Why Don’t You Like Me?

In the last six months, the inspiration arose and I decided it was time to start blogging. It has been a wonderful experience and I smile each time I gain a new follower. However, due to my personality, I constantly worry that I am not doing everything that I can to keep my followers interested and gain new followers. I have spent a lot of time Googling “How to increase site traffic.” and similar topics. I have also done a lot of introspective research and I have come up with the following tips that help to reduce my blogging stress and keep me focused.

Back to the Basics

I did not create this blog to have thousands of followers and/or to make a living. I created this blog because I wanted to write about things that interested me and hopefully they would interest other people. I am sure that when I wrote my first few posts, I thought, who cares if anyone reads them, I am happy to have a place where I can get my thoughts out of my head and on “paper”. I remember thinking of this blog as my online journal and many of my writings were, and still are in the private status. From time to time, I have to refocus on the basics.

Exercise: Focus your blog content.

How to Choose a Focus for Your Blog.

The Hardest Part of Blogging is Getting Started.

Hype Fright

I got caught up in the hype. Each time someone clicked “Like”, I wanted more of that. When I published a blog post (usually the ones that I feel really good about) and no one clicked “Like”, I would spend a lot of time thinking, how can no one like that post? I said some of the most awesome, interesting things.  I found the “Stats” and would check the stats way too often. I had to step back and remind myself of why I write and it is NOT to win the most visitors. I had find peace.

10 Ways Successful People Stay Calm

Please Like Me

I decided to do some research and the first thing that I found, through simple conversation is that some people cannot find the “Like” option. They tell me they like my posts but do not see the comment or like option. That is good to know because right now, I am contemplating moving from free WordPress to a hosted site, which will allow me more control over the layout of each page.

If You’re Struggling to Get Blog Readers, Read This (Or Continue Wasting Your Precious Time)

Getting More Views and Traffic

Sum it Up

I learned that people are not always interested in reading long posts. 600 words is about the limit. I know that I have a lot to say so I changed my original plan of focusing all of my efforts on the “Life in Pieces” section and added, “Blog Shorts”.  I make every effort to limit Blog Shorts to no more than 600-ish words. This approach also challenges me to become more concise in my writing.

How long should a blog post be?

Five tips for a readable blog.Five tips for a readable blog.

Keeping Calm and Carrying On

Although I am far from settled about the number of “Likes” and followers, I am learning to take a deep breath and to appreciate the likes and followers that I have. When I start to worry, I refocus on providing meaningful content for the current followers. I know that I cannot please everyone all of the time and that is fine.  I write because it helps me clear my head.

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