Home : Blogs : Alan May, Coldwell Banker Evanston Realtor, North Shore Realtor : from a Sow's Ear. Evanston Real Estate

it'll happen just when you least expect it, and when you stop trying

I was beating myself up the other day (a part-time hobby of mine... okay, okay...a FULL-TIME hobby), because I was blogging my brains out, and oddly enough hadn't picked up any recent subscribers. They don't like what I'm writing.... they don't like me.... sniff, sniff.

In fact the "those who truly appreciate Alan's frantic ramblings and need their regular fix" (aka subscribers) were staying away from "from a Sow's Ear" in droves.

So I wrote a couple of "subscribe to me" posts... trying to draft some of the standers-by.... accomplishing an entire TWO new subscribers. I finally gave up and said to myself (during one of those "beat up" sessions)... "screw-em... it's their loss... if they don't wanna subscribe... I'll just go forward without 'em... (can you hear one of my mother's "scripts" from when I was a pre-teen in that?).

So I put it behind me (meaning, I stopped checking my subscriber role daily ... or hourly)...a couple of weeks ago.

Lo and behold, I hadn't checked it in the last coupla weeks... and when I checked it this morning... I had picked up a whopping 12 new subscribers!! That's a huge leap (for me, anyway.... for the ubiquitous Mr. Crouch it may be an hour's worth... but for me, that normally takes about 6 months)..

So, for those of you who are recent subscribers, welcome aboard the Soul Train (soul train?? yeah, soul train!!), and thanks for subscribing. I'll try to keep you edutained!! and Thank You!

ALAN MAY, Realtor®
Specializing in Evanston Real Estate and North Shore Real Estate
-------------------------------
Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, 2929 Central Street, Evanston, IL 60201
847.425.3779 Cell: 847.924.3313 Email: Almay@aol.com

Evanston Real Estate, Evanston Realtor, Evanston Buyers, Evanston Sellers
North Shore Real Estate, North Shore Realtor, North Shore Buyers, North Shore Sellers

Posted by Alan May, Coldwell Banker Evanston Realtor, North Shore Realtor on 10/18/2009 10:44 AM

Comments (28)

Subscribers in the ActiveRain Channel

subscribers

Post is included in group: "Whacked"!!!
Post is included in group: The Vent
Post is included in group: The Ninety-ninth Percentile
Post is included in group: The Lounge at Active Rain
Post is included in group: Diary of a Realtor

28 Comments on it'll happen just when you least expect it, and when you stop trying

OCT

I've never done a "subscribe to me" campaign, but I have noticed I'm almost to 300 at 295... but as I always say, I'm not here for the internal stuff. I'm here for the Google juice and the added clientelle. Getting 1000 people subscribed to me doesn't increase my Google Juice, my writing does.

Donna... while I agree, the subscriptions don't feed your Google Juice addiction... it's a nice way to see that your writing isn't just going into the ether ... and is truly appreciated.

I dunno... it's kinda like that audience feedback you get at a performance (as is the comment stream)... it feeds the ego, and the performer, and makes the performance that much better.

(and WOW... 295 subscribers is much appreciation from your readership!... Kudos to you, you're doing SOMEthing right)

Hi Alan! Like Donna, I've never 'campaigned' either for subscribers but, not a bad idea! The more subscribers, the merrier!

And who is Crouch?! LOL ;-)

Alan...ask any good cook the water doesn't boil if you keep watching it...let it go and it will do what the laws of nature intends it to do...such is the blog game...force it and it breaks, leave it alone and it will come to you.

I never even noticed my subscriber list until someone brought it to my attention. My value does NOT lie in the size of my subscriber list. It doesn't even reside within the minds of my readers. I decide my own value and I write for me. If they want to jump on my little train, then I hope they enjoy the ride. Where we'll go is anyone's guess... but even if I go alone, it will be a fabulous time!

When we stop worrying about what everyone else thinks of us, we will truly be free to go where we like. I do. After all, it's MY life!

"Edutained" LOL.....Although Alan, I don't know if ANYONE will ever catch up to Jason. He's a machine :-)

Hi Alan, I am one of your recent subscribers! I'm curious about your "subscribe to me" posts......need to go check that out.

Alan - I'm going to agree with the other ladies, I don't blog for subscribers or even comments, I blog to increase my exposure to my local maket. So far, it's working because I regularly get calls/emails from prospective buyers in my market looking to get pre-approved for a home loan. To me, those calls/emails are so much more important than subscribers. JMHO.

On another note, I haven't been around a lot this week; very long and rough one Elvis. I'm going to make up for it today and catch up on all of my fave bloggers. Have a good Sunday, my friend. :)

Debe - I don't know... I've heard of this mysterious "Jason the Crouch"...

Steve - you are right... a watched subscriber list never roils...

Jennifer - I have not yet reached the state of Zen that you have, and I still value my readership, and whether anyone is paying attention to me, or am I spitting into the wind? I also write for 1) Me 2) SEO 3) readers.... but my readers (feedback) is very important for me... and I haven't gotten to that state of mindfullness where I can let it go. You are a much more advanced human than I (which of course goes without saying, since you're female... and you ladies are light years ahead of we homonyms)... I have much to learn Sensé.

Colleen - I do what I can to drop tid-bits of edutainment.

Ann - thanks for signing on... I welcome and value each and every one of youse guys.

Donne - I'm grateful that I'm one of the ones you're catching up on.

Hey.....who can keep their mouth shut when it comes to you. You are all the rage! Just kidding of course, but I really see why people would subscribe to you.

are I all the rage, Larry... or is everyone enRAGEd?? I can never tell.

Alan, I subscribed to you just the other day without even seeing your pathetic pleas! :) The urge suddenly came to me. Maybe it was the quivering lip on your photo that subconsciously sent the message that you wanted more subscribers!

So here I am! Be careful what you wish for.

Cheers,

Robin

I have subscribed to a lot of people but I must admit I don't visit them that often for several reasons. Blog too long. Blog slow to load. Blog about a listing. Blog boring. But yours is one of my "must visit" as often as possible. You do good, Alan Elvis. {but i miss elvis}

Robin - you are a welcome subscriber #124... (pathetic, you say, eh?)... glad to have you on board.

Barbara - I, too, miss Elvis... but I think you understand that I can't hide behind his cape anymore... I gotta be me.... I gotta be meeeeee... What else can I be... but who I amm.....??? Whether I'm wrong.... or whether I'm right.....

I've never checked my subscriber list, I think I will go do it now. I am a proud subscriber of your blog, you are such a pleasure to read and usually good for some much-appreciated comic relief!

You, dear Elvis are the very first person I ever subscribed to. I can of course un-subscribe and then re subscribe if you are trying to make a "PBS" subscriber goal for you last two posts......

PS. I hope I never have subscribers...too much pressure.

OCT

Interesting. I've never paid attention to the number of subscribers I have. I shall go check right now. Be right back. Looks like I have 209. Is that good or bad?

By the way, I had never really subscribed to anyone since I return comment for comment, finding that easier and more fun to do than to try to go through 200 subscriptions to see what's new. I think I save time by just visiting everyone who has visited me. I always do at least 11 comments per day although I'm going to up that to 15-20 comments per day shortly. My best day was 133 comments in one day back on December 23, 2008. Yes, I AM that AR, and in this case, AR doesn't stand for ActiveRain.

Alan, I have subscribed to you for sometime and I must admit that you always deliver an entertaining yarn or information that we would otherwise have missed if it weren't for you!! Thank you for all the fun....I hope you receive more subscribers...they don't know what they are missing!

Janna - I know that you are one of my regulars.... and thank you for that.

Kathleen - wow...it's very exciting to know that I was your first... thank you.

Russel - 209 seems pretty good. I, too, try to go back and comment to those who comment to me (although as the comments grow, it's becoming harder and harder)... but the subscription list allows me to see on the dashboard, which of my favourite bloggers has recently posted something new. It's kinda the pop-up-thermometer of AR. (and that one DOES stand for Active Rain!)

(btw... I prefer your second icon ... the smiling one... better. In the first one, you look cross.)

Caren - I'm aware that you're one of my subscribers too. Thank you.

i don't campaign for subscribers either. But a recent post celebrating my 100th subscriber netted me an additional 27 subscribers...And, yes, I check it daily!!!