For the two or three people who actually read this blog, I have a question. Do you have any ideas for how to make this blog more popular?
I'm working on posting more often, and with different and varied topics. Any other ideas? I value your opinions, dear readers, and I would like to hear MORE of them. Please, speak to me. I, the DilKing, will listen.
Blogging is so passé now, that's the problem. Social networking sites have done away with them. Nobody wants to read blogs. Still, some blogs out there are popular. Most, however, only exist at the pleasure of the author. A sort of public journal that others *may* read from time to time, but which most won't.
ReplyDeleteHere's a few tips:
1) Don't try so hard. It's obvious, and people see right through it.
2) Don't care about whether your blog is popular or not. Just write what you want to write because YOU want to write about anything and EVERYTHING that strikes your fancy. Within reason, of course.
3) Put a disclaimer in some of your more important blog posts asking lurkers to please come out of the shadows and comment. Point out how easy it is to do so.
4) This is very important, that I see many newbie bloggers not do: Try responding to people when they *do* make comments. If I'm going to take the time to comment on something you wrote, it's nice to get an acknowledgment from the blog's originator. Maybe even a retort. This builds a nice rapport with your readers, which might make them want to comment again in the near future.
Really, though, just give it time. I've accumulated readers through normal means: going to blogs of friends, and friends of friends, introducing myself and leaving comments. Some people return the favor, and if you two click, you've just earned yourself another reader.
In the end, I don't expect to get many readers. As of right now I average 15 unique visitors to my blog a day. I know because I have a counter installed that only I have access to. It tells me who visited, when, the means by which they reached my blog, which country they live in, their IP address, etc. Sometimes I see that someone came to my blog from their own blog, and then I visit that blog and if I like what I read, I introduce myself.
Facebook is good for this, too; getting the word out to read your blog. But you're already doing this.
Anyway, it takes time. Just be patient and consistent with your blogging. Good luck!
Thank you, David. I appreciate the info.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, the fact that I have 4 followers, 2 of which I don't know personally, is a point of pride for me! And someone I don't know, AT ALL, commented on the Solomon Kane posting. That was AWESOME!
Personally, I love blogs. They're cool and easier to keep up with than forums.
I don't plan to get any readers at all, but I'm working on being a bit more ambitious and agressive. I figured the blog would be a good safe starting point. Plus, I was wondering if there was anything I could do to increase it's popularity.