When I read Dani’s post, Up My Own Ass, a few months ago, I couldn’t help but feel her blogging frustration. It was as though she had taken the words right out of my mouth.
How many times have we worked so hard on our blog posts, researched the heck out of it, taken the best pictures we could, wrote the best we did, all in hopes that they will be well-received and that it will drive traffic into our blogs in big waves?
Instead, the reaction was abysmal. You get maybe 2-3 comments on the post you worked so bloody hard on. So where’s the traffic? Where are the comments?
Hang on a minute. The frantic thoughts begin to rush in. Was something wrong with Google Analytics? Was it not registering the figures of the traffic that should be overflowing from that what-I-thought-was amazing post I just wrote? Was something wrong with the RSS feed, that it was not delivering that post to my readers? Why weren’t they coming in? Why weren’t they leaving comments on this post, the one that took me so long to write? I had put in so much hard work!
The funny thing is, that frivilous article that took me 5 minutes to write? The one that I thought was just a filler post? Well, it generated heaps of comments. Surely my readers want something more substantial. Don’t they?
Doubt and confusion flood our thoughts. What’s going on here?
I’ve been there. I still go there. Got up on my own pedestal and high horse, thinking that I was all that just because I blogged about something I thought was awesome, but it wasn’t really. It’s frustrating because it had absolutely nothing to do with you. It’s me. My pride was in jeopardy. My ego was bruised.
Sometimes it’s these sort of great expectations that become our blogging downfall. We were writing for ourselves and not our readers. We forget that it’s not about us, it’s about them. You might disagree with me, and that we should blog just whatever it is we want. It is our blog after all, isn’t it? Well, without our readers, it’s not a blog. It might just as well be another website lost in the sea of the Internet.
It’s time I get off my high horse, dust that ego off, and move on. Start thinking what it is that my readers want. Talk to them. Listen to them.
Great expectations. It’s time to bring them down a notch, because I have to learn that it’s not always about me.
I am still a little baffled 😉 But one thing I’ve learned along this blogging journey is to blog with honesty and passion. After all, I started my blog mainly because I wanted to share my love of beauty products. I try to make my posts as informative as possible but there are times when I just throw out something a bit trivial and it will be a hit with readers. I guess I’m still trying to find the right balance between what I’d like to blog about and what readers would like to read.
One thing I’m still struggling with is engaging my readers. Social media helps to a certain extent but I can’t find time to keep up with all the various networks. Work is a factor and I’ve been doing 60 hour weeks that I only have the weekends to squeeze all my blogging in. It’s tough because I’d like to bring out quality content daily but the networking takes a backseat.
lyn recently posted..Comparison and Review of Eyeshadow Primers from Various Brands
Lyn: It’s difficult to keep up with social media when you’re busy 🙁 Sometimes, at the end of the day, you just want to come home, and not deal with people. I totally get that. Doesn’t really help either when the weekend comes, and not that many people are on Twitter or Facebook (it’s something I’ve noticed for a long time now. People tweet when they’re at work. During the weekends, not so much :P).
Instead of just doing reviews, how about asking questions on your posts? I find this highly effective to engage with readers. I also found the WP plugin, ReplyMe, very useful. I’ve certainly noticed my readers come back more to leave comments when they know that there’s a reply for them. Before the plugin, not so much.
I hope these might help. Definitely understand the frustration 🙂
Don’t scorn your uncommented upon serious well researched reviews. They’re what make our sites google-able, make them an archive of knowledge and what makes our readers want to engage with us when we do post something a little less serious.
It also, I believe, ensures you get readers you like. This may sound odd but think about the difference in comments from readers of the NYT vs The Daily Mail and you’ll see what I mean.
If you turn your blog over entirely to frivolity you may increase readership and get more comments but at the risk of winding up with a population that mirrors YouTube.
kahani recently posted..Part 2 of Surviving a Nightmare with review of L’oreal Open Eyes Pro Palette in Smokey Brown
Kahani: Love your comment, Em! I certainly don’t want to end up like the hundreds and thousands of, well, what you’d call the population that mirrors YouTube. Oh yeah, I get what you mean by comments on the Daily Mail. Can’t believe I used to read that on a regular basis when in the UK *shudder*
Oh I read Daily Mail too… I can’t help it. You start on one relatively well written innocuous piece and then you get sucked in and pretty soon you’re paddling around the weird end with the boob jobs and the funny tans. Then you feel like you need a shower.
It’s a guilty pleasure.
But check google analytics again. You’ll find that those solidly researched pieces are STILL getting hits 3 years on and will keep drawing readers to your site from Google.
kahani recently posted..Part 2 of Surviving a Nightmare with review of L’oreal Open Eyes Pro Palette in Smokey Brown
Kahani: Hehehehe I know, right? Plus they give out free CDs almost on a weekly basis. I think I collected about 50 in those 3 years 😛
Good idea to check Google Analytics again. You know what, it’s been almost 3 years since I wrote a silly lil’ post about Megan Fox and her having acne too, and until today, Megan Fox is still number 2 in my keywords list. Ehhh?? 😛
I know exactly that feeling, the posts I slave over seem to get the least comments and then I feel disheartened but you can never predict what the audience reaction to a post is going to be. I don’t check my analytics all that often but whenever I do I’m always surprised at what posts seem to get the most hits on my website. It’s important to see what your readers are interested in but I still tend to just blog about whatever I feel like!
Megan recently posted..Mirenesse 24 Hour Secret Weapon Mascara
Megan: I guess that’s the wonder in blogging; you never know what your readers’ reaction would be. It’s funny isn’t it, when you find out that the posts you don’t expect to have a lot of response from would generate the most views and comments? It’s interesting (and sometimes frustrating) that the ones we worked the most on don’t achieve the same results. Even more so when something you think is safe to write about suddenly attract a negative reaction. That’s the one I’m most afraid of.
Its quite boggling sometimes I will have to agree with you. Some posts you think “I’m onto a winner here!” doesn’t get the sort of reception you thought it would while another that you go “Oh I better bang something out before the mob comes banging on my door” gets an overwhelming response. Ultimately, I’ve learnt to just blog for myself and leave a piece for the readers. Its allows them to bite if they want to but if they don’t, I’m glad to have written it anyway. I have also learned to lower expectations and Kahani is right. Whatever we write, serious or not, has search engine worthy factor. Although I do find that the most random of my old posts turn up in the searches all the time. The ones I wish would, don’t 😛
Paris B recently posted..Insta-Updates: Spot the brushes!
Paris B: I was just telling Kahani that my number 2 post on my blog, after all these years, is still that silly lil’ post I did on Megan Fox. Funny how things turned out, right? 😛
Oh how I know what you mean. The posts that I really want people to take note of, and the reaction is MEH. The posts that I’m meh about usually get more attention. Goes to show, you can’t predict what the people want. And that makes it, well, pretty interesting! 🙂
Testify! I couldnt have said it better myself. I have thought the same thing (although my blog is very new). I have very quickly found that the posts that I spent the longest time one, and the most blood sweat and tears are the ones that have the least response. I don’t take it personally thankfully but its definitely something worth thinking about. Great post! I laughed at the ‘Up My Own Ass’ title as well, I havent had the chance to read it but most definitely will.
You know the post on my blog that has had the most hits? One where I painted my nails on a whim, with no intention to put it up on the blog. Then decided to take a snap or two and put it up there. And what do you know… its the most popular! lol! 🙂
Kaye recently posted..Beauty Cupboard Raid: Estee Lauder Deluxe Eyeshadow Palette
Kaye: Paris B and Kahani said it well in the comments – it doesn’t matter if your well-researched and written posts do not attract immediate comments, because they are the ones which will be indexed by Google and will stand out in search engines in future. To be honest, I didn’t think of that, and it really is a relief because in hindsight, I do have some good ones which people still go back to, despite the initial lack of reaction 🙂
Haha I know, right? Mine’s the post about Megan Fox. Till today it’s #2 most popular. I think to myself all the time – why?? 😛
Do have a read on Dani’s post. In fact, check out her blog. I’m a fan 🙂
Thats a really good point. The idea behind the posts that I put alot of effort into are that they can be something anyone can refer back to 10 years from now. It is a relief to know, thanks for pointing that out through what Paris B and Kahani said 🙂
lol Megan Fox. Its so random.
Kaye recently posted..Beauty Cupboard Raid: Estee Lauder Deluxe Eyeshadow Palette
Kaye: I know, right?? Very random! Hahaha 😀
Aww thanks Tine xx
Danimezza (@Danimezza) recently posted..Female For Life: Part Four
I think it depends on what you want out of your blog. I started blogging just coz I wanted to write for myself. It was a creative outlet for ‘me’. That people started reading & commenting was the cherry on the cake. And while I love having readers, I decided a while back that I would blog only about whatever I wanted, because I would only be able to write genuinely about those things. After all, the cherry wouldn’t have meaning without the cake 😀
Poohkie recently posted..My current favourite red lipstick – Maybelline Ruby Lustre
Poohkie: Good on you. Love how you said that the cherry wouldn’t have any meaning without the cake. I’d take the cake anytime; anything else on top is a bonus.
Man I suck at metaphors, don’t I? 😛
so true Tine 🙂 this has happened quite a few times now and yes, it does disappoint a lot.
Swati recently posted..Are you keeping track of UV Index? {Sunscreen}
Swati: Yes it does. But we keep going, because we like what we do, and we’re just suckers for punishment. Hee hee hee! 😛
Sorry for the late comment, but I totally know what you mean. It’s a little disheartening when you put heaps of effort into some posts but the response is just “meh”, but ah well… I write for the blog because it’s something I enjoy. And I wouldn’t change that for the world. Readers comments are a plus! =)
Syen recently posted..Part 2 of Surviving a Nightmare with review of L’oreal Open Eyes Pro Palette in Smokey Brown
Syen: Well said, Syen. Sometimes I forget that comments are a bonus 🙂
I know this feeling ALL too well. It’s still a bit of a mystery to me as a fairly new blogger because I see my subscribers increasing but it’s like playing to an empty room. People subscribe but rarely comment & I don’t get it. Then sometimes the posts that like you said, take seconds to write get the most action. I just try to write from my heart & stay authentic & on topic with the expectation set in my About page. I’m 4months in & know the first year is often the hardest so as long as I keep enjoying it, I’m trying not to think too much about the lack of interaction for now.
VNikol recently posted..love on yourself @ size 2 or 22
VNikol: It takes time. I know it’s so easy to say, and it’s frustrating as hell, but it really does take time. When I first started blogging, it was like talking to the wall. I’d be asking the wall questions. I spoke to the wall for months before someone finally came into the room, peeked in, said hello and if they were in the right or wrong room 😛
I think it helps when you interact with other bloggers via their blogs and social media. After a while, they’ll come to you and wonder who you are who leaves comments on their blogs 🙂
Wow thanks for the “post love” and the irony is that the post I wrote about writing a great post getting no love has received more love that the post I worked so hard on 😛
Danimezza (@Danimezza) recently posted..Female For Life: Part Four