Being a Better Blog Reader

Being a Better Blog Reader

18 comments

blogs

Share It:

January is the month for resolutions, as we all know. I never make resolutions because I am usually uninspired to keep them. This year, however, I'm going to try. I'm going to be a better blog reader!  You can't be a blogger without tripping over a "Be A Better Blogger" or "How To Increase Your Traffic" article, or the like. Got it. Good content, good pictures, consistency. Check. But what about bloggers as blog consumers?  Are we doing what we are asking our readers to do when reading our blog?  

I recently read a piece written by Mandi at Vintage Revivals, a blogger whom I admire for her originality and beautiful photography. In her post entitled, Pinterest and the Pacman Problem, Mandi discusses the age of Pinterest and how people are truly using it. It is a great article and it got me thinking. How do I use Pinterest?  Has my motivation changed?  Which led to other questions such as "What kind of blog consumer am I? Am I supporting blogging as a genre of writing and bloggers as fellow authors in that genre?" 

I began reading blogs for inspiration. I enjoyed the feeling of connecting with others who are doing what I do, are interested in what I am, taking ideas a step further, and encouraging me to believe that I can use a power tool, build a table, sew a dress. But somewhere along that journey I found myself less interested in reading blogs and more interested in MY blog, which of MY projects are being pinned, how many comments I received on a post, and the all important...are MY page views going up?  It all became about me, my projects, how the readers were effecting MY blog.  Ew.

It is so important to remember that some bloggers rely on the revenue they receive from their blogs. Their monthly income, vacation fund, whatever, is dependent on the content, photos, and page views.  It is vital that these bloggers keep their finger on the pulse of their blog, resuscitate it when necessary, and continue to grow it and make it better.   

That being said, I still had to answer the question, what kind of a blog reader am I?

Not a very good one lately, I had to admit. I pin pin pin but rarely click through to the blog. Not cool. Pinterest didn't create that project, someone somewhere purchased the supplies, planned the project, executed it, spent time photographing that project, maybe even staging it, then spent time to write it up and put it out there for me, you, us.  Pinning doesn't help those bloggers. Clicking through to the actual blog and taking the time to read the post is what helps these bloggers, proves to them that people are interested and appreciating their work.  And yes, adds to those page views  which help them get paid.

When I do click through, do I comment?  Do I tell the blogger why I thought the project was interesting, beautiful, or special?  Even if it is a project I don't think is for me, I clicked through for a reason and I should let the blogger know why. I don't need to be insincere but how many seconds does it take for me to say , "You picked a great color!" or "that fabric looks perfect!" How does it make the blogger feel?  Validated and appreciated. I need to comment!

Finding a gorgeous or original project, do I share it on my FB page?  Do I take a minute to email it to another friend?  Do I write a little blurb on my blog about it?  Not lately.  With the changes to Facebook's algorithm, fewer and fewer bloggers are sharing projects since they don't get placed in  news feeds as readily as updates without links. It makes sense that bloggers who rely on those likes and page views will maximize their updates. But the blogger whose project is shared and maybe only reaches 100 followers instead of 10, 000 is still seeing their work appreciated and viewed and maybe those 100 followers that do see it are the 100 that matter to the shared blogger.

In the blogging world, we talk a lot about supporting other bloggers and how to do that. I decided that this year, I will go back to the beginning, and read blogs as I used to: as a consumer, as a craft and DIY enthusiast, and as a fellow blogger who supports the entire genre while still appreciating the revenue. 

I will click through more when pinning.
I will comment more when visiting blogs.
I will share more despite it not benefiting me.
I will take the time to send a personal email to someone to say "That post mattered."
I will be a better blog reader.

Cheers!
Jenny