Wow. I am a wordy bastard, aren't I? I really want to try and do 500-word posts, but I just find it so hard. Especially when I'm doing setting posts, where I want to have a paragraph on each of the Seven Kingdoms. Would you believe that some of these posts have actually been trimmed down? That's how thoroughly sick I am.
I think I'm getting the hang of blogging more frequently now. Blogger is definitely better for me in this regard. I don't think I can really articulate the reasons, but the UI just feels better to me. I'm also actually finishing more blog posts, instead of ending up with a graveyard of a dozen partials.
My traffic numbers aren't great. Much better than my old blog though, and that's entirely due to RPGBA. Probably two-thirds of my traffic comes from there. I'm trying to decide if I want to be "that guy" who spams every post to every social media site he can reach. On the one hand, that seems rude. On the other, it's not like an audience is just going to magically find me.
The numbers that I really want to get up, though, are the number of comments. My most-visited post, the one on Women in Gaming, has zero comments. (Admittedly, my second most visited post is also the one with the most comments, so there is some correlation.) I'm curious as to why I get no comments. Are my topics just not interesting? Is my presentation too closed, in that it doesn't invite discussion? Is my vocabulary off-putting? Do people just get tired of reading before they make it all the way to the comment box?
Of course, I have noticed that many other blogs end up with zero comments. So, it's more a problem with blogs and blog readers than with me. To help combat that, I have been trying to employ the "Mark Meredith Method" of commenting on at least three blog posts every day. It's not that hard, and I've actually gotten some good discussions going. (I've also had another blogger challenge me to a post, or series of posts, on a particular topic, which you'll hopefully see next week.)
Brevity is the soul of wit. My wit is clearly a soulless abomination.
I only came over to blogger about a week ago. I like a lot of what it does compared to LJ. What I did like about LJ was how they handled friends, but over the last year or so everyone seems to have left that site.
ReplyDeleteAs for traffic. I am on RBGBA as well and most of my people come from either there, or my google+ account. It is a fine line of posting on other people's blogs to get them to notice you and actually having something worthwhile to say. I try to post as much as I can, but only if i feel like I am bringing something to it. No "you rock" posts or anything like that.
I think I have like 6 followers now and that is cool. I try not to worry about comments yet cuz my blog is new and you know how people are. They like to comment on their friends pages (not saying anything is wrong with that).
Yeah, LJ is definitely a graveyard these days. Interestingly enough, I find the circles of Google+ to be very, very similar to LJ's friends system.
ReplyDeleteI actually have noticed that you have often already commented on a post by the time I get around to reading it.
Wait, *6* followers? That's one more than me! Unacceptable! I am unfollowing you, so we will be even again. ;)
Sorry, I'm not usually a commenter. I did enjoy the post about sexual mores in your campaign. It addresses a topic not often engaged in the mainstream games that I've played. So there, I commented.
ReplyDeleteIt is like LJ, but faster and much eaasier to keep up with.
ReplyDeleteIn my defense, I am a much high grade of awesome than you are, so it cannot really be helped. :)
When it comes to comments -- I always appreciate them as well (and wonder why when I don't get even one on a post) -- but then I think about my own commenting habits.
ReplyDeleteUnless a post excites or upsets me I'm likely to not comment, and then, when I am upset, I usually think first, "do I really need to say this?"
Mostly, I find that any response I might give to a post is usually either the internet equivalent of nodding in agreement. And if my response is stronger then I usually consider whether I should inflict that response on others before I hit "post comment" and that leads to a lot of, well, not commenting...
ps -- it wasn't so much a "challenge" as an invitation.
I've started realizing that those "me too" comments, as inane as they may seem, are often important to the poster. Just knowing that someone else even actually read your post is enough.
ReplyDeleteAlso, bah! I take it as a challenge, and so a challenge it is! And I shall beat your challenge! Sirrah, and stuff!!
Re Women in Gaming, I think we both know why I didn't leave a comment on the post itself--my response got a bit too long even to serve as a single post on my blog!
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, definitely agree with you on how frustrating sporadic-at-best comments can be. I think what's happening with you is probably the same thing that I was told long ago happened with my posts--that you're covering the content so thoroughly that most of your audience isn't sure where to start responding to it or elaborating on it. Still haven't come up with a decent solution, though.
Nice to hear you say that that might be the problem. I've been thinking that myself. But, like you, I haven't really been able to come up with a solution.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I really do need to try instituting the 500-word cap.
Marshall, while my comments tends towards brevity, hit me with the long ones. Ravyn, same goes for you.
ReplyDeleteMisfit: Nah, I just put the long ones on my own blog, then drop a link--or if I already have a post on the subject, drop a link. I get the feeling that if we end up in the same thread, I'm going to be doing it a lot; besides, with my posting schedule and all the topics I've already covered, I need all the inspiration I can get!
ReplyDeleteMS: (Speaking of which--I hate asking this, but could you please tweak the html fail in my meant-to-be-embedded link in resolution part 3? I promise I'll try to keep it from happening again.)
Unfortunately, I can't. Blogger doesn't allow comments to be edited.
ReplyDelete