Revealing how I approach and how I actually study what I see working with my blogging here in the Rain is what this post is all about. (Its NOT about the goofy picture to the left... that is just to make you smile a bit.)
First I know that blogs that have fresh original industry related content reigns in the Rain. Yes, the fun and quirky personal posts add an interesting dimension and they do help to reveal your unique personality and differentiate you from your fellow bloggers. But all in all, industry related posts that inform are the posts Active Rain Moderators like and want to feature. Moderators KNOW this will keep others coming back here to learn. LEARNING is key to those that come to Active Rain.
But lets face it, after one has been blogging for any length of time it is inevitable that you will run a bit dry when it comes to new subjects to blog about.
So where can you go to look to be informed about your own "voice" to know what worked and didn't work with what you wrote? Well, one place to look is back at your own "voice" and see just what you best said. By studing the simple statics Active Rain provides you, about your blog, you can gain some great insight about your own voice. (If you do not know where to find your own statistics, please read the post script note below for instructions.)
So to help make my point LET ME SHOW YOU MINE: Below are the stats from 5 of my most popular posts. When I examine these stats I am most interested in my CLICKS. My "views" and my "comments" are something I look at, but they are really less than secondary to my CLICKS. Clicks tell me that people REALLY wanted (and still want) to read what I had to say in this particular post.
In my case I see that people were interested in what I had to say about Home Staging Training, Photography, the Home Staging Industry, and Marketing Home Staging. Knowing this, these general subject(s) definitely will (and have) informed me on what to blog about in subsequent future posts. These post STILL draw attention... months after they were initially written. So it is imperative that I look at the statistics for they help me understand my "audience". As will your stats help you with yours.
Date | Title | Comments | ||
01/08/2007 | 47 | 5310 | 2523 | |
10/03/2006 | 64 | 2019 | 1600 | |
05/13/2007 | 70 | 5900 | 1230 | |
05/10/2007 | 66 | 4756 | 1225 | |
03/04/2007 | 58 | 2811 | 1128 |
Oddly and interesting to note is the fact I have seen in my stats on post like this one, where the subject is "Blogging on Active Rain", might do great for a day.... but will NOT attract readers over time. Even if this post ends up being Featured and it gets tons of comments, that is NO guarantee that it will have a long life and find readers ongoingly in the future. Personally, I would rather have a post that attract readers ongoingly.
BUT WAIT! There is MORE to show YOU about YOU...
While your statistics will show you just what DID connect with your audience, your statistics will also show you what did not work. But as you are looking back at your statistics keep in mind that you are also looking at your body of blogging work. Some of your early work, where you were just beginning to find your "voice" might now be a subject worth revisiting. Don't get me wrong... I am NOT saying you should REGURGITATE the same-old same-old. But giving a topic a fresh more mature blogging once over might be a great way to to show us yours.
Blog It Forward...
Me
Post Script: WHERE TO FIND YOUR STATS? Once you are logged into your account, click on your "MY HOME" tab in the upper right hand corner of the screen. One you are on YOUR Home Page, look at the column to the far left side of the screen. There you should find a "STATISTICS" button... click on it. If you do not see it... you may need to scrool down lower on your personal Home Page.
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