Recently, I’ve suffered the ignominy of not receiving a single comment on a couple of my blog posts. The first time it happened, I shamelessly canvassed friends to put it right. I was not proud of myself, but it made me feel a little bit better. The second time, I took a more considered approach and decided to try and find out why.
Here is what I found:
I Talk Some Crap
I love words. Words are great. But I use too many. When ten words would do, you often see fifty or a hundred. Must do better. I find rambling fun (not the walking kind. See? There I go again) but you don’t have enough time to read all my rambling and that of all the other blogs you follow.
Here’s a Wordle of my blog content. As you can see, it’s very random indeed. Maybe I need some more direction, or to split my blog up a bit…?
What Gets Written About
I Post At The Wrong Time
Google Analytics and Google Reader tell me the hard truth: I post most of my blog entries at about 1pm. You read blogs between 12 noon and 1pm. So my post is a day old if you read it. Also, the automatic thingummydoofer that posts my new blog entry to twitter does it after your lunch hour has finished.
There’s not much I can do about this. I get a lunch break, during which I write my posts. By the time I’ve written them, attached and edited photos, corrected my spelling and rubbish html, etc., you’re all back at work. I just hope you don’t mind reading them late – I need to work out how to remind you to do that at the beginning of your lunch breaks, though.
I Need Help To Get More Subscribers
From the stats I’ve got my hands on, there are 15 subscribers to this blog via Feedburner, 3 from Google Reader and 8 Google Friends. Now that you’ve realised you’re in such a select group, rather than a crowd of Papal Mass proportions, there are probably even fewer 
I need better ways to get my blog in front of people, automatically (but carefully and ethically)and via the people I know. Or failing that, just tell your friends to read my bloody blog! … please. 
I downloaded the Arkayne plugin recently, with the intention of finding other blogs I could link to automatically and broaden my exposure to other blogs. This would help me read from a wider pool of writers, but also send my links to other people. The sad truth though, is that Arkayne doesn’t seem to have enough members who like what I like. I’m going to stick with it though, for a while at least, to see if I get any interesting new knowledge or visitors.
Can any of you recommend plugins or tools that will be handy?
Ha ha!
Phill are you feeling lonely out there in the wonderful blogosphere?
I comment when I can – sometimes I read your articles through RSS and forget to comment
I do read them though. I can pick out three keywords from the above post:
I, AM & LONELY.
I do like your wordsphere though. Particularly outstanding is the fact that you are outing Chris Hoy as a boyfriend killer with
HOY HANGS LOVE
Ha ha, if I had a bet on “first to comment” I’d have won with you – at very bad odds, mind.
It’s not so much loneliness, just a lack of income from AdNoSense
I can idntify with the RSS though, I have to make an effort to popout blogs from Reader sometimes when I have something to say.
Play with that Wordle thing, it’s a nice little piece of code.
And thanks for reading, mate! Now get me some more subscribers!
p.s. The Chris Hoy thing is supposed to be a secret. Don’t tell The Sun.
I just had a look at that wordy thing – I may have to increase the swearing on my blog
I have a huge tendency to read and not comment on peoples blogs at the moment. I do apologise if I’ve helped to make you feel lonely
twas not intentional.
You’re not the only one whose blog gets read and not commented on – pretty much everyone on my links page gets a read, but rarely commented on.
Forgive me?
I read ure blog m8 and now I follow u but dnt think that will make u feel better tho but wen ure blog becomes massive I can say I was the 9th person to follow u so that will b by claim to fame
well, I tend to read all my favourite blogs by opening them all at once and going at them one by one about once a week. More if I’m having a boring week. I don’t really understand why people don’t comment more either, I try to leave a comment whenever I can. What does ensure I visit a blog more often is an email saying new post
you have a blog?
where is it?
is it good?
what’s it about?
Content, content, content innit. I’m struggling to keep mine up to date, b/c no time. But tons of up-to-date related content and tweets I reckon. Joby seems release at least one a day (see what I’ve done there?) and usually gets a ton of comments.
I’ve also found that succinct seems to be the way forward (like you say), which is difficult for a rambling witterer like myself.
An email, eh? Thanks for the suggestion… although I’m not sure how I’d do that automatically. There must be a little widget somewhere, I’ll have a look. Thanks!
Rooley – your not going to believe this but its supposed to be about CYCLING…
Can you fucking believe it…
Why not Onions and whether they are things or not – or indeed the letter ‘L’.
He’d instantly have more hits / comments.
Rooley, It’s great, but as you can see from the wordle I actually have no idea what it’s about!
Les, I admire your ambition on my behalf, and (ahem) when the blog’s massive, I’ll give you credit near the end of my “first 10 subscribers” list!
Interesting comments though so far and I’ve learned a little about reading behaviour. Sometimes it just pays to ask. And I’m not lonely, honest!
Joby/Rooley,
Great idea! I’ll(ll) write more about onions not being Things. I seem to remember your most-commented-on post being about chips, so maybe food’s where it’s at
Brillllllliant.
Now if you had a subscribe to posts by email thingymajig I reckon more people would read/follow/comment etc. I’ve set it up on my blog so should be easy to do on here too – I get belly buster challenge that way.
Well I am looking forward to the discussions that you are going to bring forward with the onion / object argument.
you need a focussed approach.. Check my Wordle and you’ll see!
I get jobys that way and so I visit him more.
(shameless plug, theres a subscribe option on my blog, please feel free to use it )
You know, this long list of comments doesnt half make you look like a comment whore :p
He is a middle aged man, balding with glasses reaching out to the masses.
Unfortunately, I don’t see him as a “thing” therefore he does not exist.
BTW – have you changed your number when you got a new phone Phill or can I get you on the same one?
Emma: I agree but I like to write, and don’t get time every day. Self-discipline will be the key, I suppose.
Joby: The Onion debate will feature at some point.
Lost & Carrie: I’ll implement an email subsciption thingy, for sure, when I get the chance. People should use yours too (shameless plug!) but I won’t cos I use Reader and don’t like notifications cloggin up my personal emails much. But I’ll happily clog up other people’s if they volunteer.
Rooley: You’re right about focussing, but I do like to write about what’s on my mind rather than having a plan. I might change that, but it’d be difficult!
I’m not aiming to be a comment whore, just to get some regular feedback and conversation going, just a couple or a few each time will be brilliant – and did I mention some more subscribers?
have a look on the home page of my blog at Riding The Moor and have a look at the subscription and RSS options that i’ve added.
@carrie: I’ve subscribed to yours
Others only have follow options which are neither here nor there. I like the email subscription thingies (hint hint all you who don’t have this option)
Point taken guys! I’ll work on that soon. Thanks!
I have a subscribe option, feel free to do so.
Just for you Phillipa:
Joby: I love that film. It was the first DVD I bought when I became a bachelor again. I still have it now I’m no longer a bachelor of course!
Rooley: I subscribe to you via Google Reader but thanks! I’m sure the other readers will know to take advantage.
We sure do and I have done RooleyMoor
Done it! My email subscription link is now active so I can go to bed! Raaaar!
Huzzah! I shall get my ass in gear and subscribe this minute
I am now subscribed to you, YAY!
woop!
Your next post better be bloody interesting now
Heh heh.
Ok, Phill, I haven’t read all of the comments but from my point of view, this blogging thing is all about losing pork. So I tend to comment on motivational or problem type issues. Except Joby of course whose blog just need “WTF!” putting in there every day!
Your blog which I click on every morning seems to be a more rounded tome so a lot of the times it is about other stuff and that’s fair enough it’s your blog to do with as you bloody well like! Just like I prattle on about rugby, which in all fairness is a sad little minority sport watched by very few.
I’d say just keep doing what you’re doing and maybe have a think about exactly what your blog is for?
I enjoy it anyway…
Clive: Thanks for the upper, Clive! More rounded eh? As we all strive to get less rounded in the gut, more rounded on the blog might work. This blog’s mainly to get my thoughts out there, and to motivate myself by being public about what I try to do. I hope in that sense that it does what it needs to.
One day I may tighten up, or even split the blog into 2 to be mor focused, but that day probably won’t be very soon…
Rugby league or union?
Lost: No pressure then! Ha ha it’ll probably be bob.
Ha ha Lost – your right. He’s gonna have to come up with something wonderful otherwise he’s shot himself in his left testicle.
Bang, ow! There it goes. Good job I don’t need it any more.
Union mate, the proper game. Not that rugby lite you Northern Monkeys watch…
Oh Union, that’s the game where finely tuned athletes kick the ball up the air to each other isn’t it?
Or rather, they give it to the one finely tuned athlete on their team who can kick it straight, and he does it. …
Ahh, sarcasm, I know that…
Hi Phill,
I too have been guilty of reading your blog posts and not leaving a comment, don’t hate me for it. Focusing your content is a good idea to increase readership, but personally I like a bit of random rambling now and again – it expands the mind.
One idea, if the timing of your posts doesn’t seem to work, how about getting the post ready in your luch hour today (by 1 o’clock) and then publish it at 12 o’clock tomorrow? Don’t know if this will do any good, just thought I would put it out there.
Nigel, that’s a really good point actually. I’m always in too much of a hurry to publish and get things out there, but the posts are seldom time-bound. One thing I have done is set the new email alerts to go out between 11am and 1pm via Feedburner, so that might help a bit.
I don’t hate you. This self-pity does seem to have flushed a few closet readers out into the open though
Clive: Sarcasm, yes, you KNOW it, do you?
Phill, I wouldn’t dream of tangling with a wordsmith like yourself. My O Level English isn’t up to it!
[...] I published a blog article asking for advice on how to get more interaction and readership. I can honestly admit that I was shocked (but very [...]
Clive, I wish I was a wordsmith. My English results weren’t up to it. Once I wanted to be a journalist, but I realised it was actually pretty hard work so I gave up that dream and opted for something a lazy-arsed northerner could do.