Brad,

Great advise and great blogs, you do an awesome job here and you are a very helpful person for many consumers / rainers.

keep the good blog.

PS: also, I could not find the way of the ID,

Take Care

Ray Saenz

I get a lot of views but few comments on the informational blogs that are area specific.  It depends on what you're out to accomplish.

You mean I need to improve :)  Just kidding. Hey, great info and different idea for bloggers...

I hadn't thought of that and I should have. Thanks for the reminder. I better get to work here, :-)

Brad I LOVE all those little preview boxes..... and how pray-tel do you get them in your blogs...... they are just gosh golly cute and I must know!!!!!

Thanks

okay i gotta be honest i got so sidetracked with the "cute boxes" i never finished reading the post...brb  okay done... my biggest problem is content.... i keep getting writers block forget all the extras

Good tip as always...I'm going to have to subscribe to your blog...

Brad,

I read a similar post, but months back.  I looked then, but haven't looked since, so I was in need of a reminder.

Thanks,

Fran

Good call, Brad.  I am addicted to my stats page.  It is great information!

Ray - Thanks!  I sent you an email regarding the ID.  Hope that works for you.

Ray Perry - that is correct. Always keeping your audience in mind is key to the success of your Blog! Great point and thanks for your comment.

Sally - Improve? You? Not Possible!!  :-)

William - I hope this will at least get you looking at your statistics to see what's hot and what's not depending on your readers. Thanks!!

Desiree - I simply cut and paste from my "statistics" page. You can also use HTML, just depends on what you want the end result to look like. As far as content, we all get bloggers block, just write from your heart and focus on your audience and what they like to read.  Your statistics page is a great placeto start. :-)

Rondel - thanks! I thought you already subscribed! Glad to have you on any of my posts, you're always welcomed. 

Fran - my stats page was reminding me too!  What a date it was!!  LOL!

Beth - Thanks for the affirmation.  I hope more will find the value of this tool and try to use it for one of the ways it may not even have been intended.  Thanks Beth!  B-)

Brad - You are always so helpful - thanks - love th photo

Brad, great advice!  I always check my stats to get a feel for what is getting readership.  It's interesting to me that the localism posts get the highest number of views and clicks, but the lowest # of comments.

Excellent post and a great way to increase your stats by having us read your wonderful posts!  Good work!!!

Oh! Ok...I see it. Alright I need to look at that...though....I'm just discovering my voice so I'll have to figure that one out first. Thanks for the great blogs!

Thesa - thanks!  I took that on a lake while fishing with my boys!  It's hard to get a good shot of a dragonfly in hover mode.  Love your appreciation of my posts! Thanks you sooooo much! 

Irina - that tells you what's happening to most REALTOR® websites. Consumers fly under radar there too!  Interesting point you bring up, and one every agent should look into deeper.  Thanks for your sweet comment, you always know how to make me feel appreciated! 

Pamela - finding your voice and then putting it into text is challenging and difficult at times, but I have confidence in you. I look forward to more of your posts in the future. Thanks!!

Thank you very much for sharing, that is good information that makes sense.

PS...got a bunch of other comments points from the posts listed...thanks again! You share a lot of good info!  

Shane - thanks, I hope it makes more than just sense, I hope it makes cents!!  LOL! Really, Thanks!!

Thanks for the post. I like the way you placed your blogs and dates on your post. I will get to all of them. I love working with the stat page and the points page. It keeps me focused on where I need to go and what I can do better. Thanks for sharing. Katerina

Thanks for those encouraging words Brad! But.....umm......I just went and looked at my statistics..I mean, really looked and the amount of hits they have gotten is crazy!!! 492 on one!! Ok..I'm feeling a little overwhelmed again and I'm sure thats nothing compared to how many you get, but to me that seems like an awful lot. :)

Thanks Katerina - it's nice seeing others like yourself using this as a tool an not just info.  I'm glad this post is on track for some viewers who may not hve realized or thought of this. Thanks for your comment!

Great tip, thank you.

Pamela - 492 hits! That's AWESOME!!  And there'll be many more as time goes on. Life is all about finding our way, so don't be over-whelmed, enjoy it every step of the way! :-)

Darrel - glad you enjoyed it! :-)

Brad - nice photo what is that a dragonfly in a  bubble? Interesting. Thanks for the post.

Todd and Danielle - yes, it's a dragonfly.  Sometimes I like to take my photos and make them subliminal messages for readers. Most often, they are looked right over, but once in a blue moon, someone catches my message.  Thanks for noticing that!!  :-)

Brad, I under utilize this feature too. My all time favorite you wrote and still gets comments in on paying it forward, Activerain Style. How many views do you have on that one ?

Brad, wonderful post to read first thing this morning. I look at my stats page however it doesn't make much rhyme or reason to me. Some posts I thought people would be most interested in, they weren't. Others that I thought would only appeal to the few, are at the top of the list for views and clicks !  Hmmm, do you provide an AR statistics analysis service ?  

The other thing I wanted to ask you, where do you ever find the time for the myriad of things you are involved in here at AR and in the real world ? You're a time powerhouse ! The amount of knowledge and input  you give to the members at AR is astounding.

Jo 

Hey Brad,

I look at this on occasion but I really do not gauge it as what others are interested in..I just write and if they like it then they will read it. I can't predict what they will want to hear...it comes naturally to me.

Brad.....  I look at my stats page all the time. But I agree with Neal, that I don't gauge it in regards to what others like. The reason being is that a good portion of the people on AR like those story type of blogs....  those blogs that talk about people on here, blogging, those touchy feely posts, ..those are the ones that get more attention. Those that write to AR... me?   I am trying to write mostly to the public, so these don't always get the views. And even if they do, they don't get as many comments. Basically, I just write. 

Overall.... I do use many of the features here on AR.....  it can help you as you mentioned.

Hi Brad,

Light bulb moment!  I do look at my stats but did not use it to understand what readers liked!  Duh!  Thanks. 

Missy - I have many views on that post and comments too.  I thinks it's cause of all the links I put in it.  Hope things are good with you.  I pray Allyssa is healing quickly.  Please print out my previous post and put it on her wall with the comments included.  I have a color printer at the office if you don't.  I'd be happy to print it and send it in the mail if you'd prefer. Just let me know! Thanks Missy.

Jo Anne - thanks!  Your comment is exactly what I experienced when viewing my stats page.  It was the opposite of what I expected.  I thought that was strange too.  I think that you have discovered the AR statistics analysis already.  Your comment is what I was trying to bring out of this post. I wanted to see how many would catch this on their own posts like we have.  The stats page really will help some of us find our way! 

As far as time?  I try to balance it the best I can.  Sacrifices have been made and compromises have been implemented to allow for the things I do in life.  This has been a great learning experience for me, and AR has been the ultimate platform to understand blogging and its benefits.  The other things I manage in a day are too many to list, I just somehow seem to do more in less time than most.  I get that question alot Jo Anne, and I don't really have a system or answer.  When I have the time to figure it out, package it, and sell it, I'll be letting you know!!  LOL!  Thanks! B-)

Brad - Thanks for your post.  I agree we should take a look at our stats.  However, as Jeff Belonger mentioned in his comment, much of what I write that receives low numbers is consumer oriented material.  It will take longer for the stats to build on those that the ones geared to the professionals on AR.

Neal - do you have some posts with 5 comments and then some with 100 comments?  This is not a prediction, these are just the facts.  Do you care what your readers and audience want to see?  Or do you just go for it!  There is no right or wrong way or answer, I'm just pointing out that AR put a "Stats" page for your use, and how you use it is entirely up to you.  I personally love that they provide this tool. I have discovered many ways to use this to benefit viewers and myself.  Just wanted to put this out there.  Thanks for the comment, I predict your readers must love whatever you do!  :-)

Jeff - I understand exactly what you mean, that is why I mentioned "your audience" in this post. We all have a different person we are trying to reach.  I have been posting for members and clients in my area, but I am getting leads from the consumers who my posts were never intended for per se.  It's ok with me, now I generate referral business to my clients and other members on AR.  You never know who is going to read what, that's the beauty of blogging. Some tools work for some and not others and I think that's ok. There are many members Jeff that don't even know the statistics page is there, let alone how it can be used as a tool. How do you think others may use this to benefit them or their blogging?  Why is the stats page even there?  I have found multiple good reasons and uses for it, I hope others will too.

Cynthia - it's just a stats page but why do we need stats in any of our business?  Hmmmm..... I think there is even more value from this page to be discovered here, we just need to stop sometimes, think about it, and look for the things that aren't so obvious.  I'm glad you had a light bulb moment, I got one of those just before I wrote this post!!  LOL!  Thanks Cynthia.  B-)

General Question: When you look at your statistics page, what do you use it for? 

Marlene - I agree 100%.  When your stats start rising from Localism views, so should your business. Great comment, thanks.  I think it would be nice if you could capture leads from those who viewed our posts.  You can have a post with 10 comments and 2683 views, how do you convert that to a lead or some business?  Just like a website, veiwers can fly in under the radar in stealth mode, and you'll never know who, what, when, where or why.  This brings us back to CONTENT IS KING when blogging.  If it's good, they will call.  If the comments are rich and good, there may be more benefit to the comments than we realize. Hmmmm... I think using the stats page for it's intended purpose would be falling short of it's true value.  I think there is a balance of how to use the views, clicks, and comments stats to help us with our blogging....that's just my opinion though, and thanks for sharing yours too, it really is always appreciated!!!  :-)

Brad - So glad you listened to your inner blog.;)

Sometimes it is frustrating, it seems the blogs I work the hardest on sometimes get the fewest views.  Then you slap something up and it takes on a life of its own.  I do check out my blog stats  but most of the time I blog for the sheer blog of it.   

Maureen - once again, you provide words to live by.  You are my hero!  I have experienced the same issue with the posts on my blog.  Go figure!!  :-)  Thanks for your comment once again!  B-)

Thanks for the reminder, Brad.  I've been on this kick to get us access to our subscription stats - and don't really spend much time on the stats page anyway.  Will do...

Jeff - stay on that kick Jeff, that would be great info for us to have!!  Thanks!  B-)

Brad,

You have some really great articles here that you have published.  You are definitely a valuable resource to all on ActiveRain - just as I am sure you are with the REALTORS® you service with your business.

Now Have a Blessed Day,

John Occhi, Hemet CA REALTOR®
Mission Grove Realty

Thanks for all of you insightfull articles.

Great post! I often reference the stats page to see the "top topics". I find, the more controversial, the better the response!

Brad,

Thats something I always forget about. Its important to track that information. 

You're right, those statistics are golden.  They can really help us analyze our effectiveness here on ActiveRain.  One of the great things about ActiveRain is that we can EDIT to our hearts content.  I've found that a change in title for a blog might give it a whole new audience, or the addition of some graphics makes for more comments - probably because the post was pretty enough to read.  These are things we could not know without those statistics.

Thanks Brad. I've only been on a few weeks and I'll check that out to help set my direction.

Hi Brad  - you mean other people actually read these things we write?

I haven't read all of the blogs on this list, but out of the ones on this list that I did read, the 5 Principles to Creating an Effective Post is my favorite. It was the first time I heard of the concepts of 'wall-of-words' and leaving the 5-6 line paragraphs. Good stuff...but don't get cocky!

John - you're too kind my friend. Glad you're enjoying my attempts at a "Blog"!   :-)

Kristopher - it's not the articles that are the key, it's your stats page that needs the love.  After you have created many posts, it's kinda cool to see what readers like most (your audience anyway).  This was just a post using my best examples from my stats page.  My best 20 out of 100 per se.  This "post" is actually bringing some of them back to life, I am getting comments on many of these listed here....  (Big Smile)!!! Yeah!!  What's your stats page telling you? Thanks for the comment.....

Brad - I am finding that to be the case as well.  Some very interesting things have been discovered by viewing my stats page, but this was all I was ready to reveal at this point...no one has mentioned the other..."the road is narrow, but few will find it"....I think that's actually a scriptural quote...look for a post coming soon!  LOL!

Dan - yes, I would track it, if for nothing more than to know how many clicks, comments, and views are on your blog. Thanks

Margaret, that's an excellent idea and worthy of a test. I will go back and re-name a few of my lost posts, and see what happens. Thanks for the comment and the idea, I'll be back to let everyone know what happens.

Joe - just start posting, the AR stats page won't really become useful until you've wriiten a couple dozen posts.  Finding your way is half the fun when it come to blogging.  Best O luck to you....  B-)

Ted - they do, but only after they read the paper, the comics, the writing on the bathroom walls...then they come read the stuff in my post!!!  ROFL!!! 

Joshua - thanks! Just call me Mr. Humble!!  Yeah Right!!  LOL!  Great comment, thanks for checking out some of the links, and I am thrilled, not cocky, that you enjoyed my 5 principles post!  I think the "Wall Of Words" term was created in my honor by Colleen Kulikowski. LOL!  Enjoy!

Thanks Brad- We too have found it hard at times to blog and to blog about something that will get some conversations going. Sometimes we think we have a good one....it may get the "clicks but not the comments." We are very interested in what people have to say about different topics. We have only been members since the end of May. We are still trying to "find our voice."  Thanks for sharing! 

Rick and Lynn - I know what you mean, we have all experienced that!  Don't give up!  I know this sounds weird but the posts you think will get featured and 100 comments won't.  The posts that you think no one will comment will get featured and 100 comments!  That's just how it is. 

EXAMPLE:   Write a post about your Market Area, your New Listing, or even an event in your area and watch what happens....don't hold your breath. 

Now wrirte a post about something personal like, how you met your wife, or why you cried at your childs wedding, or how come you named your dog spot...and watch what happens...it's funny as heck but it's what people want to know about.  Finding your voice means a balance of everything.  It takes time, just have fun with it no matter what!

Thanks Brad:

I had never investigated my statistics - I just did and it was very interesting - thanks for bringing it to my attention--there is so much here on AR and everyone so willing to make each other grow and Active Rain

Thanks for sharing! You always have useful info!

Thanks for sharing! You always have useful info!

Thanks for sharing the info about the Stats.  Being a newbie to AR, I am wondering if you can find out who is reading your blog or who has subscribed to your blog?

Cathy - you'll need to place a few posts to really see how the stats page can work and help you. There are many members on AR who love to help other members, take advantage of the love here!!  :-)

Bill and Barbara - You're welcome, you're welcome!  LOL!!  Double comment, double reply!!  :-)

Tim - there is no way to find out who has subscribed to your blog. You can search most subscribed for the week, the month, and the top 100 bloggers on AR, but that's all I am aware of.  Thanks for the comment!

i get few comments but i just started... whats the trick?

Juan - there's no trick! Good content, creativity, and relationship building is what blogging is all about.  If you post, comments will come. If there is a trick, it would be to ask yourself what topics interest you the most? Write about them with a passion, and you'll attract like kind readers and commentors.  Mix it up, little business, little pleasure, little personal, let others get to know who your are and what your passions are, that is the best advice I can give.  It is just my opinion, I know there are over 40,000 voices here on AR, that's just mine.  Best of luck to you and feel free to contact me anytime If I can be of assistance.

Thanks for the info.

Brad, you're just a popular guy. You could write about dog food and get a 100 comments.

Now use your power wisely. *lol* 

Gary - no problem.

LaShon - that was sweet!  I think I'll do a dog food post and see what happens! LOL! 
Thanks for the great advise, I appreciate you keeping me accountable!!!   :-)

good advice.. thanks for the info

Juan - you're welcome, now use it wisely!!  :-)

Brad, I did know it was there, had it on my list of things to check out and study, but when I look at it -- I'm having a problem getting past the small number of comments that my blog generate.  Got me wondering....

Don't be discouraged, look at my post, "The Whole Enchilada" and you'll see the same thing happens to me.  It happens to every writer. Just keep on blogging, and focus on your content and your audience.  That's what really matters most. Content and your audience!  :-)

I still think the Statistics page is one of the more powerful tools and features of Active Rain. I use it every week to see what's happening with my AR Blog!  Visitors, Comments, Views, Clicks etc.  Try to keep th good posts alive. This page really helps do that!

All great posts as I did go read many and have you bookmarked to go read the rest!

I will start using the stas to keep up with my readers better!

Mary - that's great! There are many ways to use your stats page, this is a great start!  :-)

Thanks for another great tip Brad!

You're welcome, be sure to login to Active Rain before you comment, It'll help the author of the post know who you are, and also, you'll get 25 points everytime you comment....up to 10 comments per day! 

Just another tip...  (Big Smile)  :-)