I say blogging is hard but I need to elaborate so you don’t think I’m a lazy ass hole. I LOVE blogging! The group of friends I’ve met are supportive, interesting, fun to talk to and I’ve learned new things like chav in England means white trash. Who knew?
When I say blogging is hard, I’m talking about all the other things you have to do just to get your posts in front of an audience to read it. My main goal is to entertain my readers. I love to laugh and I only want to pump out great content. From a practical standpoint, my other goal is to make money with my blog. To make money, I need to drive as much traffic as I can to my blog and that is where all the work comes in.
The Importance of StumbleUpon
So my latest endeavor is StumbleUpon. I have my blog hooked up to Google Analytics and it’s amazing to see where traffic comes from. Look how much comes from StumbleUpon for June:
So obviously I need to learn StumbleUpon and build up my presence there. Do any of you have tips? I have 1 follower and that was from 10 months ago. The thought of reading articles and “stumbling” them is daunting. I tried Reddit and failed miserably not realizing that is where trolls and curmudgeons live. This leads me to the other hard thing about blogging: all the time you need to invest in social media. How did we get so much social media? Half of these I’m like, why even try. I’ve never even heard of some of these…..
I struggle with keeping up Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. I heard Pinterest is great for your blog. Crap, how do I even do that? I mean, I know how to do Pinterest but joining groups, being active? It’s really all too much. I’ve tried to put myself on a schedule and I have yet to follow it. I’m sure if I could make it a habit, my traffic might be even better but like exercising regularly, I just can’t get to that point where it’s a habit. And plus, sometimes I feel like some of the best posts for Twitter are when funny things pop up in the day. Scheduled posts seem too contrived and not interesting. Does that make sense?
Tell me what you guys do or don’t do with regards to social media and posting? I am in awe of many of you and how many blogs you are able to read in a day and comment. I honestly don’t know how you do it. Do you have a set schedule? Are you like me and keep a schedule? I want to read everyone every day and have tried but then my children are unfed and their laundry is piling up. I need like an audible.com to read me everyone’s posts. That would be amazing. Perhaps I’ll invent that and my little icon can join the sea of others above.
I don’t know much about all this nonsense. I have google analytics too and I look over the pages and say “hmmmm” to myself a lot and then ask my husband what it all means. The thing I’ve noticed about StumbleUpon is that it it makes my bounce rate skyrocket, which means the person who finds it on SU most likely just clicks through and doesn’t even read the post. That’s when I wonder if it really helps drive traffic towards my blog. I can’t get anyone to even remotely bother with my stuff on Pinterest, so I’ve basically given up. I got published on The Mighty and that has gotten me some new followers. I think that’s going to be what I’m going to focus on now, submitting my really good posts to bigger blogs.
I’ve heard from quite a few other bloggers who say that, yes, they get traffic from StumbleUpon, but it’s just clicking through. They are likely doing what we’re all doing, because we have no time-clicking through, half reading, and attempting to share. It’s all so daunting.
If I like something or comment, I have read the whole thing. It does get overwhelming at times. There’s so much good stuff. I usually scroll through and pick at few people a day that I will devote my time to.
Absolutely. If I comment, I’ve read the whole thing. There are the really good bloggers who I have to devote time to read, because I truly enjoy their posts and want to send a meaningful comment. However, there’s also a lot of stuff out there that I don’t want to spend my time reading, but I feel obligated to show attention to. Does that make sense?
Oh my lord, it definitely makes sense. I’ve done the ‘obligation like’ a time or two. LOL!
LOL!!
Guilty!!
You just explained the thoughts in my head. Additionally, when I seek out a blog(yours) those are the ones I love to read. I can kind of tell when someone is a serial liker and never comments. Sometimes I like something but don’t comment bc I have nothing meaningful to say.
Haha! A serial killer! Yeah, if I don’t comment on something it just means I want to show support, but I didn’t relate enough to leave a meaningful comment.
Well please know I always appreciate your visits and your thoughtful comments!! This is why I love blogging!
Me too! I love the community feel of blogging.
That is what Christine said too. This makes me realize I need to analyze my bounce rate and time on page.
I have no idea what a “bounce rate” is ??
When your with your shortie or boo and leave somewhere, your bouncing.
??
Bounce rate is the # of people who land on your site (landing page) and don’t click anywhere else on your site and leave. So if I have a post that has a high bounce rate, this tells me the post sucked.
Ahhh!! OR, the people visiting it suck!!
Ha! LOL!!
What’s the Mighty?
It’s a blog devoted to posts about mental and physical illness. I submitted my piece on the pain I was having in my hands after chemo and it lo and behold they published it! This is the link to their submission page –
https://themighty.com/submit-a-story/
Great job! And thank you! I’m totally checking this out!
Jessica just started a thread in the blog group about her frustrations with all of this. What her and I find most frustrating is when you see brand-spanking-new bloggers with 1000+ followers and huge engagement. I’ve come to the realization that either there is some magical trick that only the elite know OR these people are buying their followers and they aren’t real, devoted readers.
I’ve given up even thinking about trying to monetize my blog, because you have to have crazy traffic to even break even. I’ve been blogging for more than 2 years and I’m not even close to that. I’ve found that the blogging end of all of this bullshit is killing my real passion-writing.
No, don’t tell me that your passion is being killed! I don’t want to hear that! You may want to consider adsense. You have a gabillion more followers than me and with my traffic I’ve earned $10. While nothing to write home about, I’ve earned $3 of the $10 last week. It’s starting to grow. I’m not giving up. Maybe Ill be jaded in 5 years and have earned $19.99 but Im not there yet. And I agree, how the f*** do people have that many followers and usually have a boring blog? Big family?
I can’t use Adsense on a WP supported blog. I’d have to self-host ?.
I never thought I would make blogging a vocation, so I’m kind of stuck just stumbling through what I do.
Advice? BWAHAHAHAHA….as if I’m capable. 😉
I would kill to make this my vocation! And I think I could do it but would need like 6 months of not having a real job to dedicate the 40 hours/wk I would want to commit to doing it. Your funny!
HI from the sidelines, interesting reading. Mind blogging ho hum, I will just keep blogging and learning as I go along. Have a good night!
Yes, good night!
oooo wow! I haven’t even considered any of this. But I’m not really looking to make money from my blog. It would be nice if I did though!
I still don’t get StumbleUpon.. . Or Flipboard Lol!
But you’re so good at sharing things! I thought you’d get them!
I can share… but I don’t see the benefits in my figures! I get my boost from our group sharing days and the real interaction from my followers and Blogily!
I don’t even know about Blogily! Eep. There is so much more to learn!!
Blogily is my own term for my blig family. Those I consider to be more than just followers, but a part of my every day life.
That makes waaay more sense!
You do have an amazing interactive community.
They make my blog what it is!!!
I agree! What I want to know Ritu is how the hell you manage to read/comment and like SO MANY blogs and still keep your kids fed and clean!
I like that! I was with Josypheen, I started sweating thinking, ‘oh my God, another social media site? WTF!’
??? nope… I just like making My own words up! Don’t sweat it!!!
Agreed!!!!
What to do eh?!
I don’t even think I’ve ever been on the Flipboard site but I think I need to be!
Lol! It’s there… but a mystery to.me!
like a unicorn!
?
I just plod along, trying as much as I can but not too much. As much help as a chocolate teapot, sorry!
I completely understand!!
YES… to ALL of this! I’m a new blogger as of last April and my head is spinning with all of this social media stuff after joining BUYB, but at the same time I’ve been having a lot of fun. Especially with all of the devoted people on there. <3
I agree with you! I just want to grow my blog and after deciding to self host, I lost a main source of traffic- the reader so every follower I get I cherish!!!
I’m rubbish at all of this too.
I have started to read quite a lot of posts, but I’ll only like them, comment or share them if I have actually read it. I actually quite like flipboard and stumble upon. I don’t have many followers of either, but I find it an easy way to share things. Same with pinterest, but I only really pin things when i LOVE the images, or if I can see that they have made a pinable image…
You always have a good, fun comments section, so I think you’re doing fine. 😀
Your so sweet! Thank you! I’ll get there eventually!
I’ve found that adding one page to SU a day is good. More than that and the later pages don’t get any action. On the days when I’m sharing a lot I pin pages to a secret board to stumble later in the week. SU doesn’t like it when you only add your own pages and likes it when you spend a little time browsing other stuff, 15 min or so after adding a page. This could all be total BS but I think its true
Wow! This is amazing advice that I’ve never heard. Thank you! I’m totally using this!!!