John Hawkins pecks out “how-to” posts periodically for the new blogger who wants to get those big traffic numbers.
As my hit count approaches 300,000, the only advice I have to give to the new blogger who wants to accrue big numbers is this: give up blogging. If your main goal is to get the big numbers, then you’re fighting a losing battle. With blogging, your main goal should be—as with any endeavor—to love what you’re doing.
I basically fell into to the numbers that I acquired. I discovered blogs in mid 2001, let the reading of them slide a bit for several months in the wake of The Day, and picked up the blog-reading again in late 2002. When I finally got up enough nerve to comment on a couple of them, I found that no one was calling me stupid and I’d even elicit a laugh or two on occasion. On purpose, even.
I found myself wondering how I could get one of these things called ‘blogs.’ From the beginning of that horrible interval of time called puberty, I had used writing to let out the frustrations I was feeling for any given situation. I wrote down my feelings intermittently from ages eleven to thirty, but almost never gave anyone a peak into my moldy old soul. I did it because it calmed me. At least it kept me from going postal; an extremely useful purpose all on its own.
I have taking many classes that required written composition and analysis; I have been required to compose formal missives for military and civilian purposes. In many of those cases, I’ve received accolades on the quality of my writing: utility, flow and originality. Each time I was—and still am—surprised. For me, a compliment on my writing skills is great but, in a sense, it’s like complimenting me on the rate and quality of my breathing; it’s become just something that I do to live. (Perhaps it’s genetic.)
When I started blogging, I had been commenting frequently on a few sites. After a short interval, I worked up the nerve to send a couple of site proprietors, my url and the site was immediately blogrolled and promoted. After that, I gained a few regulars, both assenters and dissenters. From there, it’s been uphill.
Simply put, my advice to new bloggers is to build it. Let them come or not come. Love what you’re doing and take care of it. Wash it, cut it and groom it, like you do with your hair (hopefully). Go back to you old posts and fix your grammar and spelling. (Write the long ones in Word so you can spell- and grammar-check them.) Go back to those old posts and clarify your ideas; or, heck, even delete a post that is a lost cause.
I’ve never sought to get 300k hits. I just write and let the consumer make his/her own decision. And when I look at a missive that I’ve composed and say to myself, “hey, that’s good,” all’s right with the world. For the moment, at least.
