01 - Do blogs need readers? The answer is probably no because a blog can exist without readers. But why would you create a blog if not for someone to read it and respond to it? Long-time bloggers, new bloggers, they all want readers, right? I know I do because I don't want to be talking to myself on my blog (which I probably am most times.) So I welcome readers. I welcome comments, good or bad, long or short. Getting responds/comments is the best thing about blogging. It shows we're not posting in vain.
02 - Maybe after blogging for so many years, I'm too lazy to work on building an audience and I'm tired of trying to get readers to come to my blog. Often, I find having hundreds of readers versus just a few, makes little difference. Or maybe I don't care as much as I used to or maybe I'm just lazy.
03 - Often times I find most bloggers fear losing readers especially when they go on a hiatus/blog break. I have the same fear but then again, I go on a hiatus every week. But I do understand why some bloggers apologize for their absence or lack of posts when they do go on a hiatus. Readers can forget about your blog if you don't post regularly but I believe as long as you're blogging and as long as you're commenting on blogs, you will have readers. But then again, that might be foolish thinking. Readers can come when they want to. Readers can leave when they want to. No one's in control of readers except readers.
04 - I really like the 'you comment on my blog and I return a comment on your blog' method of blogging but I don't think you have to comment for the sake of returning a comment and I don't think you should match (the amount), comment for comment either. I hope that people return comments because they sincerely want to and not because they are obligated to do so. And sometimes it's just nice to return comments.
05 - I'm a picky, moody reader who habitually doesn't leave comments even when I want to. If I don't comment, it's not because I've stopped liking your blog. There are times I write comments and then delete them without posting them for reasons I don't always know. I think most times, I say irrelevant things unrelated to the post I'm commenting on or perhaps I think what I say might offend the blogger. I have lots of excuses for not leaving a comment but most of them are frivolous. Sometimes I think whatever I say means very little.
06 - I don't know why a reader would just stop coming around. A few reasons that I can speculate is I didn't comment on their blog or I didn't comment enough on their blog or I offend them somehow (I'm too timid to say anything offending but who knows what can offend someone) or they have forgotten to come by or simply they are no longer interested in what I post. I can go on and on but who needs a reason to stop doing something?
07 - What keeps me from being a loyal readers is readability, content and if something offends me. If I have trouble reading your blog, it's likely I wouldn't return a second time. I'm sorry to say white or color text on black or dark background has been hard for me to read so I avoid blogs set like that but once in a while, I'll attempt to read blogs with this setting but not a lot. I also find if your header or blog background is too jarring for my eye, I don't visit as often either.
If what you post (your content) doesn't interest me or if you talk about things that I prefer not to read about, then I don't come back. So maybe my interests are pretty narrow but I often find most blogs I read don't just post about one thing so I always find something that interest me. Being a loyal reader shouldn't require hard work to get interested in your content.
There has not been a blog that offended me yet (not that I can remember). There is a blog or two that has a header that I find, not offensive, but maybe a bit on the not family-friendly side. I'm a prude, I suppose. If you curse (use profanity) on your blog, I have no issues with this which I suppose it's contradicting to being a prude but cursing is sometimes required when talking about certain things.
I don't want to say I'm a loyal reader because I don't always comment, I don't always return visits and I don't always remember what I had said on a blog but once I like a blog/blogger, I'll stick to them until they stop blogging or until they decide to change their content to something I don't like.
Do you think blogs need readers? If you're a blogger, do you try to gain readers or do you let fate or whatever decide for you?
You say: "I really like the 'you comment on my blog and I return a comment on your blog' method of blogging" well I think this is a strnge fish, for if I do not comment,then what? Who's to start. Am I always to comment first to get comments on my blog or how does this relly work! It's kind of like a pyramid game to me or is there a secret here I do not grsp?
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm so with you on the white on black. I have stopped following several blogs for this reason.
DeleteI'm not good at commenting either, and I'm not good at just making polite noises either. So I suppose I at least am repulsive now and then.
Charlotte: That 'you comment, I comment' idea is not ideal and probably is like a pyramid scheme but it's just nice to return comments. If there is a new reader to my blog, I would make a return visit and comment which can lead to regular readers so mostly, it's better for new readers.
DeleteI think here you mean impulsive, repulsive seems to mean discourage or repel. I used to be impulsive and just leave comments without thinking what I'm saying but I guess I have gotten to the point where I think way too much on what I'm saying so much that I end up not wanting to say anything.
Have a lovely day.
And thank you for stopping by.
DeleteI don't look for readers - and am grateful for those I have. I do return comments if someone new comments on my blog.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, sometimes I read and cannot think of anything to say.
PS: If there is something on my blog you find jarring please let me know. I won't promise to change it, but I will think about it.
DeleteElephant's Child: I also try to comment if someone new comments on my blog, I only wish I can do it a little faster.
DeleteI guess it's easier to comment when you're just starting to blog because you're not yet used to it but after a while, the words seems not to be there or if there, it just kind didn't want to be said.
Your blog looks fine to me, there's nothing that makes me want to turn my eyes away.
Thank you for stopping by. Have a lovely day.
It's funny what you say about losing readers... sometimes I go back and look at old posts and I'll see a commenter who's not blogging anymore and it's always kind of sad. So many people dip in and out of this hobby. You lose track of some of them...
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty much with you on #7 as well.
Greg: It's true, I miss so many bloggers who are not blogging anyway, it's just so sad.
Delete#7 - I'm just rambling there but I'm glad you agreed with me.
Thank you for stopping by. Have a lovely day.
I love to have people respond to my blog. Even it just to say "Hi" I really like collage of things of what blogger might post about. One day a recipe and other day there grand child birthday.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on and stay safe
Peppylady (Dora): I also like having people dropping by and saying 'hi' but often, they only stop by once which isn't bad at all.
DeleteIt's true, people blog about so many things that we can all find something to like in a blog.
Thank you for stopping by. Have a lovely day.
I agree with #4, I really like that method too. It has allowed me to meet a lot of new readers and find new blogs to follow.
ReplyDeleteAs for audience of ones blog, I've been blogging since 2016. So not all the readers I originally had in 2016 always comment on my blog anymore. They still follow my blog, but they aren't active commenters. And overtime new people have come, I feel as if (now) I have a very different audience on my blog now than I did when I first started. So it's interesting.
And like what everyone else has said, I hate white text on black too. It's just so hard to read and it strains my eyes. And regarding to offending someone, I have (unfortunately) had to unfollow a blog or lose contact with a blogger because they wrote something offensive, it's really frustrating when it happens. But thankfully, it hasn't happened that much to me recently.
-Quinley
Quinley: I do also like #4, I just wish I can practice that more often.
DeleteI think all bloggers lose readers or the readers change overtime. I guess it's normal.
I don't think anyone had offended me enough to have to stop talking to them. I did had a slightly angry reply to one of my comments at someone's blog but I decided not to engage with that blogger nor visit her blog anymore. You just don't know what makes people say offensive things. Some people get mad easily but thankfully, there aren't a lot of those.
Thank you for coming by. Have a lovely day.
I like having readers
ReplyDeleteChristine: So do I.
DeleteThank you for coming by. Have a lovely day.
Very interesting post. I'm a lot like you in my approach to blogging. I just like hanging out with other readers.
ReplyDeleteVintage Reading: By hanging out, do you mean just blogging and not worrying about anything?
DeleteMy approach to blogging changes every day so perhaps all the thoughts I have here aren't valid anymore.
Thank you for coming by. Have a lovely day.
I don't really try to garner readers, either- but it's sure nice to have them, to know that somebody out there is reading what you wrote! However I started my blog to keep track of my own reading, so if that's all it ends up being, okay with me. I'm so with you on the background color, though- I get a headache reading white on black. I mostly keep track of blogs in a feed reader nowadays, though- which cuts out any background color issues- but I still visit the blogs I like to comment. Nice thing about the feedly is that if a blog goes on hiatus, it pops right back up in my feed when active again. So I don't have to remember to keep checking. It's sad that some bloggers have stopped writing, that I really enjoyed reading their blogs so many years ago. And then every now and then one will crop up again, that I thought had gone silent forever. That makes me happy to see again.
ReplyDeleteJeane: It really is nice knowing someone is reading what you posted.
DeleteI don't use feed but I do go and check on old links to see people are blogging again. It really is a joy to see someone come back to blogging but I understand if people don't.
Thank you for coming by. Have a lovely day.