Much like in the real world (work, family, home, etc.) and in game, you have to define success for yourself. And this goes for blogging as well. We can look at everyone around us and try to live up to someone else's measurements, but it really comes down to how you've defined success for yourself.
A lot of bloggers use some form of site statistics to gather information about hits, pageviews, referring links, keywords, etc. But much like Recount, that information is useful when analyzed and applied properly.
We use Google Analytics here. I like to look and compare month to month and also seeing a whole year's worth of data. What I won't do though, is hold up those numbers against every other blog's stats.
Why?
Simple.
Every blog is not created equal.
Very informative blogs that provide guides and such are going to see more traffic. Other blogs, like us, focus on entertainment and randomness. We're too broad to tap into a particular niche and that's ok.
When we first started up, I was thrilled – nay, ecstatic – as we started to get a couple hits a day.
Yes, I said a couple hits a day.
See, I defined what successful blogging was for me right away: regular posting at least a couple times a week, maintaining for at least a year, and having at least one other person that wanted to read my babbling besides myself and Sideshow.
In my eyes, looking back over the past year, I'd say we're pretty damn successful by that standard.
- We've reached a year.
- I've posted much more regularly than originally planned – almost daily!
- We currently have more than 230 subscribers to our feed.
Whoa, what? Honestly, the number of readers has continued to amaze me as it's risen. And I love you all for it.
Of course now we get more than a couple hits a day, with occasional spikes from big time linkage. And once in awhile I manage to post something that people are actually searching for.
Shocking, I know.
But to me, this venture has been a success whether we have 5 hits a day or 5,000.
And comments! We love comments (especially me), as does just about every blogger ever.
I want to take a moment to give some thank you love…
To Kelinarra – Thank you Mom, for being one of my first readers, supporters, and commenters. It means a lot to me.
To Saresa, Fulguralis & Fuubaar, Abi, Moondancer, Gnomer, Cait, Davlin, Byaghro, Wise Fox, Fish, Thedoctor, Deekow, and OI guildies – Thank you for reading, commenting and linking to us! You were among the first to do so. (Even if a few of you no longer blog and/or play WoW anymore… *sniffle*)
Thank you to everyone that participates in and works on Blog Azeroth as well. It helped me become a part of the WoW blog community and get my voice out there.
Thank you to the Twitterati… you know why. Do I really need to say it?
And thank you to anyone and everyone that reads us and has linked to us!
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Awww we love you both! The blog, after a year of evolution and continual writing, is everything we continue to enjoy on a daily basis. You’re both always full of quick wit and enough humor to keep us coming back.
I never did hop onto the subscription train, but you can call it 231 subscribers. I visit at least once a day 🙂 The style of writing is pleasant and all around nice to read when you’re stuck in cubicle hell…
Mostly I think it’s this (and I don’t think I’m alone on the thought); it feels like you’re our friend. We’re just listening to you chat each day. You’re sitting in your chair and we’re laying on the floor because it feels good on our back. Yes I’m weird, ok! But you’re just there, in the same room, talking to us like we’ve known you for years.
I think that’s why we all read your blog. We’re all friends. Now who took the remote?!
🙂
Seconded! TY and keep up the wonderful work!
I enjoy this post. It reinforces the “mission statement” of my blog: I write AeL because I want to.
I don’t have any statistics regarding how many people have viewed my blog because that’s not important to me. AeL gives me something to write about and a personal goal to not give up. It doesn’t matter if I’m the only person who reads it or if every person in the blogging community reads it; I will continue to post as long as I have something to post about. Granted, the support from those who do read it is absolutely delightful, and it gives me even more reason to continue to write.
I have enjoyed reading your blog this past year and look forward to the next year of blogging. Sideshow’s posts have been fun and informative. Here’s to another year!
*Clink*
Yay you guys! 😀
Glad you guys have kept on going with it, I must confess I was surprised when you started talking of the approaching one year mark a while back, even when I first stumbled across ya’s it seemed this place had the quality and feel of one that had been running for far longer!
So well done, and here’s to at least another year of the same! 😀
Congratulations guys! It’s great to see other bloggers of the ‘guides? meh.’ school doing well and ENJOYING their blogging!
… even if it does mean you are more popular than me /jealous sniffle 😉
Many thanks for the thank you! <3
@Cait – Thanks! And I think you nailed it on the head… at least in terms of the blogger-reader relationship I wanted to develop. So it is great to hear you describe it as us chillin’ and chattin’ 😀
@Fulg – Thank you and you too! 🙂
@Nim – I’m glad you enjoyed this post. You’ve got a great start and a great attitude for your new blog! After I finished writing this and scheduled it to post, I was hoping it may provide some inspiration, encouragement and/or reinforcement to newer and more established blogs alike.
@Keli – *clink* Thanks! …wait, Sideshow posts stuff too? (jk :P)
@Naithin – Thank you! Haha, I can be good at pretending I’m old hat at something. 😉 I appreciate your comment a lot. And I certainly hope to continue to deliver. It’s hard to keep me quiet… especially online lol
@Saresa – *huggles* Thankies! And, oh stop, you are very well known! 🙂 You certainly helped us feel welcome and I truly appreciate that. And it was such an honor to get a chance to meet you at BlizzCon too! 😀
Belated congratulations on your blogiversary! Internet access has been a bit sporadic over the holiday period so I’m behind with my blog-reading.
To be honest, it’s probably just because I’m fundamentally shallow but although I will visit a blog or a site for a tactic or information, it’s blogs like yours that keep me reading.
@Tam – No worries, the holidays have gotten me behind on blog reading and comment responding (obviously as I answer 3 days later)
Thank you 🙂 I’d rather have more “regulars” than blog tourists. Plus, it’s easy to suffer from info overload.. gotta have somewhere to go for nonsense, right?! 😛