Like most bloggers, I get excited when I gain another follower. But does this addition of another follower equal more views? The easy answer is: not necessarily.
Why?
Well, because, like you, they are busy people. The increase of a following retinue does not equate to increased popularity or the ascension of your views per day. Search engines are responsible for your views or lack of them and adequate tagging is what guarantees success in that avenue.
If you are like me and you are too busy writing to read too many other blogs, don’t feel guilty. I know I attempt to read as many posts as possible, but everyday life keeps getting in the way. I read very fast and I still cannot get through too many blog posts at any given time.
Besides writing my blog, I write fiction, read books, watch films and I also cook the tea and do the housework and go on walks for my heart. So even though I follow other blogs, I find it difficult to read other posts. But I try.
Still, it seems that the real key to getting your blog posts seen is proper tagging. WordPress give a few valuable hints and they do help. There must be something that I’m missing though, because my view counts have been dropping.
I know, I can hear you whispering back there. You’re saying to yourselves that the counts are dropping because my posts are not that interesting are they. Well maybe not, but after reading a lot of other blogs I am at least “on par” with most of them. But some other blog posts will always be better than mine. I can only dream of writing with such clarity, wit, and uniqueness.
Still, I try to tag my posts correctly and gain as many views per post as possible.
Now, don’t get me wrong here. I am not complaining. I get way more views per post than I ever did (and still do on Tumblr) or on Blogger.com. I am still not sure why, either. In many ways, despite the fact that I’ve been blogging for almost two years now; the mysteries of blogging are still that; mysteries.
But to be honest, I never worry too much about views per post. I tend to upload on average two to three posts per day, sometimes more. I look at the overall views and accept that some days are just not “busy” days. Wednesday’s, for example, are historically slow for my site. I don’t know why either, perhaps folks are too busy celebrating that the week is half over.
All more followers equal is a lot of folks who like what you do and will drop by to have a look now and then. There will always be a “core” group of these followers who almost religiously stop by and not only like what you’re doing but comment as well. This core is always appreciated, even when they do not agree with your viewpoint.
I read blogs that profess to hold the secrets to “good” blogging which in turn will guarantee your own blogs success. The tips are all pretty much the same. “Stay focused, tag well, have a good SEO, blah, blah and blah.” I think that the definition of your blog’s success lies with you and your own definition.
Like beauty being in the eye of the beholder, you will have your own benchmarks as to what makes your blog successful. If you are a business oriented blog, sales and sales enquiries will dictate your success or lack thereof. If you write just to make yourself heard, then views will be your gauge.
I do not believe that there is one standard blogging formula that “fits all.” We are all a pretty diverse section of mankind. Like our fellow-man, our likes and dislikes vary. Not too much though as we often find other people who feel as we do, just not necessarily exactly the same and that is what makes life interesting.
I will admit to being a “stat’s” junkie. I will check my view counts throughout the day and cheer when I’ve apparently hit a chord with folks and gotten “lots” of views and grouse when I don’t (usually on a Wednesday). I have quite a few followers and I love them all, even when they do not agree with my opinions. But having these followers does not mean that I get more views.
So gaining followers does not equate to more views per post, it does however equate to finding other people (spelt bloggers) who feel as you do. Or at least who want to communicate with you; either to agree or disagree or to just “like” what you’ve written.
And, to me, that makes blogging worth it.
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