My inspiration for this post came from my dear, longtime blogging friend, Debbie @ Musings by an ND Domer's Mom, who is not only a gifted...
First, let me say that I never thought I would be blogging.
A little over three years ago while in a Border’s Bookstore, I just so happened to pick up a book on blogging, and after reading a few chapters I thought to myself, “Why would anyone do this, what‘s the point?”
And yet, I think it’s funny how I now write for three blogs and have met people from all over the world through this wonderful medium.
How I felt three years ago, and what I’ve discovered about blogging since then has changed considerably.
Today, I would like to share some of the things I discovered along the way…
Stats: When I first starting blogging I was obsessed with stats. I wanted to know how many people linked to me, what my google ranking was, how many hits I got a day, and how many people were burning my feed. I spent more time checking my stats than I did writing for my blog.
Now, I can’t say I no longer look at these things, but I look much less because I’ve discovered that if I just enjoy writing my posts, then those who are meant to come, will come.
Commenting and readership: For however much I love getting comments, I’ve realized that commenting does not always equal readership. Not everyone who reads my blog will comment because not everything I write will inspire someone to say something. I don’t always comment on every blog I read, so I don’t expect others to do the same on mine. I also realize that some people just read my blog and may never comment - that’s their choice.
Changes: This blog has a life of it's own. What I initially intended this blog to be has changed. What I was also first willing to share about myself has changed. I’ve tried doing a number of different things with this blog throughout the past two years - some of which worked for me, and others did not. Blogging has taught me to take chances by experimenting with new ideas. It never hurts to try.
Taking a break: It’s important for me to know when to take a break, so I don’t get burned out. When I first started doing this I worried that I would lose readers, but I realized that by taking a week off, gave me time to recharge and come back fresh. I usually take a break every 3-4 months.
Writing for myself: A blog is not singular, therefore, I must always consider my readers when it comes to things such as: varying my topic choices, writing my posts so that they’re clearly understood, respond to comments in a timely manner, and offer my readers a blog design that’s interesting, but doesn’t distract them from what they stopped by to do…read.
I consider my readers as if they were coming to visit me in my home. I want their visit to be comfortable, easy, and to feel appreciated. But when it comes to my topics I write for myself because if I start conforming my topics to my readers, then I’m not being true to what inspires me. I’m very blessed with this blog to have a wide variety of readers who are open. My topics may not always be something they initially identify with, but they’re at least receptive to read about it.
Blogging is a journey. And the longer I take the journey, the more I discover.
In concluding this post, I would like to share the most important thing I’ve discovered about blogging….passion.
Because when I’m passionate, my readers will always be willing to come along for the ride.
Thanks, everyone!
*Please feel free to share things you may have discovered about blogging.
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