Welcome to the 4th installment of the BLOGGING TIPS!
If you have missed the previous ones, feel free to check out:
JANUARY – rules; an introduction
FEBRUARY – tells you how to get the most comments.
MARCH – gives you tips on how to promote your content.
I hope you find some things there that will help you make your blogging world a better place.
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MARCH’S question:
What do you wish to have known before you started blogging that would have better equipped you?
OUR answers:
- how to promote your blog (read the March installment)
- how to interact with others and gain an audience (see February)
- how to categorize your posts (Create just a few main categories and use multiple tags to attach to the post. Having more than 12 (?) tags will flag you as a spammer, and WP will not show you in the searches.)
- that jumping on the “follow for follow” train can prove disastrous (your Reader is spammed with non-stop content and you miss out on those you really like + some people unfollow you as soon as you follow them)
- that the WP community can be very supportive and that you can find many friends (an incentive to just start your blogging journey sooner than later + a reason to just keep going when times get tough)
- what the difference between various WP account plans (blogger, personal, premium) is (it can be rather tricky, but remember that you can get your money back and revert within 30 days if you are unhappy with it)
- that blogging isn’t easy
- that you need to be consistent to achieve some of your blogging goals
April’s question:
2-in-1 again. I thought they were different, yet similar enough.
What makes you follow and unfollow a blog?
What makes you subscribe and unsubscribe from an email list?
Please share your answers in the comment section so that new bloggers have an easier start. After all, we all need the community to grow. More bloggers, more potential readers. Plus, we can never stop learning.
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A huge THANK YOU to those who participated last month. You are making this blogging world a better place. Please consider contributing this time around, too.
Obi came up with some great lessons this month that I have not thought of, but are spot on.
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Please feel free to go through my Contact page and share with me what YOU would like investigated and answered by the Community next month.
Stay golden,
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Did you enjoy reading this post? Hit LIKE.
Have some thoughts on the topic? Share in the COMMENTS.
Do you regularly enjoy my blog? Be sure to FOLLOW.
Are my posts getting lost in your busy Reader? Try SUBSCRIBING.
One day at a time... 
Thank you so much for featuring my post in your blog, Goldie! It’s an honour.
Lovely answers you’ve got for last month’s question! They are ALL relatable.
To answer this month’s questions, I rarely unfollow blogs. Since the Great Purge (that time when I was trying to come out of the “follow for follow” trap by unfollowing blogs I wasn’t interested in), the bloggers I’ve unfollowed aren’t up to ten. But I follow about two blogs every week.
I would follow a blog if I find the blogger or their posts very interesting. If a blogger’s posts always leave me with a new knowledge, something deep to reflect on, or maybe their posts put me in a good mood, I’d surely follow them. Sometimes, a blogger would support my blog soooooo much and I would follow them back as my little way of appreciating their support.
I would only subscribe to an email list if it promises something I love or need, like quality content, tips, and resources.
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I had to feature you, since your comments on the last BT post were the ones that surprised me the most (I didn’t think about them). I just linked to one of your recent posts so that you’d get a pingback.
Great Purge. I like that.
You still didn’t say what makes you unfollow, though.
And we’re on the same page with email subscriptions, but I’m curious about it. Ultimately, I want to have exclusive content for my subscribers, but I haven’t figured out what that would be just yet.
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Oh right. Sorry about that.
If I unfollow a blog, it would most likely be because of negativity. Perhaps the blogger made a very negative post and when I made a comment to question his views, he went full offensive on me. When things like this happen (although they hardly ever do), I would unfollow.
Another reason I would unfollow a blog is if the blogger starts posting so many times in a day. I don’t appreciate spam. We’ve talked about this several times, so I’m sure you understand.
I would also unfollow a blogger if he’s fond of ignoring my comments. Or if he replies my comments with generic comments. These are all I can think of right now.
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We have talked about it, indeed.
I apologize if it feels like I’m asking something that I should already know, but it’s easier for me when I compose the “results” post – everything is in 1 place (the comment section of this post).
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
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No, there’s no need to apologise, Goldie. I understand.
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I’m not a fan of subscriber lists. I find it more of an advertising strategy. Though I have subscribed to some of the lists but then all their mails are unread in my inbox for past 10-11 months! They mail once or twice a month or sometimes weekly.
And when it comes to following a blog- if I like the content, if I know the blogger personally, if the blogger is participating in Let it Bleed (so that I can get an update, sometimes pingbacks ditch us), if the blogger is an engaging person.
Unfollow reasons- If I dont read or engage with the blogger and his/her content.
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That’s kind of how I feel about the subscriber list, too. But supposedly, it’s good in the long run.
Thank you for sharing your experience.
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Yeah it maybe good in the long run. But I’ll need to learn how to use mailchimp and stuff. I tried using it sometimes but couldnot understand it much. WHY DON’T I HAVE 48 HOURS In A DAY? 😛
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48h? You’re very demanding. I think 30 would be enough for me.
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Yep, I am. I said 48h won’t be enough 😀
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I follow those Blogs that I find interesting. I like those that share stories of a personal nature.
I oftentimes follow those that follow me, but not always. I also take recommendations from other bloggers. I have found that from time to time others write about their favorite bloggers and I’ll sneak on over to their page/site and check them out. If I like what I see (er read) I usually subscribe or follow.
What makes me unfollow a blogger?
If I’m consistently reading your stuff, liking and commenting and you aren’t doing the same for me then after a while I’ll unfollow. I’m a big fan of reciprocity.
Good post, Goldie!
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Thanks, Rakkelle!
You make a very good point about unfollowing. For the longest time, I kept saying how “once I follow you, I won’t unfollow” (because clicking the follow button is a thought-through action). And then, one day I unfollowed someone who did what you describe. I appreciate reciprocity, too. I understand that I can like your posts and you don’t have to like all of mine. I get that. I don’t want you to comment on all of my posts like I do on yours. BUT, if I try to engage in YOUR comment section and all you say is “thank you” and ignore my questions, and on top of that you never visit my site… What’s the point? This went on for months. Funnily enough, the moment I unfollowed, they liked my post. No, I did not go back. And they never returned.
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Good for you, Goldie! I wouldn’t have gone back either.
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Do you subscribe to blogger emails?
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Is following not the same as subscribing? I’m not sure. Please educate me. 🙂
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Yes, and no.
WP “follow”:
– the posts appear in your Reader
– if you choose so, you also get an email whenever the person you followed posts (it comes from WP and you can opt out/ in at any time)
Email subscription:
You get an email that’s not from WP announcing posting. If you (like I) don’t like receiving emails from WP that someone posted, then your email options are probably disabled. It’s easier to just subscribe to individual ones via email subscription. Some people use those as newsletters. Aside from telling you “Hey, I posted”, they can just give you updates on other things that they do not post on their blog. That is something I’m interested in doing, but I’m not sure yet of the details.
Does that make sense?
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Yes, it makes sense, Goldie. A whole lotta sense. Sorry, it took so long to respond. I read it when you initially wrote it and then forgot to reply. 🙂
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It happens to me sometimes, too.
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My answers are similar to Racquel’s above – I follow blogs that are interesting to me. Some make me laugh, some make me think, and some keep me up to speed on my chosen blog “theme” of beauty, fashion and all things Avon. I am pretty terrible at taking the time to find new blogs to follow on my own and end up finding blogs by their first following me (I don’t practice follow for follow) or being mentioned by one of the bloggers I already follow. Good ol’ referrals!
I unfollow blogs that lose my interest, are “spammy”, or make posts way too often (flooding my inbox and/or reader with half a dozen or more posts per day).
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I can totally relate to the unfollow reason.
What about the email subscriptions?
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I don’t generally choose to sign up for them unless there’s no other option for me to be notified of new posts for a blog I’m interested in following.
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Same.
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What makes me follow a blog is the inspiring content and the fact the author posts systematically. This way, I know I can connect with someone for a longer period of time. What makes me unfollow a blog is to see the content which has nothing do with keywords, lack of interaction and posting on a rare basis. When it comes to the newsletter, I subscribe when I see the added value for myself and unsubscribe when I’m spammed with the content which is meant to sell me something I don’t want. I hope I responded to your questions 🙂
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People keep telling me that one needs to post regularly in order to be somewhat successful. I know it’s true, because I can see it in my stats (lower views when I post less). However, I never really understood it. People say that they “wait” for specific days/ times, because they know who will post when. Ok, but weird. You, however, just made a comment that makes TOTAL sense to me. It’s about connecting with someone on a regular basis. Building trust, etc.
Thank you for responding to all my questions!
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My pleasure 🙂
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🙂 Now those are all great questions for the month of April, Goldie.
In my case, I follow blogs that I am genuinely interested in.
I will unfollow someone if I believe that they abandoned their blog (Unfortunately, there are people who followed us that no longer blog).
Also, may the month of April be a wonderful one for you!
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I’m a bit surprised to hear that so many people unfollow people who no longer blog. Why is that? Is it just to make the following/ followed by ratio better? What if that person that you liked, but left for a while comes back?
What about email subscriptions? Do you sign up? Why? And why would you unsubscribe?
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🙂 No, it has nothing to do with making the number of the people that I follow even with those that I am following; it is more about following a person who is active.
Oh, I am sorry, Goldie. If a person stopped blogging for an entire year and they return the following year, they would notice that I am gone (That is provided that they are aware of exactly who unfollowed them).
I do press the “Follow” button; I am not into email subscriptions because my email is busy like a highway.
In addition to pressing the “Follow” button, I follow bloggers that I like (for example, Obinna) via Feedly and the reason for doing so is the same as the reason why I followed bloggers; which is: “I follow blogs that I am genuinely interested in.”
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Got it. Thank you for clarifying.
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What makes me follow a blog?
Content. That’s the big one. Of course, not everyone will like the same blog as we all have our specific tastes and preferences. For me, content is the deciding factor when it comes to pressing that follow button. Are there posts that I enjoy reading? Can I take something away from it? Learn something new? Perhaps it is entertaining, or a slap-in-the-face reality check. There are many small factors that contribute to that decision (including the engagement of the blogger), but it ultimately comes down to: Do I like it? Will I read it?
What makes me unfollow a blog?
Honestly, I don’t unfollow often. In my short time here, there’s only been a couple of times that I have done that. When a blog that I originally followed starts to lose the quality of content (some people try to push out content too frequently that they sacrifice their quality of work), then it starts to lose my interest. If and when it gets to a point where the content has completely lost anything of value, words without reason, then it becomes more than uninteresting to which point I’ll unfollow. A blog with posts so frequent that it is to the point of spam will also move me to unfollow. They don’t always have quality content anyway.
As for email lists, that doesn’t apply to me as I don’t use them. Lastly, I’d like to add that following a blog because it followed you is silly. It may seem like it’s the polite thing to do, but it really isn’t. Only follow if you plan on reading, otherwise you’ll just clog up your feed and give them a number. Oh, and I should add that personally, I really dislike the term, “follower.” I prefer supporter.
N
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Thank you so much for your detailed answer.
I have to agree with your view on the word “follower”. I don’t like that term, but I haven’t really thought of a good word to replace it. “Supporter” is a step in the right direction.
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Technically the act of following a blog would render one a follower as he or she is actively following. I’d prefer to say thank you for following and/or supporting as opposed to thank you followers, if you catch what I mean.
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Totally.
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I agree with a lot of the comments above. I follow if the blog has valuable/entertaining content on topics I’m interested in. I’m also a learner, so I like to learn from others writer’s writing style even if I’m not an expert or as interested in their topics or interests. I think that as long as the blog has a positive/genuine vibe I follow.
I rarely subscribe to email list because I found that I rarely read them. Instead of subscribing to emailing list I sometimes follow blogs on social media, so that I get updates through the feeds instead. What makes me subscribe to email list is usually self-growth/motivation people that have helped me in my self-growth journey.
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Interesting workaround you have there (social media). I’ll have to think about it.
Do you ever unfollow?
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Initially, I was going to say no, but I have unfollowed blogs that post a bazzillion times per day, so that my feed is full of their posts everyday. That’s when I unfollow.
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I thought it was just me, but I see that many feel the same way.
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I follow those that have interesting content (that’s kind of an over-used term but, it works). I started following you because your comments were interesting.
I’ve unfollowed blogs due to abandonment (they don’t post, anymore…six months or more); interesting stories turn to whining & complaining; I comment a general, on-topic response…nothing combative at all…and get a snide comment from the owner because I dare miss a small detail in the post that Sherlock Holmes wouldn’t pick up on with a magnifying glass; if interesting stories turn into a political bitchfest (yes, I don’t like Trump, either but (especially), if you are not an American, not your circus, not your monkeys); if you post five times a day with topics that make absolutely no sense…so bad that, you clog up my newsfeed like you are a Facebook nutjub. I follow 105 blogs. It takes a lot to flood the Reader’s newsfeed. Do you not have a life?
The good news is, with the Reader (browser or app), you can follow a blog but, don’t necessarily have to get the up-to-the-minute notifications. I shut all of that off and cherry pick my favorites to show up in the notifications panel. So…I follow many blogs and you REALLY have to piss me off (or just stop posting for a long time) to make me unfollow.
I don’t do email subscriptions. I get enough email as it is. I’d never find a WP post in that mess.
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Thank you for sharing your reasoning. Especially for why you started following me. It’s a boost I needed.
And of course I relate to your explanation.
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You are the poster child for “Enquiring Minds Want To Know”. You remind me of Coffee in that respect (that and being overtly enigmatic & mysterious). 😉
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I was here first, though. So, Coffee must have reminded you of me. Ha!
But in all seriousness, that’s exactly why him and I got along.
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I didn’t ‘find’ either one of your blogs. I squared off with Coffee in someone else’s (?) blog-comment section & looked for him, afterwards. I didn’t know about you until I saw your comments on one of his posts.
When he called Britchy, me, Rakkelle, Rachael, J-M & you his ‘OG’, that’s when I found out that he was new to blogging.
This phone app & the Reader is a new thing to me. I’ve been blogging, on & off, for nearly 11 years. I remember the days before likes, follows, the reader & this app. It used to be, if you ‘followed’, you got an email & that was it.
How long have you been blogging?
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It was fascinating to read this tid bit of an origin story.
Compared to you, I am new to blogging, too. I might have tried something here and there yeeeeears ago, but I only really followed through with it this time around. I created this blog almost 2 years ago. I have to say that I’m a bit surprised at how long I’ve been at that.
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If one is active, time flies. It will sneak up on you.
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I can already see that.
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