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.
Discover more from Mikes Film Talk
Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email.
I would not be surprised! LOL
If the timing sounds right, I bet you have your explanation right there 😉
Total bummer! I’ve read about the google search change, but I’ve not really paid a lot of attention. If things get too complex or require me to do too much research, I tend to tune out. lol But yeah, I think that does have something to do with it. :-/
You’ve certainly had some interesting posts, Mike. I know I’ve been here a couple of times in the last week or so. And that’s a hefty number of followers. 😀 So, I assume you’re gonna be doing alright. LOL
You mentioned your stats dropping… I just assume youre aware of the changes to Google Image Search? Even if youre not an image heavy blog, that’s gotta impact you. I think its been 3 weeks or a month now…
My stats were cut in half by it 🙁
Reblogged this on filmhipster and commented:
Great Article by Mike last week. Just in case anyone missed it.
Thank you very, very much!! Cheers mate!!
Wow, I could have not said that any better. I really couldn’t, I’m a horrible writer.
I think by meeting the wonderful movie/non-movie bloggers in the community is the greatest reward. Do I try to do things to get more views? Of course. But what it boils down to is getting your core group and keeping them and yourself happy, Hits or no not.
Great article my friend!
You’re welcome!
Oh! And thanks mate!! 😀
LOL
Nah, Mike, you’re just a cool blogger!
I think that I am just a numbers junkie! LOL
Every time I get a notice of another follower I rub my hands together and say “Yes, yes my plan is coming together nicely. soon it will be time.” Page views never crossed my mind.
Agreed. Blogging is much more about caring and sharing. It opens up a lot of avenues of creativity that would otherwise remain out of reach. 😀
Well thank you so much! If I were younger I’d be blushing right now. But as you say, it’s nice to have your own space that allows you to air your thoughts. Thanks for sharing mate!! 😀
I have around 180 followers and it goes up 1 every other month, I get regular commenters and visitors from people who aren’t even following the blog. Must have bookmarked me or something. I think the best thing to get people around is to interact a lot with them 😀
I’m pretty new to whole blogging thing here – going on around 3 months now.
I’m just happy when the people that look at my stuff like or comment, like you say – that feels great. I’m amazed though at how addictive it can get once you start: writing and photos that I would have kept to myself before I can share now with a few people and it’s cool to just put things out there instead of letting them be forgotten.
I used to write for my high school newspaper and trying out blogging I find it’s really liberating to have your own space where you can put out whatever you want without restrictions of what to do. I think that’s a really valuable thing. You can make a small space on the internet your own.
I love what you are doing with your space Mike ! 🙂
Very welcome
Well said and amen! It is always nice to get another follower and it does make the writing seem that little bit more worth while. Cheers mate!!
Hi Mike I can get a shed of views from all manner of link sharing sites but nothing comes close to getting a follow a like or a comment like ‘nice review’. I love my own process of writing and the satisfaction of getting it posted and seeing how people like it. Like you it’s hard to do all this and walk for your heart and live the day to day and appreciate what other write, which is something I have striven for recently. Followers would logically get more views and notice but reciprocation and quality work is the core for me.
It is puzzling, but then if it was too easy, we’d all be doing it…wait a minute… LOL
Ah! That was my keeping a lid on the peanut gallery! LOL Cheers mate!
Don’t feel like the Lone Ranger, I have the exact same problem! Cheers mate!
I agree with you dude, I see some excellent blogs get no love at all, and they are much better writers than others, I guess they just aren’t active enough on other blogs to get noticed, I don’t know.
Views and followers may not be equal to each other but they do give us encouragement that others appreciating what we do. Views have dropped for this past while for me and I’ve been blogging yet again like a crazy lady for the first half of the month.
And what are you talking about, “not that interesting”…your blogs keep me totally occupied and entertained during my lunch break all the time 🙂
Although views aren’t everything, like you I enjoy checking them out and it gives you a high if you see that they are up. One thing which also helps in increasing your views is just visiting and commenting on other blogs, but that takes a lot of time and I usually have an insane backlog of posts I still should read, but usually never get around to reading. Looking at my mail at the moment there are 220 unread blog posts. Wish I had the time to read and comment as they all are deserving of the attention and time, but I simply do not have that.
I really hate auto correct.
They weighted the search engines. I’m getting auto corrected.
My numbers are down too … assassinate many bloggers. Google’s changes to their search algorithms has impacted graphics bloggers the most, but it has affected everyone to some degree. Try googling tags you know you’ve included and see how few of your posts come up. They necessitated the search engines (Yahoo too) heavily in favor of commercial customers. If you buy advertising, you bump to the head of the line. If you are a business, but don’t buy ads, you come in number two. The rest of us can duke it out for whatever remains. I used to be all over the search engines and now I’m invisible.
Google got whacked in court for playing favourites with commercial organizations, but no one said they can’t scrap all over us. We don’t make money for them. I keep telling people this, but everyone thinks I’m talking about some other bloggers. It’s ALL of us.
What does the 1337 stand for? I’m not sure, but I think my best day was around 1100, and that only happened twice. But I had been getting steady daily counts around 300 and that’s dropped to around 200, give or take a dozen or so. And it happened exactly when the algorithms were changed.
It’s not you. Buy ads on Google. Watch your numbers soar!
It really is a mystery, i agree. I post reasonably regularly and comment on others’ blogs a fair bit and try and get into discussions, yet there are other blogs who don’t seem to be doing anything majorly different who always get shed loads more likes and comments. Then there are other blogs that I think are brilliant and better than mine that hardly get anything. I think social media is playing a big part. I don’t use it as much as I should for my blog but others use it a lot and it’s quite often those who are making waves with their site.