If you write a blog or run a website you probably look at other sites and ask yourself fundamental questions about why you do what you do and what makes your site unique from others? The genesis of this post is another post I read earlier this week or last by a writer who discussed how few posts she was getting compared to “professional bloggers”. I was sympathetic and still should be; as blogging is all about putting personal motives in perspective in order to understand yourself and your writing and writing motivations. Toward the end of the post I mentioned above, this young women mentioned how bummed she was by her recent bad day in terms of overall views,,,,”a mere 70″. Wow, I was a bit taken aback by this one because 70 views of one post in one day would be like,,,,the best day ever for a tiny micro-blogger like me or some others that I know,,,,but to someone like her or Jason at the Harsh Reality site, this might be a devastating day. To me though, few views isn’t really something that has a great effect on me, because at the same time I get very few views, I’m having more and more follows,,,,which keeps the blog (and blogger) trucking along. Looking at other blogs like my friend at jdraymaine, the author had another blog with significantly more followers, but decided he needed a change of pace. After starting this new blog, only a few of his other followers came with him (although he told them about his new site) and now he’s blogging confidently along on his new site, not worried about views or followers, but putting out the message and content of his choice. Still other bloggers seem to put out lots of content, but I have to struggle sometimes to find their own voice in the content. So,,,is my blog better than your bog? Probably NOT. But what fundamental question are you trying to answer with your writing,,,,,or are you trying to answer anything at all. Think through whether you really care about views, stats, followers, comments, meta-data and other metrics of success as a blogger- MOST of us probably do at some level, but perhaps there really is that blogger out there who cares nothing for this and simply writes. I hope so, I bet their blog is better than mine. Also read the post last week from the blogger who writes about the crap she’s taken for a few spelling and grammar errors in some of her posts and the fact she’s been called a “whore and a slut” in the comments section of her blog. Probably not words I’ll ever use for another blogger, but I know she cares about those words,,,,but keeps writing whatever content she wants to,,,,,,,cause it’s HER blog. That’s the point of blogs and posts,,,,,I think. It’s your content and writing,,,,OWN IT.
For my own blog, I have nothing to prove. I want it to grow but am less worried about views and stats ect. I make spelling errors, don’t always have great taglines or web hooks, sometimes curse and write few polished posts. I love followers who come into conversations and provide solid feedback or are just there. I have not in this for the monetary gain, political statement or agenda of much of any kind. I like to write and will try to continue to write solid informational (and occasional fluff) posts about adventure travel, sailing, boats and other like content. If you’ve just started following like “Unspoken Spree, thecourgettessshortage, MZ, notxjustamum and dray0308”,,,,welcome, thanks for staying with us.