s this Thanksgiving on my blog! Hope you can come and visit. Hugs!
Happy Thanksgiving, my friend. I looove your blog. Do not change a thing! And I wear black and brown together too. But skinny jeans? *jealous* Anyway, I have been a bad blogging bud and promise to do better.
ReplyDeleteSmooches pal. :-) I heart you.
Like you, some of my posts are given great thought, with notes and everything all around my computer. Then others slide off me like water. I don't know. People read and like what hits them right that day; other days they may be in the mood for heavier content.
ReplyDeleteI've been worrying about my blog lately because I seem to be losing more followers than I'm gaining and I think what's going on? But then it's just a blog, meh, so whatever.
ReplyDeleteI worry about this all the time. It's natural, I think.
ReplyDeleteWith your blog, I always read, but I don't always comment. Sometimes you have these beautifully written posts and I feel like my "great post!" or "this was awesome!" feels sort of trite. And I don't really know what else to say, because my comments are generally pretty lame. So, for me, anyway, the ones I don't comment on, I don't comment because I don't feel like my silly comment will add anything to your already awesome post. :-)
Happy Thanksgiving!
I know exactly how you feel Melissa! The worst part is, the posts I write that I love the most are never the most popular (they're usually the ones I spend hours on), and the ones I'm more cavalier about receive the positive feedback. Sometimes I feel like I can't win for losing.
ReplyDeleteBut then I keep thinking, if I'm being true to my writing style and focusing on putting forth the best content I can, it'll all work out in the end. Right?