Lurking in the back of the mind of every person who publishes a blog on the World Wide Web is the thought that our words will be read and appreciated by millions. I know that’s what I expect, because I think I have occasional spurts of interesting topics. First, people have to find your site.
One of the ways to get traffic, according to my handy-dandy Everything Blogging Book,is to visit other sites and comment when appropriate. Hopefully, they will read your site, too. Then, you link to them and they reciprocate. With time, your readership grows.
I’ve found over the last three months that this method is hit and miss. I am not very good at surfing the web, and I lack patience, so I don’t often find people with whom I have many interests.
Last week I participated in the Thursday Thirteen meme, which definitely increased my traffic. It also hooked me up with two people I now consider “blogging buddies.” I read their blogs daily (their links are to the right), because I am interested in who they are and how they live. I also discovered a few blogs that I bookmarked, because I want to watch them over the next few weeks. The bloggers may turn out to be “blogging buddies” in the end.
This week, I tried the Wordless Wednesday AND Thursday Thirteen. Once again, I found the spike in traffic. However, I noticed something that disturbs me greatly.
Some of the participants seem to be quite interested in hopping from blog to blog to leave the link to their own site. But, they don’t pause long enough at the site of a blogger who is new to them to read the profile. Some don’t read the post or even stop long enough to leave a comment. For them, it seems to be all about shamelessly promoting their own blog.
How fair is that? Or, how naive am I? A spike in traffic is no good at all, if it doesn’t gain readers. Don’t you hope that some of the people who participate in the memes will come back to your site? When you participate in the memes, do you read the posts? Do you bother to go back in the archives to see what this person does on a regular basis?
I have felt it is my duty to read a post or two on any blog to which I link. I bookmark the ones that seem interesting so I can return when I have more time. If I see that this is going to be a regular read for me, I link to them.
I think it’s time for a little “Link Love.” Yesterday, my beloved spouse helped me create an image. Annie, at Blog U had posted instructions on creating a drop down navigational tool. I don’t know css or html, so I spent several hours creating the image you see at the top right of the screen. Click on it, and you will see my Five New Blogs I Enjoy.
I propose a Challenge to Thursday Thirteen Participants. I wrote that in bold so you can find out what the article is about, in case you are not reading but just looking for a place to put your link.
1. Next week when you participate in the TT, read the profile and two posts (other than the TT) of at least 10 sites.
2. Leave comments, don’t lurk.
3. Pick from those the top five most interesting to you.
4.Write a short post linking to them with a sentence or two about why you find those five sites interesting.
5. Add a link list of those 5 to your sidebar.
If you are ambitious, you can borrow my widget, and use it to create your own Link Love. If enough people express interest, I’ll post instructions so you don’t have to search my page source.
Here are MY top five picks of the week, in no particular order. There were many sites I found interesting, so it was difficult to choose. But, I’m trying to keep this simple so other people won’t be discouraged.
Rose Des Rochers site intrigues me immensely. She’s a Canadian with a background in writing, which shows clearly in her posts. She describes her blog as being about “odd news, internet safety, child exploitation, blogging, and life in general.” After I had drafted the text for this article, I found an article she wrote on Blogging Etiquette. Also check out her archives in January. The Thought For The Day labeled Like Frantic Fish is excellent.
ThommaLyn is a writer also. She loves cats, which appeals to me. Her TT included tips on editing one’s writing, which would be very helpful to me if I would bother to do it. In older posts, I found book reviews, which I hope to read next week.
MCMilker writes about parenting and more. Her expertise is as a college educator, and as a marketing consultant. She has thoughtful posts about activities for children, the environment, and much more. Her TT on Shopping Green was insightful.
Wylie Kinson listed the 13 Dead People she would invite to dinner. How could I resist listing someone who would seat Jesus, Hitler, and Princess Diana at the same table? Wylie is a writer of Romantic and Erotic Fiction. Hmmm. I want to know more.
Stephanie’s favorite book is To Kill A Mockingbird. Under the current circumstances (see a previous post of mine), that got my attention. She’s a “techie” from Illinois, and writes mostly about books. Hopefully you guessed that from the title of her blog. If you didn’t see her TT, she listed the 13 people (men) that she’d “stalk…if I had stalker tendencies, of course.” She’s got pictures! I drooled all over the keyboard. Sure, the men are young and I’m married. But, I’m not dead yet.
Now, people, the Challenge is on. Go find five of your own and show a little Link Love.
e me laugh so hard… I dropped mine (for the fourth...
My phone...
I agree with you… it is hard to get readers and then it seems like all you get is a link. I do have to thank Thursday 13 I have “found” some amazing places adn people that frequent the site. I do try and leave a message at all of my regulars…a little love goes a long way!
Happy Saturday!
Thanks for the link and mention Shelly.
Your comments on attracting readership struck a cord. As a marketing wonk, I have a few thoughts on memes. I participate in them and try to visit everyone who visits me and comment. I really don’t mind if folks fly in and fly out of my blog since I do the same…except on blogs that have a similar target market- that is, I’ll read further and comment on parenting and green blogs that seem to cover the same topics as I do. Since one can get bogged down in the sheer number of blogs, I try to focus on those that serve the same market - that is, have readers interested in being crunchy to some degree or another.
On that same note, I try very hard to always “stay on message” Every post I write, well almost, has a “not-quite-crunchy’ element…which is why, perhaps, I’m blabbing away on your blog about a topic that doesn’t fit on mine!
Thanks for giving me the space
What a neat challenge for Thursday Thirteen! I accept. And thank you so much for linking to me! And don’t look now (or do look now if you want to
), but I’ve blogrolled you. 
Thanks for the Link Love! What a great idea! I’m a new blogger, and I thought the TT was a good idea to get other people to read my blog. I wish I could post daily, but life gets in the way!
If you don’t mind my thievery, I may borrow your cute little icon and Link Love myself next week.
Of course, if you don’t mind, I will probably add your blog to my favorites!!
Shelley-
Good idea, maybe next week for TT13 you can do a list that includes the challenge to promote the idea. If you have it in your subject title, that may drive traffic to your area. I do read other posts when I go off on the TT13, it just makes it more interesting. I would have missed your jury duty story, which is a hoot.
Last week I went to a site just because of the list posted - Things you wish you could say at work, plus a couple of others based on the comments at TT13. So if you have a catchy title, it may work.
Did you look into the carnival thing? I don’t quite understand it. I am off to check your five and to blog. Have a great evening.
The Not Quite Crunchy Parent is one of my reads too, I love her tips.
Yes, the things you describe are true. But no, I don’t feel compelled to leave a comment necessarily because I think there’s nothing wrong with lurking. Frankly, if everyone who visited my blog left a comment I’d never be able to respond to them all, I have a hard enough time as it is.
And those who jump into a meme to get the links are easily identifiable and dismissed. Memes are good sources for links and I can understand a new blogger’s interest in them, I felt it myself when I started.
I try to leave comments but if I find a post that is poorly written or not worth my time I don’t feel a duty to spend more time combing through other posts as well. That may sound harsh, and I don’t mean it to be but I think the responsibility works both ways. The first and best, most absolutely important way to build links is to produce quality content. Period. No one will read otherwise and no one should be expected to. A blogger’s biggest chunk of time should go toward creating quality posts and then stepping outside to look at what the rest of the community is doing and thoughtfully commenting where appropriate.
Scribbit_
I expect quality content, too, but I try to give folks the benefit of the doubt. I skip back into their archives to see it there is anything in the pages to interest me. Sometimes it’s just an “off week.” If it’s a meme & you leave your link, then comment. I don’t comment on other posts if I have nothing to say.
Jenny–I’ll look in later & see what’s up.
Stephanie–You have a great blog, and people will read when they find you.
MC–It IS difficult to find time to visit other blogs. And, as Scribbit said, our main purpose is to produce some quality writing of our own. I understand your point about focusing on your market but, as you can see from my title, I can focus on ANYTHING. If I can focus at all.
Shannon–When you find the sites you love, link to them so others will.
Thanks for stopping by.
Hi Shelly,
I’ve seen exactly what you’re talking about. It’s a bit irritating. The only discouragement tool I’ve had at my disposal is that, when someone comments like that, I don’t add a link to their site in my T13 post (I don’t use the Linky widget that so many people use; so that’s the only way commenters get their link on the front page of my site).
Eventually, that commenter stops leaving comments. (Though I have to admit, I’m guilty of leaving the occasional drive-by comment.)
When I started blogging 9 months ago, I didn’t know anything. I just wrote, published, wrote published and always tried to do my best to write something worthwhile to read. I didn’t know anything about TT or WW or whatever didn’t know if it was useful or not for “traffic” couldn’t understand why people screamed for “traffic” and didn’t want to be a “traffic” hungry blogger (it made me think of drug traffic) I got member of TT and WW because I found it funny for myself to write about 13 things or being wordless for once. The photo hunters allowed me to publish my photos and that was it. But then I realized that being member of these groups allowed me to know a lot of other interesting blogs and slowly made blogfriends. I didn’t know either that you could make money with blogging and found the idea even absurd, but now I think different. But nothing has changed my thinking about blogging and I continue my way just as before. I am happy if I can make people laugh, or if they like my cats or when they start to love even me. For me blogging is such a pleasure and since I discovered it, it has completely changed my life. I got so bored after my retirement. I didn’t know how to fill my days. Now they are filled and I am so happy to be able to correspond with the whole world and not only with my friends here in my country. Next thursday I will see if I find 5 blogs, because I really never payed attention. When I liked it I commented, when it seemed stupid to me I didn’t.
Hi Shelly — Sorry for posting so late but it’s been a very hectic weekend! (You’ll know why if your read my blog
Thanks so much for the shout-out! I appreciate it. I’m going to follow your example (sort of) by listing my fave-never-miss TT’s on my sidebar. Don’t know why I didn’t sooner, really, because I’ve got so darn many of them bookmarked already.
When I visit TT’s, I always read the posts thoroughly. If it just isn’t my cuppa tea, I move on without leaving my name or comment. In most cases, I leave both name and worthy comment — which is about 90% of the time. Often, I’m intrigued enough to peek into their archives and yes, I do indeed read their profiles!
I’ve found many common strings and these are usually the folks I visit during the week.
As for upping readership… I’m not terribly bothered one way or another. I blog as a way to clear my mind, share anecdotes and connect with a few friends, but I’ve never tried to create a following. As a writer, perhaps I should?? LOL
Hi Wylie,
, so I’m just happy you stopped by.
Having a little one “feeling puny” make it hard to do much else. I figure it doesn’t matter when you read a post, as long as you do
On the “upping readership,” Scribbit is correct that our first duty is to write worthy material. Theoretically, people will find you.
Gattina, I like your attitude about blogging. And, people ARE finding you, aren’t they?
Laughing Muse, I might join you in not using the Linky Widget. I did that for one of them, and liked it much better, though it does mean some work.
Archives are marvelous things, there is usually something interesting to be found! I rarely read only the meme post, but don’t always comment.
Some days it all gets out of control, this blogging thing, too many posts to make, too many great posts to read. I have not added link love YET, it’s coming, but have linked in a post on occasion.
I’m scattered — and still learning the ropes, frustrated that I still can’t figure out how to put a link into a .png on the sidebar if they don’t already have the code included. (So, instructions for link love would be appreciated, but I suppose I should browse more here, in case you’ve already posted them, since I was skipping around on your blog today.) Sign me:
Overwhelmed and loving every minute except the fore mentioned.
Hey Marcia,
I appreciate you looking into archives. If a page disappears, it’s because I’m trying to narrow down my categories right now! Since I’ve switched from Blogger, I haven’t figured out how to add my Link Love logo, but it will be part of the design when I get the template re-done in the next week or so. If you are using Blogger, e-mail me, and I can send you a copy of the widget I used.
Thanks for stopping by!
I agree blog edict is not common practice. I always read profiles before I comment. It’s like an introduction of sorts. The TT’s and WW are a bit fun, but certainly time consuming. Moreover, what really ticks me off are those who just say something general, which leaves me questioning. Did they really read the whole list? I wonder how many like me read all or most of the comments before posting their own comment.
For me, I’ll continue to Shout Out. The likely hood is that you’ll be on my next post.
Yeah, it would be nice if people were really reading instead of just trying to get links. The beauty of it, is that you can delete comments that are obviously doing that. I appreciate your visit, and your link love. I like your new cooking blog, too!~skt
Wow - Rosemarie reads all the comments before commenting?! I rarely do that. If I’ve connected with a post, I comment. If there are more than a few comments, I almost never read them all. I feel that the comments aren’t directed at me so I usually don’t read them.
Sorry for the sidetrack there… I was originally writing to say that I am surprised that people don’t go back and read archives. It makes me wonder. When I’m getting to know another blog that I want to follow, I always go read it all to get up to speed. Afterall, I don’t want to miss out on any inside jokes that are referenced later or ask a dumb question that has already been answered. This thought makes me think I need to go rewrite my “about me” page so people get why I’m blogging about my photographs and the technical details behind the pictures of a ceiling fan…
As always, thanks for making me think about something and see another side!
You should always read the comments! It’s sometimes like a little conversation going on, and you are always welcome to join. Yes, update your “about me” page. I went there first to see if I wanted to read more, but was thankfully intrigued enough to read anyway. You have a wonderful blog beginning over there.~skt
Hope you don’t mind (you said I could) - I’ve borrowed your Link Love Graphic and will be doing some upgrades to my side bar in the coming days.
This is a fabulous idea and Thomma Lyn featured me as one of her link love blogs awhile back and I’ve been too busy with work and life to participate.
Reading this post just reinforced for me how important it is to spread the love around!
Have a great week, XINE
Absolutely borrow it, and send out all kinds of love into the blogosphere.~skt
[...] time back now, I wrote a post challenging people who participated in Thursday Thirteen to share a little “Link Love.” [...]
[...] week, I issued a challenge to participants in the Thursday Thirteen. You will see my “Thursday Thirteen Link Love” on the [...]