Megan of Velveteen Mind wrote an outstanding post this week on the meaning of numbers in the blog world. In “Internalizing the Statistics: I Bet You Think This Song Is About You” Megan talks about the controversy that is the numbers game in the blogosphere.
But before I get into what she wrote this week, I wanted to remind you of something else she wrote about that I feel is worth repeating over and over.
At Blissdom09 she uttered the most unforgettable words which have stuck with me since that time. I wrote about this before here, but wanted to pull an extract of what I wrote:
...about blogging without obligation vs. blogging with discipline. I think the most important thing is this: OWN IT.
I wish I could say that those are my words, but they aren’t. They come from Megan at Velveteen Mind, an empowering woman who blogs the way she wants, when she wants and about what she wants, and as a reader of her blog you know that is what you are going to get, because she has set those expectations. That is what is key. If you write it and it is interesting, they will come. After that you just need to let people know your pace, and don’t apologize for it…own your blog.
How powerful is that? I seriously think about printing that out and taping it to my monitor all the time. Those words have guided me over the past year and I keep them close. I also share them with other blog friends when they feel they aren’t “doing it” right. There is no right or wrong. There is what works for you. Don’t lose site of why you started a blog in the first place, it should be for the pure pleasure. Words echoed by Laura and Jennifer when they commented on my “Finding Blog Topics” post.
So now we are at 2010 and there is another Megan Jordan sound-byte that is worth rejoicing in, or as she closes her posts with “relish” in. In this week’s post she says:
You are not your stats.
You are not your little stats. You are not your big stats. You are not your ignorance of stats.
I encourage you to read the rest of her post here.
Liz Strauss also spoke about numbers at SOBCon 09. I blogged about it here, but have pulled this extract:
…she said many things that struck me, but one in particular: numbers don’t mean anything until you label them.
Stop and think about that for a minute.
How true is that!? The importance assigned to numbers is purely subjective. The implication being decided by the person who is receiving or interpreting the information. I love that!
People focus on numbers a lot. What’s your traffic? How many comments do you get? How many books have you sold. But – but – but – in comparison to who? Under what circumstances? With how much investment? It is all subjective, that requires a unique perspective.
Don’t worry about other people’s labels. Focus on you: decide who you are and what you stand for and stick to it, be genuine, and most of all…be nice!
I wanted to do this post because I think from time to time we all need reminders that we are more than just a number.
We are the sum of ALL our parts.
What a sobering post. Thanks. I needed that
I love looking at my stats. When I started blogging, these numbers were very important. At the moment, they are fun to watch and I can see what is attracting people but that’s it. I blog because I like, it, I need it and it’s fun. If people read, fine. If not, well, bummer but it’s okay. While looking for ways to get more traffic, I finally went from taking to sharing and giving. Voilà.
@Terry, sounds like you get it. This community is all about karma, giving to get
Thank you for this, Andi. I spend way too much time worrying, worrying, and more worrying. My new editor wrote me today to say how much she loved my new manuscript. My immediately reaction was, how can I trust this person; she’s obviously not qualified to edit my work.
That is too sad. So, reading your blog is like a magic carpet ride. LOL. Seriously, you’re a darling girl! And you love French things. Yay!
I used to check my stats obsessively–several times a day. Now I hardly check them at all. I do look at my subscriber numbers, mostly to see if they are going up. I want to know that I am connecting with my audience, so if my subscriber numbers dropped in a big way, I would assume I did something to run every one off the farm, so to speak. But it’s very freeing to just write for joy and not for stats.
So inspiring, thanks! I’m too new to the blog world to be concerned with #’s yet, but now I know what no to do in the future.
I didn’t know you when you were not showing your photo, but now I can have a picture in my mind when reading your blog. My first interest was that se share a love of “Frenchie” things. I live in London and have a love affair with France. It would take less time for me to be in Paris, than to travel from NYC to Boston! I used to go there for long weekends, and on summer vacation for 2 to 3 staying in farm gites. Sixteen months ago we took the kids for to Paris for 5 days, renting an apartment right near Notre Dame. Cheaper than a hotel! I felt like a local for almost a week.
Enough about that. I was also engaged by your topic of numbers. I do look at my stats occasionally…it ‘s interesting to see which posts got the big surges in visits and which one were obviously not so interesting. It’s my blog, it’s got my name on it, so I have to be real. However, I have wondered at times if people find my blog really boring. I blog about things that interest me, mostly about the issues around infertility. How it affects your self-esteem, your relationship, your focus. What’s new in the fertility industry, both locally (UK) and internationally. How to keep going. What kind of support you need. I get very few comments; 0 – 2 on average. I will continue to write anyway. I love it. I would probably love it even more if I knew someone was reading it besides my parents.
Lisa (ICLW #34 – Your Great Life)
Really great stuff, Andi. Sometimes, I obsess, but less and less all the time.