Blog Philosophy 101
If a piece is posted on a blog and nobody reads it…is it really published? I admit I have become increasingly frustrated by the low number of hits on my site, so I took a few days off to feel sorry for myself and contemplate my blogging future. I love the medium, and the latitude to publish on subjects that I want to write about, but if I am not gaining ground with readers, I have to question the value of my time spent at the keyboard. Which I did, and I am still struggling with the question as to whether or not there is a need for my blog, and the types of things I enjoy writing about.
I still don’t have that answer, but I want to put out a piece on military awards and they scant press coverage they garner. Coming soon.
16 comments:
Guilty as charged.
Thanks for your honest and straighforward input...I will take it to heart and do what you recommend.
I guess I'll just have to get up a bit earlier and stay up a bit later to fit it all in...still not quite as hard to do getting up for the 0330 brief...thanks, I am back on track.
MM
Sir, the folks at Mudville linked your site.
You now have another reader. Im sure more will follow.
Yes, they will. I blogrolled you.
Blog because you want to. Readership is secondary. You have something worthwhile to say (I know, because I read your recent posts), so say. The readers will come with time.
Besides, if you change one mind, you have accomplished a miracle.
Here's some tips for driving readers to your site.
Be religious about trackbacks.
Comment on other sites.
Stick to what interests you. You're the most interesting when you're the most interested.
Patience. You've only been at this for three months. A year from now you'll be bitching about too much mail from your readers. :-)
Mike, I agree with Antimedia. You have a unique & educated perspective which should be available for consideration. Verification of facts and educated opinions are of great value to those who value truth, people other than themselves and the United States of America. If no one else hears, speak. There are many who can't, who have given all they had to us and our families, to our nation. +/- 300 years of patriotic debt that we can never repay, only afirm, embrace and uphold. You matter and you will be read!
You've just acquired another reader, courtesy of Mudville.
Don't give up - you obviously have a passion, and the talent with which to share it with those of us who remain less than eloquent.
It's all about marketing and perseverance (something I suspect you know quite well). Keep on keepn' on, and add me to your list of regulars!
Hi Major Mike, Sorry that you feel bad. I found you via Mudville Gazette. Keep writing, you have great style! Don't give up unless you don't have anything left to say...
I agree with you about the MSM, they are mostly leftist scum. It makes me cringe when they turn their attentions to our troops, it seems as though they just use the troops to make the adminstration look bad-esp Donald Rumsfeld.
Keep up the good work, you have a great perspective.
With the recent darkness of Neptunus Lex, I was lean for perspectives from your type (active occifers). I came via Mudville. Maybe I'll read again. Who knows.
Do it for yourself at least... Or don't. It's up to you. Thanks either way.
Oops, Greyhawk says your retired. That makes you not active, in strict military sense.
Ack. I'm sure you're active in the other senses.
Oh never mind.
I'm another Mudville fan who found you through Greyhawk's link. His advice to join the milblog ring is worth considering. I'm always on the look out for new (to me) milblogs, and so are plenty of other readers.
Your post on medals is just the sort of perspective that can't be found elsewhere and will keep me coming back looking for more.
Retread
Just found your site via Mudville and found it quite interesting.I will be visiting your site more often now that I found it. Keep up the good work...thanks
Keep your head up and keep at it. The true measure, is if you can get yourself back up off the floor.
Well, let's see if we can find somebody in Supply to issue you a weeping towel. Or you could join the Milblog Ring, drop a note to some of the tall dogs like Matty O'Tatertot at Blackfive and Smash.
Nobody is going to read you if we don't know you exist.
As long as we have troops in harm's way a lot of people will be hungry for news and analysis from those who know the difference between their fourth point of contact and a fighting hole. While we especially like to hear from the guys and gals in uniform, especially in theatre, we also know that the veterans who no longer wear Uncle's suit are valuable in that they, you, are free to say things that the active duty types can't.
I'm not really anonymous.
Peter W. Davis, Wills Point, Texas
Charlie Mike, Major.
Peter, thanks for the candid wake up call...I'm back to the keyboard, with enthusiasm, so I'll cancel that supply request, which probably got lost anyway...just kidding to the supply guys out there.
Something else to consider is that readers shouldn't be the be-all, end-all of a bloggers existence. Take my blog for example: I've been in operation for a few months, and I've gotten a total of maybe 600 hits, and probably 10 loyal readers. (No, I'm not searching for pity, but hey, there's nothing wrong with a little self-promotion ;-) Anyway, my point is that this doesn't stop me from writing. If you have interesting opinions or experiences to write about, WRITE!! The power of the blogosphere does not reside in Instapundit, Smash, Blackfive, and Greyhawk. Without all of the smaller blogs, those guys would simply be more interesting, better written, RIGHT versions of the MSM. The power of the blogosphere is in all the thousands of small blogs out there, disseminating information, fact checking, and sharing opinions. My favorite example of Rathergate. Rathergate didn't start with LGF. It started with a person who had a background in publishing/printing and who had a blog realizing that the memos looked fishy and writing about it. LGF took things from there, and the rest is history. But the point is that if that one person hadn't shared their unique experience, information, and opinion, the whole thing might not have happened.
Major Mike,
Came across your blog for the first time today and have been redaing for the last hour and a half. From one old soldier to another, I am glad you didn't quit.
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