Scarcely has the dust begun settling gently on my first Blog Award, when Rosalind Adam of Rosalind Adam is Writing in the Rain (http://rosalindadam.blogspot.com) - a blog I highly recommend you check out for its beautiful and often very moving poetry and prose, lands me with this one.
The deal is that I have to write about my experiences, good and bad, as a blogger, then recommend 5 other brilliant bloggers for the same award. As I've recently written a post about blogs, however : A Blog about Blogs, I thought I'd go short and sweet and open this one up to you.
When I posted my first blog, 'In the beginning was the deed' on May 7th, I had three visitors, two of whom were family members I bribed into reading it, and one comment. Now, six months on, I regularly get 250+ people reading the blogs - which rose to an unbelievable 665 when I ranted about Waterstones, and upward of 20 comments. Not to mention the comments on the comments. People are meeting each other on my blog, falling in love and getting married - no, no they aren't really, it just seems like that sometimes.
This is still short of some of the American blogs I follow however, where it takes so long to scroll down to the comment box that you almost loose heart! (sorry, Kelly - don't mean it!) And it leads me to ask: what makes an addictive blog? What keeps you returning to the same writer time and time again?
Does the style influence you? Or is it the content - and if so, what makes 'good' content? I think the rise in my readership coincides directly with my appearance on Twitter - does being present on social media forums increase traffic? Does blogging sell books? Over to you..... oh, and it's ONE biscuit each!
My choice for this Award is slightly unusual: I'm not recommending 5 individual bloggers, but a group, The Romaniacs (www.theromaniacgroup.wordpress.com). To me, their joint blog embodies everything that a good blog should be: funny, informative, endlessly entertaining and they are generous sharers with other writers! Ladies - please accept this award; you richly deserve it.
Congratulations, Carol! I am addicted to your blog because it is just like you - always friendly, sometimes furious and often funny.
ReplyDeleteYou posted the first comment, and you get 2 (TWO) biscuits! No one else!
DeleteOne biscuit!!! What kind of communist regime is this? I think the success of a blog is directly proportional to the number if biscuits they offer :D
ReplyDeleteI follow a fair few blogs & the ones that I keep returning to are the ones with a style of writing that I like. I hate those with loads of adverts or a confusing layout is off putting sometimes.
I often wonder about this question though as I think of ways to improve mine. I think I say too much, never know when to shut up, and do minimal promotion.
But it can be something simple like a shared interest or sense of humour. The End.
Thanks Kate. Sorry, I'm on a pension, can't afford to supply you endlessly with biscuits. I follow blogs with 'something to say' however controversial - you can always tell the 'oh well, guess I may as well do another blog' people.
DeleteHello Carol, well done on the award, very much deserved.
ReplyDeleteAnd, thank you on behalf of The Romaniacs for passing it onto us - we are thrilled.
Have a lovely weekend.
The Romaniacs
x
Ladies - you are one of my fave blogs to follow, so the pleasure is all mine.
DeleteCongratulations, Carol. Your blog is successful, not only for its content and your humorous take on life, but because you tweet, retweet and support other writers. Its Karma, baby. Enjoy your award and keep up the good work.(And go out and buy more biscuits!!)
ReplyDeleteEnough with the biscuits!!! Thanks. Lamby. Hope 'Tall Dark and Kilted' is strathspeying up the charts!
DeleteI have to tell you, Carol, I think you may be on to something with the whole 'the rise in my readership coincides directly with my appearance on Twitter' thing. I follow you on Twitter (as you well know) and everytime you post a link to your blog about a new post, I click right through to read.
ReplyDeleteI'm not really one to just go blog-hopping, I usually have to be reminded there are blogs out there to be read. Although, I do keep clicking through your tweets because EVERY time I do I'm rewarded with a chuckle and a great read!
Thanks 'other' Kelley! I think advertising definitely helps - but you have to have a good 'product' else people will not bother to return!
DeleteCarol, were you talking about me? :) One of the reason I love blogging is because I've met some amazing people, like you. I love the conversations I have on my blog and others. This community is amazing, and I'm so glad I met you, Carol. Congrats on your award. Much deserved.
ReplyDeleteI was indeed! Your blogs are always popular! I remember once you had 58 comments! Mind you, you are a great blogger, and a lovely friend too!
DeleteThank you so much *blushes* I don't know what makes people visit blogs either but I know that being onTwitter helps. Love visiting your blog :-)
ReplyDeleteWhy does your presence on sado-masochism forums increase traffic to your blog? You suggested it, not moi!!!
ReplyDeleteI only started blogging as a sort of mucking about thing, I'm not serious about it at all, but I get a lot of views, too. I read yours because they're interesting and entertaining to read. End of. I guess that's why the people who read mine do so, too. My biggest number of views on one post is 998, for my Twitter Tips for Beginners, but usually they're anywhere between 50 and 300.
A couple of people have said 'love your blog. I'll try a book', but I am, on the whole, sceptical about this 'blogging leads to book sales' thing.
I think it's the subject that makes me look at a blog post. And how it's tweeted, of course. For that is where most of our views come from, innit.
Now I must go and see if there is any ice cream left. :)
I did? Oh - s/m doesn't mean social media then? Hahaha. Gawd, cut me a break, I'm old and daft.Will go back and redraft. Listen, at least reading my blogs gives you endless opportunities for poking fun and having extra rant space! Oh, and I love your blogs - they give such an exact impression of you - which is another'good' blog attribute!
DeleteCongratulations! :)
ReplyDeleteRegardless of personal wants and interests, in my opinion, a 'follow' worthy blog is one which snatches ones attention and maintains that hold via lively, vibrant, action packed prose. Fundamentally, it's about being entertained so my reading through a lengthy piece which offers nothing more than "me and the cat shared a biscuit" ( read that with the voice of Gary Barlow in your head...WAKE UP! )... doesn't quite do it for me. Oh and Pink Sofas littered with biscuit crumbs, discarded blog awards and used tissues stuffed down the back..is a tad off putting too!....( *mumbles*...by the way...congrats dude...blog on!..)
ReplyDeleteI resent your remarks about the biscuit crumbs, given that every time you 'grace' this blog in your malign Gargoyle persona, you leave behind pigeon detritus coupled with the faint smell of sulphur. Pot, kettle, comes to mind! (Hahaha)
DeleteCarol, congrats! Very excited for you! Multiple blog awards, and you even talk to me on twitter. Hehe. Very impressed with you and I love your responses too. Wicked sense of humor, and I think that's part of your success. Just my humble opinion. Blog on sista!
ReplyDeleteYaay, my 3 fave A-Mericans have now piled into my blog,and shared their dime's worth, such an honor (note, I do your spelling to make you feel at home).
DeleteI got one of these yesterday, but I can't be arsed to do all that tagging and finding other people to award it to that goes with it. So my blog remains awardless, alas.
ReplyDeleteIt's probably not as good as your anyway. Oh well.
(ps, how do you know my blogs give an exact impression of me if you don't know me in RL? People who 'meet' me online then in real life usually note that I am less caustic in RL, and do not shout my mouth off at all. Rather the opposite. I still swear a bit, though. And refer to stupid people as complete twats).
Seriously, though, I think that often happens. Some people are much 'louder' on paper than in RL. Maybe it's like comdedians being grumpy so-and-sos to live with, or hairdressers not having time to cut their family's hair, I dunno.
Aha. See - that is exactly the impression I get of you - that you are NOT as caustic and opinionated as you portray yourself - because in comments and asides,(and the odd DM) you reveal, maybe uncosciously, the other side to your personaLITY, As do we all. Plus, I am old and sagacious, and I know everything. So there!
DeleteOh no, I'm dead opinionated. Make no mistake about that. And I think some people talk complete crap and I feel the need to express this. But THE THING IS that you only read what people are talking about at that moment. It doesn't mean they talk about it/tell others they're talking crap 24 hours a day. If I had wrote a bit of something somewhere, that you might consider caustic or ranty or whatever, that's the only bit you see of me that day. The rest of the day I was probably being completely agreeable. Being completely agreeable doesn't mean I don't think the same about stuff, though, in general. Furthermore, (that's a stroppy word, isn't it?) I don't deliberately portray myself in any particular way - other than to tone down some of what I think to socially acceptable standards before writing it. So there!
DeleteHow many comments am I restricting you to? Two, wasn't it.... : )
DeleteI like blogs with pictures best, oh and ones about writing. Not sure how some blogs get zillions of comments on a regular basis but I suspect it has something to do with the amount of effort they put into visiting and commenting on other people's blogs! I must make more effort....
ReplyDeleteHave you tried Anne Mackle's blog: Is there anyone theere? She has lots of superb pictures. And she's just started a new blog: The Shutterbug's Ball.
DeleteCongratulations, Carol! Your blog is interesting and funny, and this award is very well-deserved.
ReplyDeleteTHanks you. I like getting little icons. It cheers me up. And hopefully, impresses future publishers!
DeleteHi. Visiting from SheWrites. Couldn't resist. After all, you promised biscuits. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is excellent! Welcome Shewrites friend - anyone who doesn't know this site, check it out: it's where I've met a lot of really nice American writers. I did say the biscuits were digital. OK? Call again.
DeleteCarol, Congratulations on the award! I find I go back to the blogs that both entertain me and offer relevant information about writing and promoting.
ReplyDeleteMarja McGraw
Well done Carol!
ReplyDeleteThank you for introducing me to a new blog as well, just been over and its all looks very entertaining.
Hello, Carol. I stumbled in here by accident and wanted to congratulate you. We share a regard for Rosalind Adam's blog. I'd like you to know that I shall be back!
ReplyDeleteAnd you are welcome to return! Thanks for dropping by. (did you get a biscuit?)
Delete