How obsessed are you with your blog stats and blogging? And what essential points have you learned about blogging?
When I first started blogging in 2014, I was obsessed with my blog stats. I checked them almost hourly to see if anybody had visited my blog. We all know that wonderful feeling when somebody clicks the ‘like’ button, or better still, when somebody leaves a comment on one of our posts for the first time.
It didn’t matter what that comment said. Even if it was, ‘Great post,’ it made my day. How times have changed!
Taking the advice of other bloggers
When another more experienced blogger and somebody who had been blogging much longer than me told me that most of the hits my posts were getting were probably from people who didn’t stay more than a few seconds on my blog, my whole blogging world began caving in.
Even worse, that blogger told me that many of those who hit the ‘like’ button probably didn’t even read the post. What?
I was so deflated that I thought, ‘Why bother?’ It wasn’t until another blogger told me to stop obsessing over my blog stats and to put the energy of stat-watching into writing blog posts that I took that advice.
More trouble
A few months later, I found myself in trouble again. ‘Concentrate on the comments rather than how many people have visited your blog or how many have hit the ‘like’ button,’ another blogger told me. ‘Most importantly, don’t forget to visit, read and leave engaging comments on other blogs.’
But I took that last bit of information to heart and soon found myself spending all my blogging time reading and leaving engaging comments instead of writing posts. I was following over 500 blogs and I believed I had to read and comment on every single post.
Blogging guilt and stress crept up on me, and I thought I’d upset people if I didn’t read their posts and leave them comments, or, even worse, people would unfollow me if I stopped reading and leaving comments on their posts. After all, they were reading and commenting on all my posts.
Once again, I found myself on the edge of packing in blogging. I was going to delete my blog and find something else to do that was more fun and enjoyable.
How do you find the right blogging balance?
Thankfully, I never deleted my blog, but I know of bloggers who have done so, some of whom came back and started afresh. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out, and some of these bloggers went on to abandon their blogs for the same reasons they left blogging in the first place.
Finding a balance between writing blog posts and reading and commenting on other blogs can be a significant task. Thankfully, I found it.
I know some bloggers who balance blogging by reading as many posts as possible in as short a time as possible. They’ll often leave short, non-engaging comments on all those posts. It works for them, but not for me, but good for them if that’s what works.
What works for some won’t work for others.
Then there are the bloggers who reduce the number of blogs they follow without worrying that they’ll probably lose followers in the process (and they will), giving them more time to write. Good for them.
Why do bloggers suddenly stop leaving comments?
I’ve lost followers because I cut down on the number of blogs I followed. Now, I’m following around 75 blogs, all of which I’m interested in. That gives me more time to write, more time to read and more time to leave engaging comments on the blogs I follow.
I no longer get comments from people who always used to leave me comments, however, the fall in non-engaging comments is something I’m delighted with.
Some bloggers seem to have disappeared from the blogging world while others are still around, but have lost interest in what I have to say or no longer have anything interesting to add in a comment. But there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s not worth worrying about.
Are you more of an engaging or non-engaging blogger?
Someone once told me that a non-engaging comment indicates that the person who left it does not want to engage with you (or anybody else). This is usually because they’ll say they don’t have the time to engage. All they want to do is say, ‘Hello, I visited,’ before moving on quickly. They may not have even read the post.
And then there are the bloggers who leave comments like ‘Subscribe to my blog!’ or ‘Nice’ without saying anything else. Do they want to engage, or are they simply number/follower-hunting? I often wonder how would they react if I left them an engaging comment on one of their posts.
Of course, blogging isn’t only about engagement. Many people blog just to express their thoughts online. Some bloggers do not respond to comments. Some bloggers simply thank people for leaving a comment without engaging with them, even if the comment they’re responding to shouts, ‘I want to engage with you!’ thus taking the person who wants to engage down a dead-end.
Many bloggers want to engage, yet I’ve heard from some bloggers who say the comments section of blogs is a waste of time and should be removed. I don’t agree with that, but if a blogger does not want to engage then there is the option to turn off comments.
How often should you blog?
I’ve learned the only answer to this question is – ‘blog as often as you like without feeling obliged to publish something.’
It took me a while to find that I’m happier publishing two or three posts weekly. Any more than that, and I find I’m forcing myself to write posts, which makes blogging less enjoyable. Sometimes, I may only publish once a week.
I do not want to get myself feeling stressed because I haven’t got a post ready, so my advice is not to blog to any schedule of when you’re going to publish posts. If readers are interested in what you write and publish, they’ll read your posts regardless of how often or when you publish and sometimes that could mean days, weeks or even months after the publication of a post, so don’t close comments off to force your audience to read your posts within a particular time-frame. Blogging should always be a leisurely activity.
I also witnessed a drop in the quality of the posts I publish when publishing more than a few times a week. For me, quality is much more important than quantity, but it may not be the same for you.
I also tend to stay clear of blogs that publish more than once daily as they tend to bring an overwhelming feeling that I don’t like. Once again, it’s about finding the perfect balance that works best for you.
Blogging! It’s a fascinating subject, isn’t it? I could go on, but it’s now over to you. Can we discuss blogging honestly without fearing upsetting other people? What do you think? Let me know in the comments section. Let’s discuss blogging.
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Hugh's Views & News 
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences, challenges, questions on blogging. It really gave me something to think about for my own reasons for having a blog. My main reason at the moment is for my work as a freelancer to share some of the knowledge I have for small business owners. So does this mean that I care about whether a person comments on my blog? I’m just not sure since I view my blog as being supportive to my freelancing career.
But one thing I can say for sure is that I do acknowledge comments that people post and will respond to those who truly want to engage.
You’re welcome, Rose.
When it comes to blogs that give out information, engagement may not sound as important, but readers will always have questions, so it’s good to hear that you do respond to any comments and questions left on your posts.
75 blogs is still a sizeable number to follow if you’re going to do more than just skim the content and leave a bland comment (which I know you don’t do).
One blogger suggested that you follow a routine where you blog on day A then visit/comment on other blogs on day B – and repeat the sequence. Or if you can’t keep up an alternate day of posting then post on day A and comment on days B and C. It worked for a while but I lost the discipline…
Hardly any of those 75 blogs publish more than twice a week, though, so it’s easy to stay in touch and read their content. However, I don’t read all of the posts of the blogs I follow. If the title of a post does not make me want to find out more, I’ll skip by.
I’m not a fan of keeping to a schedule either. I blog when I feel like blogging. It’s one of the reasons why I don’t inform readers which days of the week to expect posts from me. That would only put me under a lot of pressure.
That does make it more realistic to keep up to date with them in that case Hugh. I’ve been following the advice you’ve given many times over about decluttering my feed, removing people who don’t seem interested in interacting.
Re scheduling posts, the other thing that occurs to me is that I can’t imagine my followers are biting their nails waiting for me to post and if I don’t do it on the exact day I promise, they’ll get stressed out
I know, right? I recently read a post where a blogger gave out the days and times where they would published new posts. And they ended the post with ‘Make sure you are here ready for the posts as they go live.’ Yeah, right! How many of their readers would do that? I read posts as and when I get to them, and I think that’s what most of us do.
However, if somebody stops blogging altogether and I notice they’re not engaging anywhere either, that does cause me concern. Most bloggers inform their readers if they’re going to take a blogging break, though. I know of quite a few abandoned blogs floating around in the bloggesphere. It’s sad to see them abandoned.
That’s either a sign of delusion or they are extreme egotists 😹
I always pick up a good tip or 3 from your blogging posts. I have a core of bloggers that I read and engage with. Sometimes, it takes me a bit of time to get to them all, depending of life situations, but I sure try to engage as promptly as possible.
Thank you for all you do, Hugh!
Gina
I’m delighted that my posts are helping, Gina. And good to hear that you are an engaging blogger. From what I hear, we’re a rare breed of blogger, so we need to keep on engaging in the comments section. I’d hate for the comments section to be removed.
I started blogging in 2013, but I seldom leave comments to blogs even after reading them. I can’t even remember the last time I did so aside from this one, of course.
Are there any reasons why you do not engage with other bloggers via the comments section of their posts?
Time. And I believe I have to give that needed time to leave a comment. Looking forward to finding more time to do that!
Time can be a big problem. I cut down on the number of blogs I was reading which freed up time for me to leave comments.
An excellent post, Hugh. Full of all the lessons I’ve learned over the last 7 years of blogging too. I’ve seen so many other blogs come and go, and burnt myself out trying to keep up with blogging schedules I eventually had to change if I wanted to write books and still actually enjoy blogging as well. It’s comforting to know I’m not the only one who experienced these things.
Bloggers burnout is something many bloggers go through. I think it’s all about changing the way we blog when it happens.
Congratulations of your seven years of blogging.
Thank you 😊.
Blogging, indeed, works differently for different people. I actually have quite a few travel friends who blog and never react or reply to comments left on their blog. So, while I still read and “like” their posts, when there is an option to do so, I don’t comment anymore as I’m not a fan of being ignored.
As for me, I started blogging in 2007 for eight years about once a week, during our sailing adventure. Afterwards, in 2015, I changed blogging hosts (from Blogger to WordPress) and focus, starting my Roaming About blog. I still post about once a week about our travels, budget, and lifestyle, which has shifted from a sailboat in the tropics to a truck camper in South America.
I mostly blog for my own records and to update friends and family and I will ALWAYS reply to comments and engage with people. That’s the most fun part about this hobby!
I’m also not following a lot of blogs anymore (maybe twenty in total at the moment), because it took too much of my time and not all of them interested me. If that means those bloggers unsubscribe from my website, that’s fine by me. I feel you have to blog mostly for yourself and for what you want to get out of it, like inspiring/helping/entertaining others or keeping records of your own stories/thoughts/experiences. It’s an individual decision.
Same here, Liesbet. I dislike being ignored and find it it rude when bloggers do not reply back to a comment or acknowledge it with a like.
Thank you for sharing your blogging journey with us. You must be one of the bloggers who has blogged the longest that I follow. Like you, I’m a big fan of the engagement in the comments section and do all I can to discourage people from leaving short non-engaging comments on my posts.
I’ve set myself a limit of how many blogs I follow. If I get to the limit, I won’t follow anymore, although I do also audit which blogs I am following at least twice a year and unfollow any that have not published any new posts for the previous 12 months. Likewise, if there are any I am no longer interested in reading, I’ll unfollow them.
Interesting blog post, Hugh, and excellent tips about engaging. I don’t pay attention to my stats because why fret over something that you can’t control. I enjoy engaging with others and feel that is the best part of blogging. I use the ‘like’ button when I enjoy a post. If I don’t have anything constructive to say, I move on. I engage with followers where we have like interests.
There are times I feel overwhelmed and need to take time to reevaluate those I follow that don’t engage. My weekly prompt keeps me busy and I like to engage with my participants as a top priority.
That’s very true about the stats being out of our control, Eugi. It reminds me of the saying ‘don’t worry about the things that are out of your control.’ I can understand why some bloggers see a decrease in stats as sad, but they will bonce back if you approach blogging the right way.
And I understand why the host of any blogging challenge gives priority to the comments and links that come in for that challenge. It’s a very rewarding part of the whole blogging experience.
Excellent advice, and many people can (and will) benefit from your thinking and experience.
Thank you. Please feel free to share your blogging journey with us, especially the important points you’ve learned.
Hugh, I loved this post as it got me to reflect on my own blogging journey. I began it a long time ago as a way to basically have an online diary. I just needed an outlet to vent about all of my troubles. I gathered a few followers in the process. I would go for months without posting. Then around 2016 or 2017, I rediscovered my blog and I began posting again. As before, my blog was an outlet for the angst I was going through with my divorce and coming out, then meeting someone, then cancer, then retirement. Along the way I met some amazing bloggers who I consider friends, even though we’ll probably never meet! At one point I began to check the stats, worry about not posting, worry about not commenting, etc. Then I began to center myself and remember why I started the blog in the first place, as an online journal. I still check stats once in a while, but I no longer worry about them. I do feel a bit “guilty” when I don’t read other bloggers I follow because I don’t want people to think that I am ignoring them, but sometimes life gets in the way of checking blogs!
Thank you for sharing your blogging journey with us, Michael.
Please, never feel guilty when you do not read or leave comments on blogs. I don’t think anybody minds. If they do, then think seriously as to why you’re following their blog. Over the ten years I’ve blogged, I’ve had a handful of bloggers get a little upset that I haven’t visited their blog or left them comments. I ended up unfollowing their blogs rather than force myself to read their posts because they wanted me to feel obliged to do so. It should never be like that.
Like Mr Ohh, I can only manage to blog once a week. That and making comments takes an age. I follow only a few blogs, and it takes me hours to read and comment.
I occasionally just leave a like to show I’ve visited if I’m particularly short of time, but I always read those blogs I give a like to.
Good to hear that you use the ‘like’ button correctly and that you do not allow blogging to stress you out or feel guilty. Blogging should always be about an enjoyable experience. It seems that’s exactly what you are getting from it.
I like to engage. I don’t see the point of repeatedly hitting like without reading a post. It seems disrespectful to a writer who may have worked hard on a post to dismiss it so easily. Some days I have more time to engage than others, and I don’t feel guilty when I can’t.
I’m comfortable only blogging when I feel compelled to say something. I don’t ever just post something lame to put out some material. I’ve gone from posting about once a week to once a month, and I’m okay with that. If ever this starts to feel like a job, I’ll find something to replace it. Blogging should be a fun activity and most of the time it is for me.
I agree with you about the ‘like’ button, Pete. I have certain bloggers who press like on all my posts within seconds of them being published. And none of them ever leave comments.
Good to hear you don’t feel guilty on the days when you can not engage with other bloggers. Some bloggers seem to feel that leaving short non-engaging comments on everything they read is a way to get over the guilt, yet they don’t seem to realise what they are doing in full view.
Again, if publishing once a month is what feels best, good for you. It tells everyone that you’ve found your ideal blogging balance.
I am amused by the “speedreading” bloggers who like eight posts in one minute. 🤣 What’s their point? Do they think we won’t notice? Does it build SEO?
Some seem to think it’s some kind of race. I can’t see the enjoyment of rush reading blog posts. I think they try and be everywhere in the hope that they’ll get noticed, but often that just means lots of non-engaging comments from them and on their posts.
I gave up stats watch when I realised they had no bearing on reality. Engaging withy others does build a lovely network
I agree, although, for me, it does depend on the types of comments. I much prefer somebody leave me a genuine and thoughtful comment every once in a while than leaving short engaging comments on all my posts. Leaving comments like ‘great post’ or ‘this was a great read’ doesn’t help me at all and begs the question ‘what was great about it?’ I sometimes do ask, but rarely get a response. However, those who do leave those non-engaging comments do stop leaving me short non-engaging comments when I keep asking them what was great. So that’s a win.
That’s great Hugh 😂 (sorry, I had to)
Being mainly a photo blog short comments are fine. If someone has a technical point I appreciate that as well.
When I post a Koala photo for example, I might get “Cute” which is enough. But if I write a short poem about the Koala in the photo, I do get disappointed that the words didn’t resonate and not a comment.
I never am concerned, as a post is a moment in time. I am always surprised when I get a like on an old post.
Whenever I get a comment like ‘nice photo’ I always want to know more as to why they said it was nice. I know that time can sometimes be our enemy, but I’d rather people not comment if they don’t have the time to explain why they are saying something. I always find feedback helpful, so it helps me in not only improving my writing, but also taking better photos. However, each to their own. I think some bloggers feel obliged to leave a comment, but I don’t want anyone thinking that when they are reading my posts. I’d never be upset with anyone if they didn’t leave a comment. It’s all about the enjoyment that blogging brings.
I have a what I call a “blog family” who have a friendship as well as a love of blogging. There is never a need to comment, it is nice to get a like to know they have been by but are probably busy.
Sometime the comment/chat can take a life of it’s own at times
That’s very true. I love it when bloggers chat with each other in the comments too (providing it’s about the subject of the post). I’m not a lover of general chit-chat in the comment section of blogs. Not everyone wants to know how Aunt Hilda is after her 80th birthday when the subject of the post is about a subject you’re interested in.
and definitely the results of your lanced boil 😂
Interestingb tips. Thanks for them. For me Blogging once a week is all I can do. I think the ones about workin and following other bloggers are best. Although, I personally have a hard time with staying intouchwith all others. At least I know I blog for me I want others to enjoy it but when I stop enjoying it It’s time to stop. 🤣😎🙃
I agree with you, Michael. If blogging becomes a chore or I stop enjoying it, I’ll pack it in, although I did change the way I blog many years ago when I found myself feeling overwhelmed, stressed and guilty with blogging.