Around New Year’s, many fabulous bloggers ran surveys seeking feedback from their audience, and it’s possible that some of you wondered why I didn’t participate. (I flatter myself—obviously you’re hugely interested in all the minute details of my life.)
I want to approach this subject carefully, because you are my friends, and the last thing I want to do is offend any of you lovelies. If you want to receive detailed feedback from your readers so you can adjust your blog and make it a better experience for everyone, by all means, do so. That is your prerogative, and I admire you for that. But I also have to admit that I am not hugely comfortable with the idea of conducting that sort of survey, analyzing the results, and tailoring my blog accordingly.
It’s not that I don’t want to hear back from you people about what works and what doesn’t, and it’s not that I don’t want to work at bettering my blog. It’s just that, my blog is mine and I am going to say what I want to say, no matter what. As much as I might be tempted to alter it so it suits everyone’s fancy, I will never be able to succeed at that. I will never be able to make everyone happy. And it may or may not come as a surprise to you, but I’m not hugely interested in pleasing the majority (although I wouldn’t be upset if the majority were pleased with me). First and foremost, the act of blogging has to be something I can enjoy, something I can invest my energy in. It has to be something I’m proud of—something I want to do. And that’s the key. I don’t particularly enjoy feeling the need to please people because that’s a trap I tend to get caught in way too often. And if I can avoid that in this case, so much the better.
Yes, I want my readers to like what I write. And I am open to making a few small changes here and there in order to make sure my blog is all that it can be. I will even make drastic changes, when and if I feel the need. I already spend a great deal of time brainstorming ways to reach a broader audience. But if only five people were interested in reading the sort of posts I derive great pleasure in writing, I would rather continue to enjoy blogging for a smaller audience than trade that spark of joy in order to cater to the desires of the many. If this attitude means I lose a few viewers along the way, oh well. It happens.
For instance, I love writing book reviews. I know I only get about half as many page views on book reviews as I do on regular posts. If I were to conduct a survey asking you what posts you think I should get rid of, my money would be on book reviews. Except that, I’m sorry, but I don’t care. If you don’t like my book reviews, that’s perfectly fine. I will continue to post them, and you will continue to remain under no obligation to read them. Simple as that. My blog is my blog. It reflects my personality and my interests, and it would be incomplete if I left out my bookish analyses.
That being said, I don’t turn a blind eye to my page view stats. If I see something that turns out to be especially popular, like my list of New Year’s resolutions for 2016, I will definitely take note and make sure to provide similar content in the future. I do want this to be an enjoyable place for you. And I know I might be coming across as a little cranky, so I do apologize if I’ve stumbled over anybody’s pinky toes. Believe me, I’m not angry.
But I did want to talk about this because, in analyzing other blogger’s stats, I’ve noticed a trend. Some types of post just aren’t as popular, and often these are posts that I enjoy reading and the blogger enjoys posting. You know what I say? Every sort of post you have is going to garner it’s own audience, and by their very nature, some posts will have more limited viewership than others. Now, if you don’t like writing certain posts for a limited audience, that’s fine—by all means, do what it takes to keep from limiting your audience. I won’t stand in your way, and I won’t judge you for it. After all, I do know how discouraging it can get when certain posts you’ve spent time on and are proud of just don’t seem to pay off. Believe me, I get that. I’m a blogger too, and I’m human as well (despite evidence to the contrary). But I think, for me, if I got feedback telling me that no one likes book reviews, I would lose a great deal of joy in writing book reviews. I would begin to suffer from more stage fright than I already do. And I don’t want that to happen because book reviews are a part of who I am. So I would end up losing joy in a part of who I am. Do you see how that would be unfortunate for me?
I know that I am capable of great mistakes, and it is quite possible that not actively seeking out my audience’s opinion is one of those mistakes. It all depends on what I’m going for. Am I looking to make business-minded decisions? Do I want to consider my writing more product than art? The answer is, not really. Yes, I would love to build my audience sky high, but I would love to do that my way. I have stuff to say, and I want to say it, even if there’s no one to listen.
If you are able to process poll results and use that information to synthesize brilliant solutions that make your blog a better place, all without feeling the crush of public opinion, I applaud you. (I am also a bit jealous of you, and I would love to know your secrets.) But this is where I’m at right now, and I imagine that if I’m here, there must be others in the trenches with me. Perhaps not that many—perhaps dozens. If you’re here, I welcome you, and I understand you, and I just want to remind you all that, when it boils down to it, your blog is your blog.
You are providing a product, yes, but you are allowed to tailer it to your own desires and specifications. No one can write your blog the way you can write your blog—you have the corner on your own personal market (haha, look at me, giving out business advice like I actually know what I’m talking about). Your have your own unique qualities and your own unique interests and your own unique way of processing the world around you. Not everyone is going to like your style and content, no matter how you try to make your words appealing to the masses at large—that much is guaranteed. But I am of the opinion that it is more worthwhile in the end to have an audience (however small) who follows you because they love the way you love to express yourself than it is to have an audience that sticks with you while you feel yourself draining a little bit day by day because you don’t feel it’s safe to say what you really want to say. In my opinion, that’s the fastest route to throwing in the towel.
The boredom of the masses and the criticism of the masses can be equally paralyzing and equally dreadful. There’s no worse feeling than realizing that people don’t alway care what you think—that they aren’t always interested in what goes on in your head. My advice? Write your what’s in your head, regardless. After all, what is the point of having thoughts if you don’t speak your mind from time to time?
Well, that’s it, my little coffee beans. What are your thoughts on surveys and less popular posts? What is your strategy when it comes to blogging?
See, I feel like I'm like with you, but on the opposite account. I really want blogging to be a fun experience for me, and blogging isn't going to be a fun experience for me if I'm not able to connect to my audience. I mean, sure, some posts may get four comments and another one ten, and I get that, because not everyone likes four comment posts and that sort of thing. But it's incredibly important to me to keep figuring out how best to connect with others because to some extent I do want my blog to be for others. I want my voice to be a valuable asset to me—I want my voice to make the most of its power. Part of that is continuing to find a way to express myself best, but also, it's finding people who want to listen. I mean, if a post style is unpopular (for example, last year I tried to talk about music a lot and failed), it probably doesn't belong on my blog anyway. I mean, I love music, but my blog isn't really about music, and I'm weakening the strength of my blog when I do post a lot about music. It's kind of like in baseball: you can feel really good about a powerful swing you made with the bat, but unless you actually hit the ball it isn't really meaningful to the game. And sometimes you may have a really good swing and the ball is going to roll into the grass. Or maybe you don't like your swing but it still earns you a home run. Either way, it gets you into play and you start interacting with other players.
ReplyDeleteAnd I understand that having an audience isn't your ball, but it is one of mine. I want to swing to hit the ball. I want to be able to interact with people. And so I'm willing to work with others to make my blog a better place, and that way we can skip the strikeouts, the pity comments, and the waiting, and just play ball. For me, it's more fun that way.
So... yeah. Interesting to see your thoughts, but I have to disagree with you on this one.
It's funny, because as I was writing this, I wondered if you would disagree with it. :P It definitely depends on personality/what we're going for in the blogging world, and it's possible in a few years I'll look back and disagree with myself as well. It's quite admirable to want to blog for your audience and to want to interact, and I definitely enjoy interacting with my audience. It might just be something I need to ease into? Personality wise, I know I tend to cave to what other people think far too quickly for my own good, and this is one of my ways of putting safeguards up because I know I don't like to feel controlled by people's opinions of me more than I already do. If that makes sense. :P Your baseball analogy is really good. *nods* And there's an extent to which I do agree about nixing unpopular posts, to a point. If I try something, just to see if it works and then find it doesn't, I'm fine with discontinuing it. But I don't want to feel like I can't post the posts that are really important to me, like book reviews, just because not as many people are interested in them, you know? So it's kind of a fine line, and I'm definitely still learning how to walk it. *nods* And this is something I'm constantly reevaluating, and this post was more of my way of starting to think through the subject.
DeleteI'm really glad you enjoy working with your audience. I've always thought that was a really cool aspect of your personality, and I would never ever want to down that. *nods* :P Maybe I will someday find the same joy in that sort of direct interaction.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me! I really liked reading what you had to say about how your thoughts differ from mine. I think it would get a little boring if we always agreed on everything. :P
YES YES YES. I see people getting way too stressed and trying to change up things they love in order to get more readers, and I know the feel because that was me for the first few months of blogging. But I think I've come to realize that it's something I want to do for me, and the people who want to hear what I have to say and value it will come if I just be myself. (That sounds cheesy but whatever.) So I've always written for the fun of it, writing the posts I love to write! Even if my audience is a little smaller, I know it's the people who really value what I have to say. And that means a lot more to me.
ReplyDelete*nods* Blogging revolves around two different schools of thought, it seems. Some people derive great joy from working directly with their audience and catering to them. And others just don't thrive under that sort of pressure. I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds it much more rewarding to blog for myself and be myself. I think if I paid too much attention to my audience, I would start to worry too much about losing it.
DeleteThanks for commenting! :)
I do surveys! And I like them and I'll keep doing them, buuuut I AGREE THERE ARE DRAWBACKS. For instance, I'm going to blog what I want, no matter what. XD And I did a survey back in December and opened it up for people to tell me if part of my blog didn't work (like a specified, if the font was too small or it was hard to navigate etc) but in the end I had several people give me a detailed recount of how awful I was as a person. And irritating and how they disliked my blog because of me. And I was pretty gobsmacked!! I mean, firstly, why read my blog then?? And secondly, it was discouraging. SO. That has made me kind of feel like putting up surveys are a bit useless. Because I'm with you: BLOG FOR YOURSELF. And if you enjoy doing something do it. I love blogging because you can be queen of your own space. It's like ruling a small planet. Lurve it. *Ahem*
ReplyDeleteI do like to get feedback and preferences on my content from my readers, though, because even if I don't act on it, it's nice to know. You know??? I want to get a large audience, so I have to listen!! xD But ultimately I'm all for blogging firstly for oneself. :P
Yeah, and it's definitely a matter of deciding whether you want to deal with those drawbacks or not. Surveys can be so helpful, and maybe someday I'll do one? I'm just not sure. BUT WHY WOULD PEOPLE BE SO RUDE TO CAIT WHY I ASK YOU WHY. It baffles me. If they don't like you or they don't like your blog, then why read it? Why feel the need to say something if they could just leave your blog alone and not be mean? People are so awful sometimes. I'm glad I'm not a people. Blogging is definitely like ruling a small planet. *nods* I FEEL THE POWER.
DeleteIt is nice to get a feel for what your audience does or does not enjoy, and I do try to tune into that though my page view counts and my comment counts (and like, what people say in their comments). But I think I would feel less free to blog for myself if people were actually telling me to stop posting certain things. I like your plan of action, Cait.
Thanks for commenting! :)
YES! GO, LIZ, GO!
ReplyDelete(I promise I have never been a cheerleader. . .)
I agree with this post 2,000%. Seriously, write what you want to write and those who want to read it will stick around. Even if they are a lovely few. (It's like having a small gang! That was a joke. . . sort of.)
But I totally get what you mean about that one post you absolutely adore and poured your beating heart into and then. . . it gets like six comments, and half those comments are your replies. -_- But if I loved writing it, I really don't care that much. Life goes on. I keep writing what I want to.
Because my alter-ego is Loki and I do what I want. :P
*dies laughing*
DeleteI WANT TO HAVE A GANG. I'm glad you understand the joy of having a gang. *nods* I honestly just want an audience that cares about what I have to say and all my weirdness that comes with that, and I don't want to have to worry about my personality being something that no one wants to read.
Ugh, those posts are so discouraging though. But I always console myself that there will be other, better days, and that that post I was proud of isn't the only one I'll ever be proud of.
Yes, and I will call you Loki from this point on (just kidding, because that could get a little disappointing). But yes, do what you want. :P
Thanks for commenting! :)
I'm one of those people who basically evaluates my posts based on reader interaction. I mean! I won't post anything I don't want to write just because it's a popular post, but I try my best to write something that will interested both me and the audience. So far I find that intersection is large enough for me to blog comfortably. But I also totally get what you mean! When I surveyed my readers, some people said they didn't want book reviews, but I wanted to try it this year. And so I will! I'll be mindful of the reader reaction to them to see whether I continue, but the decisions are always up to the blogger.
ReplyDeleteBesides, surveys aren't the most reliable -- my survey results showed that a particular post type was not particularly popular and the comments on my survey results announcement basically all told me to keep writing those posts, so. I would say survey results are a factor, but I'm the boss of my own blog and I'm always my own first priority.
(Yep, I'm so selfless. *nods*) Great post!
I think that's a fair balance. It's always nice when you can find a happy medium like that. I think it's helpful to write a majority of posts that you know people want to read, but also to feel free to write posts people don't seem as excited about. And I'm really excited for you to start posting book reviews! I think reviews tend to get a little less attention because not everyone has heard of or is interested in the books that bloggers choose to review, so it's all hit or miss. But it's also fun to hear from people who have read the books you review. *nods*
DeleteWow, that can be a little confusing. I guess survey results are good for getting a decent idea of what readers might like, if you're good at/enjoy picking through the data. Yes, you are the boss--it's so fun to be the boss.
(You are very selfless. *nods*) Thank you, and thanks for commenting! :)
ReplyDeleteOoo this post was soo good. I think it depends on what the bloggers goal/purpose is. If it's a blog specifically for venting and sharing your thoughts, and it's very personal in nature, then yeah, there only so much feedback you'll accept. But a lot of book bloggers I see are purposefully tailoring their blogs to be popular because they hope to monetise them and make a living from it. In that instance, what your readers want is just as important, if not more important, than personal nitpicky preferences. If your blog is your livelihood and pays a chunk of your rent, you need to keep your readers!! But I'm never bothered with that so, yeh. XD
It's always a bit scary to put something out there and see what people think, and wonder if they even care. But sometimes, I reach a point where I don't care if people care. I love reading surveys for other people's blogs though, because I kinda see it as a record of their achievement - look at all the cool stuff they did that year, type of thing. But I can't be bothered with them myself. >.<
This really got me thinking! Brilliant post Liz. Officially bookmarked.
Aww, thank you! I agree--it definitely does. And I think that's the biggest part for me--my blog tends to be on the more personal side at times. But if you want your blog to be your living, or a significant source of income, then yes--it does pay to be more attentive to your audience's needs and wants. I'm not sure I would be able to take that sort of pressure, but I think it's cool that some people can.
DeleteTotally. *nods* I get so scared, especially on my more personal posts. But you're right, sometimes public opinion just doesn't feel as important. I do enjoy, on some level, reading other people's surveys--but it also makes me sad to see certain post types get down voted, especially when I like those posts. But it's cool to see achievements and all.
I'm glad. Thank you so much, and thanks for commenting! :)
True. And I don't know if I'd be able to take that sort of pressure either O_O
DeleteMan, I've really missed reading these posts! I've been out of touch with the blogosphere so such a while. =/
:P It would be quite a lot. I'm quite content where I am.
Delete:D Welcome back!
I find that reader surveys really help. Of course, I blog for me. Often I find that I can't come up with posts and getting feedback from my readers is great. But I'm not going to fit my blog into exactly what my readers want. As for less popular posts, I believe that if I enjoy writing them, I'm going to go ahead and write them. And if the post was popular but it was way too much work to write and create, I'll cut back on it.
ReplyDeleteThis was a fabulous post, and honestly I've never seen anyone address surveys in this context. It really got me thinking about this :P
~Noor
I'm glad you find they help. :) It definitely depends on the blogger. Those are all good points. Especially the last one. My top post of ever continues to get a steady stream of page views, even though I posted it several months ago, but it would take so much time to post another one like it. So yeah, it all depends on your goals--if you prefer writing for yourself, if you want to cultivate a larger audience, or if you want a balance.
DeleteThank you! I'm glad it got you thinking. :) Thanks for commenting!
YES. I pretty much run a survey once a year, just to see what people think. I very rarely make changes based on what people say in response (like, once someone said they don't like having to click on "read more"??).
ReplyDeleteI know a lot of people don't like my gif posts, but I really enjoy writing them, so they're there to stay. To me, I want to write stuff the reader wants to read, but also stuff I enjoy. That can be hard balance to find, and I'd like to think running a survey helps me find that balance.
A survey also helps me make sure everyone can use my blog. I mean, I designed the whole thing, I know it inside out, but it might to be that easy for someone else to find their way around? And I use a massive iMac, and my eyes are still good, so I don't know if the fonts are too small etc.
So, for me, I will keep running a survey, because I don't have to change anything if someone suggests it, but it's good to get the feedback (even if it's a bit crushing). To be honest, I don't pay much attention to post stats, because I just post what I like.
Each to his or her own though! :)
It's impossible to make something, whether design or writing/content, that pleases everyone, and it can be a little maddening to try. But I can see where if everyone said a certain aspect was less appealing, I would be up to changing it. *nods*
DeleteI really like your gif posts! It makes me sad that people wouldn't like them. *sad face* It's definitely a difficult balance, and you're right--surveys can at least give you an idea of where you're at.
That's a good point, and something I'll take into consideration for the future. :P It's funny--we have the opposite problem. I have an 11.6 in. MacBook Air, so everything is so small on my screen. I can worry that I'm overcompensating and making everything too big.
I think that's a good attitude to have, and eventually, when I feel more comfortable receiving that level of feedback, I may start to do that. I may give myself another year or so though, to make sure I have my blogging feet under me. *nods*
Thanks for commenting! :)
Ahhh I totally agree with you. I guess I still do surveys because a) it IS a little helpful, and b) I REALLY LOVE STATS. Seriously, I love seeing what people like and how often they read and all that cool stuff. Maybe I'm just weird like that but I like the number stuff of blogging. (Though I hate the number stuff of math. Ew.)
ReplyDeleteStats are so fun! I love analyzing my page views and getting an idea for what clicks with people and what doesn't, even though it can be discouraging to see that stuff I especially love isn't necessarily as popular as other stuff. I'm with you on loving the number side of blogging--to me, numbers and page views are less personal, so they're easier to analyze. Whereas actual, direct feedback would be a little more difficult for me. (Math=ew. *nods*) Thanks for commenting! :)
DeleteI see so many people writing about how the book reviews are the least popular posts on their blog. But to me, the whole POINT of my blog was the reviews! I used to post nothing but! I stopped because as I expanded in the community, I started to get curious about other opinions, so I started doing book talks, but it seems so obscure to me that the least popular thing about a book blog is, in fact, the actual books. Maybe it's because people just have less to say about them? I read it and agree/disagree with you! I didn't read it and now it's on my TBR! Maybe there's some way to start up a discussion with others who have read the same books?
ReplyDeleteIt's such a dilemma sometimes. :P It can be a little confusing (although I do enjoy posting more and providing a wider range of content). Those are totally valid theories. I've wondered too if some people just aren't as interested in reviews of books they've never read/never heard of, unless it's something on their TBR or something the catches their eye. I also know it can be less fun to read more negative reviews of a book you loved, or vice versa. Book discussions are definitely fun when you can get them going--and often it seems you have to cover some of the more popular books to get that. But, as your audience grows, I think you'll get more people interested in book reviews--it's just that that side may not grow as quickly. *nods* Lists are great though--posts that cover multiple books or characters or whatever, anything that offers a mash-up and appeals to a wider audience. People like reading about book covers and authors and stuff like that.
DeleteThanks for commenting!
Of course! Personally I enjoy having a hand (tongue?) in ALL book discussions! Sometimes it's hard to do that in the comments, though. I wonder if there was any way to set up some sort of skype group or chat room based on one topic?
DeleteI do too! :) I love hearing about new books (although my TBR is so unmanageably huge now, it isn't even funny :P). Comments can be a little stilted when it comes to a full-blown discussion--you're right. A Skype group or a chat room would probably be a better medium for that level of discussion. :) Do you think you'll try to pull something like that together at some point?
DeleteMaybe someday.. but actually right now I'm feeling like I need a blogger break.
DeleteI hope you have a nice relaxing blogging break! :)
DeleteI enjoyed reading your thoughts on this topic! I agree with you, and something has always held me back from doing surveys, and now I think I know what it is. It's because I don't want to feel confined to posting on particular topics, like you mentioned. I'd rather just write as inspiration strikes. :) So yes, thanks for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteAww, thank you! It took me a while to figure out what I thought about surveys, too. And I was glad to put my finger on it, finally. You're welcome, and thanks for commenting! :)
DeleteThese a good thoughts. I come from somewhere in the middle. I did a survey on my blog and discovered my favorite post is the least possible. Though I'm doing some alterations to the schedule, and I think they'll be best for the blog, after my friend's firm talk with me I'm keeping my favorite posts because those are the ones I love the most. I'm excited about the new changes, but I don't want to make my blog so it isn't fun anymore. On the other hand I want to think of my blog as part of my business because following looks good on book proposals. So it's a lot of contending factors for me. XD
ReplyDeletestoritorigrace.blogspot.com
Thank you! Fair. :) I'm glad you're keeping your favorite post. I think it's great to be able to have the best of both worlds--to make some changes but still be able to hold onto the content you love providing. I wouldn't want to keep blogging if it stopped being fun. But yes, following is really important if you want the number to help your book proposal. *nods* So yeah, it's a bit like walking a tight rope, but maybe not quite so bad if you fail to achieve the perfect balance all the time. :P
DeleteThanks for commenting! :)
Deciding on what blogging content to keep writing is a difficult balancing act, isn't it? For me, I use survey results as a general indicator of what people like or don't like, but ultimately, whatever changes I make are informed by what I want to do. And you're so right. It's your blog, so you can post whatever you like (you being a general you). I think that there's always room for the posts that you enjoy writing, even if they're not super popular with everyone else. You have to mix them in with content that people enjoy more, and be aware that they're not going to be as popular, but I think that bloggers have the right to post things that they enjoy as well as what their readers enjoy. If you're not enjoying what you're writing after all, what's the point of blogging?
ReplyDeleteIt really is, and it requires constant consideration and reconsideration. I think that's a really good balance, and someday I may actually try something like that. :P It's definitely important to make sure that the posts you (general you) like posting aren't all unpopular, unless you really don't care if anyone reads you. But I think many blog readers like reading blogs that feel like they're expressions of a person, rather than just products. (Or maybe that's just me. :P) And that question right there is the most important question of all. *gives you coffee beans*
DeleteThanks for commenting! :)
YES! This post is so good. The important thing is that each blogger blogs in whatever way makes blogging worthwhile for them, whether that be tailoring their blog to each of their reader's preferences, writing simply for themselves, or somewhere in between. :)
ReplyDeleteAlexa
thessalexa.blogspot.com
verbositybookreviews.wordpress.com
Aww, thank you! Very true. *applauds you* It definitely is something the blogger has to decide on their own--and every individual is going to want to follow their own theory of blogging, which is pretty cool.
DeleteThanks for commenting! :)