Why do I blog?
Excellent question.
Statistics suggest a new Blog is created every half a second. Do the math and that works out to 7,200 per hour, 172,800 per day, 63 million per year. Factor in an almost exponential acceleration rate over the past three years, and you begin to get the picture. Astounding. We’re now living in a world where more people own a mobile device than a toothbrush. Wow. Not sure when it happened, possibly when we slept, but the ‘winds of change’ have evolved into a cyclone. Nothing short of an EMP blast and complete collapse of the electrical grid can slow the progress. That or a zombie apocalypse.
Which brings me to the question. Why do I do it?
Blogging is not my first web presence, but I consider myself a novice in the field. I spent considerable time researching, perusing sites and gathering information, prior to diving into the pool, or ocean rather. Five months later, I still consider myself a beginner.
Like many, I struggle to keep motivated, especially on days when my site visit bar graph remains flat lined. Those are the challenging times. Other days I plod on convincing myself I’m in a developmental phase, still searching for my niche, still carving out my tiny piece of that vast ocean of information, one droplet at a time.
My original purpose for starting a blog was to help reinvent my writing regiment, to get back on that horse I tethered and abandoned, and begin creating again. I set moderate goals and promised myself I’d stay the course for three months, then step back and re-evaluate. With a full-time job and day-to-day family life to contend with, posting once a week was a reasonable goal, both manageable and attainable. Off I went.
My initial success, was limited.
After two and a half months, with a handful of followers and sporadic site visits, I was ready to pack it in. Doubts crept in, questions swirled.
Does anyone care about what I write?
Is it all crap?
Am I kidding myself?
I stopped and reassessed. Having been down the road of self-doubt before, I made a conscious decision to end the dispute with my ‘internal editor’ (that little voice that constantly reminds me I can’t write). I’ve come to realize the longer you entertain those negative thoughts, the more likely they are to win. Although not entirely in context, I found the words of Mark Twain relevant, nonetheless:
“Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.”
If I allow it, my internal editor will drag me down and win. Experience is a powerful opponent.
So I regrouped.
Was I really doing that poorly? How do I define success? Is it all about the traffic? Google analytics?
No.
I’ve read an exhausting number of articles on increasing blog traffic. Some tactics I incorporate; striving for quality content, interacting with others bloggers, commenting, +1-ing, evergreen topics, utilizing social media.
But in other areas I miss the mark, especially when it comes to defining my niche. Trying to build a loyal following for a blog that essentially has no central focus, is difficult, if not impossible. Add to this the issue of low blogging frequency, shorter posts (under 1000 words), no guest blogging, limited ability to incorporate SEO plug-ins, and the picture becomes clear. Traffic isn’t beating down my door.
But back to the question. Why do I blog?
To write. Create. Remember, getting on that horse?
When did site traffic become the issue?
When I lost focus. When I spent more time checking analytics than I did writing.
The ‘aha’ moment.
To mark a new beginning, I upgraded my free WordPress account to Premium – adding motivation. As a measuring stick, and to keep myself on track, I set an unofficial goal of attracting one new follower each week. While conservative as far as goals go, or perhaps laughable to some, for me, the modest target ensured I would, at the very least, continue to post quality material. At least I hope so.
Two months after my ‘aha’ moment, I’m managing to hit the mark. Not knocking it out of the park, but hitting the mark. While I still contend with challenges and occasional doubts, I press on. Fame, fortune or glory is not a primary directive for me, at least not at this point. Blogging is not a means to an end, but a platform for creativity. A deal is a deal. I promised myself I’d write, so shut up and write.
For aspiring bloggers, whether your initial motivation is money, fame, passion, expression, fun, or a combination therein, a time will come when you question yourself. Be it writer’s block, lack of motivation, poor traffic, or some jackass’ comment on a post, your internal editor may start nattering in your ear.
My advice – shut it down immediately.
And get back to work.
I realize only too well that information from successful, seasoned bloggers is rampant and available in a never ending sea of pop-up widgets at every mouse click. Why listen to a novice when you can follow a 10,000-hit-a-day professional’s step by step guide for instant success?
Valid argument. I don’t propose a recipe for success. If I find one, I’ll be more than happy to share. For me, it’s about sharing experiences, connecting, and knowing you aren’t the only one.
In the time it’s taken you to read this post, 500 new Blogs have been born. More competition. But consider this. Ninety percent of those new Blogs will be abandoned within three months. If you outlast that group, you’re already way ahead of the curve.
As for me, I’m still on my spiritual blogging journey, seeking out my niche, looking for my rhythm, treading water in that vast ocean. Not quite swimming with the dolphins, but not drowning either. More importantly I am thankful. I’m one of the lucky ones.
I have a mobile device and a toothbrush.
Until next time,
I have jump started my own blog 3-4 times…I hope this time will stick! My goal is to produce more content and always write down new ideas as they come to me (my draft folder is my new favorite place). That way, I can at least say I’ve started something fresh.
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It’s difficult to stay positive, that’s for sure. Comments (like yours) often make all the difference and give that added inspiration. I will be watching for your next post!
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Dropped one today for Batman v. Superman! Enjoy!
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I’ll be checking it out!
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Amazing!! I really have to say that, I just loved this post! It really hit me hard!
While, I started my blog in December, and haven’t given up, I often feel discouraged when I dare take a look at my daily views… *insert worn out, stressed expression here* Haha.
I will always keep writing, but it seems I started to depend on the views, as to when I write what I write… For instance, when I look at the views, and get discouraged, I don’t want to write a happy post, but more as a heavy hearted discouraging topic.
And, as you stated so beautifully – writing isn’t about getting views, it’s about showing yourself, and sharing with others your passion, life, and love.
Thank you much, my friend! We will be on this journey together!
Keep blogging! 😀
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I’m with you! Thanks again for the kind words. There will always be that part that peeks at the daily visits tab, but hopefully I can keep a handle on it. Some seasoned bloggers have suggested spending 20 % of your time writing/posting, and 80% promoting. Yikes. Good luck and stay in touch!
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Most welcome!
So very true – always! Haha, I hope you can!
Oh, wow!! Haha! A good point there, however. I didn’t get many viewers, and followers, until I started sharing with Google+, Twitter, Goodreads, and etc. And really, that’s a great idea! But, I kinda got carried away with promoting, and not writing… *sigh* So a good mix of both is needed! 😀
Aw, thanks! And good luck to you too!! Will do!
Blessings!
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very nice statistics on blog. This is useful article.
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Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
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Good morning Mike! I easily identified with your post as a blogger and a writer. That inner critic is always there no matter how many times I slam the door on it’s face. You are so right in that shutting it down is crucial and staying focused is key. Whatever your reasons for keeping your blog, I’m glad you do it.
Diane Lynn
http://www.thegratitudeletters.com/
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Thanks for the inspiration Diane, as always much appreciated!
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Good post, pleasure to find! It can be tough to keep the motivation to blog – at the end of the day, it’s for your own enjoyment. 99.9% of us aren’t going to become worldwide celebrity bloggers, or even earn a living blogging – but if we enjoy it then we’re doing okay 🙂
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I’m a tad more optimistic, I calculated the celebrity/rich blogger odds at one in 98.975 %. That of course dependent on your definition of ‘rich’ or ‘celebrity’.
Thanks very much for your kind words and comments!
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You seem to have garnered a few comments on this subject, so clearly not time to give up. A feel that commenting of other people’s work does generate views (even if they are only on a tit-for-tat basis). It is very easy to say “I am not getting readers – I am going to give up” but I also wonder if we compare the blog we write to artistic masterpieces, Van Gogh only sold 1 painting during his lifetime.
I have talked about readership many times and believe that are several things at play, firstly being found by search engines and having appropriate keywords, secondly how you are perceived in Social Media, get a large following and that can help spread the word about the things you write.
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Sound advice Peter. I like your Van Gogh analogy, I wrote a paper on him in university. It’s been said that to be successful in blogging one must spend 20% of the time writing, and 80% promoting. I have some work to do!
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Reblogged this on and commented:
Everyone who has written a blog will have considered giving up at some point in time. Someone once said to me “Nobody reads my blog – what does it matter” indeed that is a key question, it is easy to start a blog, it is a matter of writing down a few words and clicking on the “Publish” button, doing that well is another matter – it takes time and effort. Mike Senczyszak raises a valid question here and it is one reason why his view needs re-blogging, the truth is publishing is the easy part, getting noticed takes the majority of the effort and that is an essential part of the process. Please take a look at what Mike has to say on giving up on your blog, truth is there are many blog posts created each second of the day, take a little time to read this one.
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What an inspiring read. As someone who is totally new to blogging, I have been scouring the internet for the last few days trying to self teach. So nice to read a good article from someone who is real
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Thanks for the kind words and welcome to the world of blogging!
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Totally Relevant…I completely understand this article…i started a blog…rather few blogs…And yes if you aint blogging for money or fame…at times what i land up writing is pretty random…and when i look around in the blogging world I see a very focused disciplined writing on specific issues , things or topics…For me personally it does not work..I write coz i want to write as what ticks me at that particular time…And I loved your article coz it speaks of all the things i feel and feel like giving up…You are motivating in the most logical fashion…Real cool one..Guess i will Plod On Too…:-)
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Thanks for the kind words. I’m similar, I while I understand more successful sites have a main focus and very professional and detailed posts, that’s not my thing. Although I follow all types of blogs, the ones I tend to read more often are personal stories or humorous ramblings. Keep at it! I’ll be checking out your site shortly. Thanks again!
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Could totally relate to this. When my inner critic comes out, whether it’s at my paying job or at blogging, I step back and try to focus on contributing. I’ve found this keeps me calm and focused. I’m in a strange place of doing my blog for the love of creativity and not needing to monetize, yet I still appreciate the readership because then I feel that what I’m doing is worthwhile! Thanks for this post and sharing some of your inner thoughts with us!
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Thanks Heather! It’s always nice to get a bit of encouragement, even a single comment in a week’s time is often enough of a positive prompt to get the creativity going again. Keep writing!
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I thought I wrote a comment on this post but I think I actually retweeted instead. I love this post — it’s so relevant and so well written. Also, I love your blog. It’s one of the first that I started reading when I started my own and it’s one of the few that I check once a day for new updates. You’re hilarious and a wonderful writer. Keep it up! 🙂
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Thanks Maggie! I also actively search out your updates, they’re wonderful!
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What a wonderful (and timely, for me) post! I started my own blog a little more than a month ago, and this week found myself questioning things, since I don’t have 100+ readers a day. I, too, had to check myself – the reason I have the blog is really for expression, and anything else is frosting on the cake! I also believe that staying authentic is the best way to do well, and you’ve reinforced that idea to me here. Thank you for that! And you just gained another reader here 🙂
Shauna
http://www.cultivatedrevelations.com
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Shauna, thanks very much for the kind words and the follow! I checked out your site, fantastic. I’ll be following. Cheers!
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Excellent post. This is something I’m going to be writing about soon. I started my blog 4 months ago and it has always been about the act of writing, of expressing myself and finding lessons and meaning from the challenges in life. Fortunately I have had a lot of visits and some great opportunities have arisen, however I’m always conscious to never lose sight of why I write and why it connects with people – because it is true, it is real and it is who I am. I’m so pleased I started blogging, I can’t imagine not doing it now.
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Great to hear! You have the (write) attitude! I still have the occasional doubts, but that’s to be expected. I’m 5 months in, so for me, that in itself is an achievement. Best of luck!
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Well, I wrote my post on this topic, hope you like it Mike
http://lovelaughtertruthblog.com/2016/04/03/me-my-blog-i/
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I did a ton of blog related stuff saving this post for last to read and I’m so glad I did. I have gone through all the changes you have mentioned and lucky for me I have a wonderful group that supports me, I am learning as I go along. Have a great time blogging. Like the saying “Dance even if no one is watching”, think “Blog even if no one is reading” and it will all fall into place.
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Wonderful to hear! Words of wisdom, I appreciate very much. Keep writing!
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Why do I blog? It’s hard isn’t it? I don’t aspire to become a professional blogger or to make money out of it. I blog because I enjoy it and I enjoy interacting with the (few) people who read it. But, the challenges you highlight here are just the same, great article.
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I agree, it’s great to interact and get feedback (especially positive). Thanks for stopping by Fran and commenting.
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Well this is very true. Haven’t given up yet tho. Read a lot on how to improve blog traffic also and well it’s working and my reasons for my blog I’d say for fun cos well I enjoy writing. It gives me some kind of peace or sth. Thanks for the post
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I keep coming back to why I started the Blog in the first place. The quote by Dorothy Parker,”I don’t like to write, I like having written” is me in a nutshell. Always a challenge, but worth it I think. Thanks again and keep writing!
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I will
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My blog is my Forever homework assignment: I write essays in the vein of my many former English classes whose topics keep me aware of what is happening in my genre. It’s also a chance to research all of those questions I have continued to have about Horror writing, fiction writing, literary criticism, and the process of invention. It’s also a way to test my dedication to technical writing, to set and keep personal deadlines, to practice editing and word choice. But best of all, it is a terrific way to meet others of my own species!
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Fantastic. You have a great writing ethic, and the right genre. Thanks for commenting!
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I blog to heal and to help others to heal as well. great article.
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I can relate to each and everything you wrote. I keep checking the statistics too and I get surprised with stray hits to my site. Which rekindles the fire to keep writing.
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Agreed. Despite claiming I’m in it just for the writing practise, the highs and lows of traffic versus no traffic always seems to rear its head. Recognition is nice, and it does help to motivate. Thanks for the comment and the follow! Cheers!
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Why do I blog? I read in one leadership book that one person influences at least 10,000 people in their lifetime so the question is not how many people you’re going to influence but how are you going to influence these people. I’m passionate about learning and sharing what I know… in synergy (I believe in 1+1 = 3 & in alchemy), and that what you give comes back to you a hundred fold. I believe in karma and positive “joujou” and I love to inspire others. Gosh! I can just keep on going…
I’ve been thinking about blogging for years now but I couldn’t start because I didn’t have enough confidence to write — scared of being criticized. I just started my 1st blog last summer after I came back from Paris (part of my Bucket List) and it’s been going on for 9 months now, I have a 2nd one that’s evolving and this is the 3rd one which i just started last month. I’m still finding my niche.
I’m learning a lot from you. I’m a big fan 🙂
Live ❤ Laugh … Belle Papillon
https://bellepapillon247.wordpress.com/about/
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Sounds like you’re a natural Belle! (And I love the name by the way, I still remember reading the novel Papillon, many years ago). Keep posting I’ll be reading. Cheers!
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Well said. I write for me. I’ve written for others before, but it got tedious. Not worthy of my time and my effort. I write for me. And now because I’m passionate about that, opportunities are coming from other avenues to write for others. This is what I wanted. Remain happy with what you’re doing, the rest will come. The secret? There is none! Ha! (But genuine happiness does give movement to forward motion.)
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Well said Monique. I agree, there are no universal secrets, we all have to discover as we go. Cheers for commenting!
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I started writing so I can keep my sanity when I was struggling with depression, lack of sleep and uncertainty regarding motherhood. I have no idea about the admin part and technical details of a blog. I just get excited every time someone comments or visits my blog not to mention follow. I write when I feel like I have something to say
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That’s the key really, to write because you want to write. Too many blogs get hung up on stats, and jamming their pages full of adverts and pop ups, in hopes of getting huge numbers o followers and $$. When that doesn’t happen right away, people move on. Blogging forces me to at least keep writing on a weekly basis, and as long as your stuff is getting out there, anything can happen. Cheers, and thanks so much for commenting!
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Your blog post is spot on and I can relate.
Also, I would like to add other bloggers should refer other bloggers because we are a community and helping one another is key.
I blog to heal myself n hope to help others use my tools to cope through writing.
Great candid post!
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I am surprised at the number of Bloggers I’ve befriended who write primarily for self-healing. Blogging (writing) is great tool that often blossoms into even more. Cheers!
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Absolutely!
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I saw this post on Twitter today and had to read it. Look at how successful you are now! Just like you, I started my blog to get back into writing on a consistent basis. While I look at my stats, it isn’t my main drive. Like you, I did research before starting this enterprise. You are right the idea should be supplying quality not quantity when it comes to the blog. At least that is what I try to do. Most importantly, interacting with your fellow bloggers and writers is the key to success. Forging genuine connections will make things happen. Thank you for your advice, Mike! I am glad to have met you and do enjoy your posts.
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Thanks Susan! I’m recycling some of my older posts on Twitter and what-not, and when I re-read this one, I realized ‘sticking it out’ is the key, not necessarily for success or fame, but for growth. While it’s still often a struggle week to week to come up with material, it keeps me honest. Your sites are gathering momentum daily, I can see the popularity growing and growing. I know you’re committed, and it shows through your writing. Glad to have bumped into you as well Susan! Here’s to the future!
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Thank you for the compliment. I know there is a school of thought to post every day but for me, that isn’t reality. I feel if I would do that, my quality would suffer. I appreciate all of your support, Mike. It is invaluable!
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My pleasure Susan, I enjoy visiting your sites and reading your material, also appreciate the Twitter support! I’m with you, I personally don’t have the material, the creative drive, or the want to post daily, it’s a struggle for me to get one decent article completed each week. I had gone to posting twice a week for a few months, one article, one mid-week filler post, but I’m likely going to dial it back, and only post when I have something to say. But part of that deal involves getting more writing done aside from Blogging.We’ll see how that goes.
Always great to hear from you Susan, I appreciate your comments, visits and support also!
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Anytime, Mike. I look forward to your extra curricular activities. BTW, my piece in 1428elm.com was about a Bob Clark film from 1972. Bob you know directed one of your fav films, A Christmas Story. His 1st AD for all his films reached out on Twitter today to thank me for citing him as the creator of the modern day horror formula. I thought you might get a kick out of that. 😉
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I know this film well, in fact I own an original VHS version I bought from a Video Rental place, probably about 25 years ago. I posted on this film in one of my Google+ Horror communities last year. A true classic, can’t beat 70’s hairstyles and cheesy dialogue! I’ll be sure to read and comment. Cheers!
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I thought you would like to hear about Mr. Clark’s AD. I was pleasantly surprised!
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You’re so right, it’s easy to become obsessed with site stats, nothing steams creativity more than targets! Great article.
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Thank you! Fussing about stats is counter productive to the creative side. It took me a while, but I finally realized my purpose for blogging was to keep myself writing, regularly, not for popularity. That attitude has kept me going. Cheers, thank you for commenting, best of luck!
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Guess what? Your Twitter works; I found this post via Twitter. 🙂
The stats are really unimportant… especially if one doesn’t have the time to go through them… or one doesn’t really know how to decipher the stats. Ha-ha!
Thanks for writing/sharing this post. I feel better and I doubt less. 🙂
I started blogging several years ago, on Blogspot, when blogging wasn’t so popular yet… I think. In 2011, I even had 2 blogs (like I have now); one for my musings and gripes and the other for business. Actually, one especially for Poetry, too. I gave up. Nothing was happening. No one cared. Maybe that’s why I gave up.
Why did I start? It was an outlet and a practice for my writing especially because I stopped writing. I used to write almost everyday; anytime, anywhere. Blogging was going to be that specific place for writing. Life got in the way and maybe I wasn’t convinced why I was blogging.
Last year in April, I created a new blog – Food | Travel | Tour. I started with my first post that same month and finished it in October or November. It took me half a year to finish one post. Lol! Actually, WordPress has on record that I started blogging over 4 years ago. I know exactly what I did. I gave up but started from scratch again.
I don’t think I’m giving up yet. Like you, with a day job and other responsibilities (domestic life, social, etc.), follows, likes and comments are great but they are a bonus. Blogging isn’t a need financially, thanks to my stressful job. Blogging is a means to an end. I think we’re on the same page.
So, I guess we’re cool. We’re in the right place, on the right track and with this in mind, we will not be giving up anytime soon. Right?
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Wow, super, thank you Anne for this. While I’m still on board with Twitter, my tweet/response ratio remains so miniscule, I sometimes question the value of continuing, but I do. And I will.
You have quite the online history, that in itself is impressive. I believe, like you, the key is to just keep at it. Keep blogging, writing, creating. I gave up on stats a while back, I realized i’m not going to be earning dollars via my site. But that’s okay. It keeps me active, writing, and with a bit of luck, I’ll eventually complete my first novel, and have at least a few virtual friends who might want to read it.
Keep writing, creating!
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That’s it! And really, it’s more than enough to start with. I also find being in the community inspiring and encouraging. It can be quite time consuming but worth it. I write more now, for sure. We’ll get to our novels and we’ll be reading each other’s bestsellers. 😁
Oh, I sometimes forget I have Twitter. 😂
As always, a pleasure to read your posts. So enjoyable and thought-provoking. Inclusive, too, so easily relatable. ☺
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Thank you Anne, such a pleasure to connect with someone who shares similar passions, dreams. We’re on this roller coaster together, let’s ride!
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And let us not forget to have fun in the process! 🙂 Stats take away the fun. And even if money follows later (not from the blogs but from the novels – oh yeah!) we will have that as our bonus. 🙂
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Absolutely!
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Heheh, we got directed to you blog by Anne….very apt descrption of the tribulations of bloggers. Yes back to basics. Blogging for the sake of creativity and not generating likes and following! Because what we write is definitely a drop in the ocean! When we first used the search function in WP, it said “search from billions of posts on WP”….Billions….hmmm….
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Billions indeed! Thanks so much for visiting and commenting. You have a wonderful site! Cheers.
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Does anyone care about what I write?
Yes I do, I can relate to this Mike. I fel like a tumbleweed out here in the blogosphere trying to figure out my place too.
Is it all crap?
Nope, none of it. I find your writing interesting and encouraging.
Am I kidding myself?
No you are not! But I understand what you mean because I wake up everyday wondering if I am? I’m a fan Mike! If you keep on keeping on,I will too. I still trying to figure out my where I’m suppose to be. Thanks for this post. John.
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Thanks John! I wrote this one almost a year ago, it’s one I like to come back to every now and again. The week to week struggles continue, that’s for sure, but it’s nice to get positive feedback every now again. I appreciate your kind words and support. Thanks also for the shout out on FB! Cheers!
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