#BloggingPlatform

Blogging Platform — Reposting Old Posts

Fandango5 Comments

While Dr. Tanya, who hosts Blogging Insights, is on a hiatus, Sadje thought that she could host discussions about our experiences and expectations regarding blogging on the Blogging Platform prompt. But this is her last Blogging Platform post, as starting next week she will be merging this challenge/discussion with her Sunday Poser challenge.

For today’s topic, Sadje asked…

Do you reuse, repost, or repurpose your older posts often?

First, thank you, Sadje, for the shoutout about my Flashback Friday challenge. I started that challenge because I went back one day and randomly read a few of my older posts. I was surprised by some of them, thinking, did I really write that? And, on top of that, I thought, that was actually pretty good. So I decided to repost some of my older posts on Fridays.

Other than that weekly lookback, though, I rarely repost any of my previous posts. But I do urge others, particularly those who have been blogging for a while, to go back and reread some of your own older posts. You might not even remember writing them and impress yourself with how good some of them were.

Blogging Platform — Holiday Lull

Fandango23 Comments

While Dr. Tanya, who hosts Blogging Insights, is on a hiatus, Sadje thought that she could host discussions about our experiences and expectations regarding blogging on the Blogging Platform prompt.

Today’s topic is about the impact of the holidays this month on our blog traffic and whether that will affect how we’ll blog for the rest of this month.

Sadje asked…

Do you take a few days off at the end of the year as you’re busy or do you feel that since very few people are blogging and reading blogs this time, it won’t be a productive use of your time to write new posts?

Neither. I’ll be posting as usual. The fact is that fewer people are reading my blog now than used to. By the time this year is over, I will have the fewest number of annual views since 2018, which was my first full year on this blog.

As of today, I have 33% fewer views this month than I received in all of November, and it is likely I’ll end up with around 10-15% fewer views for the month when the year ends. That will make December 2023 my least viewed month since May 2018.

I’m also publishing fewer posts per month, on average. Last year I averaged 150 per month. This year it’s 135. This month I’ve only posted 70 so far, well below my average.

I also dropped two of my more popular prompts earlier this year: Fandango’s Flash Fiction Challenge and Fandando’s Provocative Question. (Thank you Melissa and JYP for keeping those prompts alive.) And I’m not responding regularly to some other prompts I used to. All this adds up to fewer views. But I’m not anticipating doing anything different for the remainder of this year or for early 2024.

Sadje also asked…

Is it important for you to have an unbroken streak of publishing on your blog? I am currently at 1865 days ( I think) of an unbroken streak.

My current streak is 2,385. My goal is to reach 3,000 consecutive days, which would take me up to around the end of August 2025. So save the date. Unless I die before then, I’m going to host a big blog party on my 3,000th consecutive day of posting. You’re all invited.

Blogging Platform — Allow Me To Introduce Myself

Fandango8 Comments

While Dr. Tanya, who hosts Blogging Insights, is on a hiatus, Sadje thought that she could host discussions about our experiences and expectations regarding blogging on the Blogging Platform prompt.

Today’s topic is about About Me pages.

Sadje asks…

Have you an updated About Me page? Do you feel that it is necessary to know something about the blogger you want to follow?

Yes, I do have an updated About Me page that is titled “Who Am I.”

I do think all bloggers should create an About Me page. When I come across a post or a comment from a blogger I haven’t “met” before, I will go to their blog to read their About Me page because I want to find out a little about who they are and what their blog is generally about. As Sadje said, an About Me page is simply a short bio about the blogger, letting their visitors why they blog and what interests them. It’s a good way to introduce themselves to the blogging community.

I am unlikely to follow a blogger who does not have an About Me page.

Blogging Platform — Hey, Look at Me

Fandango8 Comments

While Dr. Tanya, who hosts Blogging Insights, is on a hiatus, Sadje thought that she could host discussions about our experiences and expectations regarding blogging on the Blogging Platform prompt.

Today’s topic is about blogger meet-ups or blog parties and was suggested to Sadje by Dr. Tanya.

Sadje asks…

Have you ever participated in or hosted a blog party? Do you think they work, or as Dr Tanya says, engagement is the best way to promote your blog?

I have to go with Dr. Tanya’s perspective that visiting blogs, reading posts, and leaving meaningful comments on them (i.e., engagement with other bloggers) is the best way to get noticed, assuming, as a blogger, you know how to write engaging posts, of course.

The meet-ups and blog parties may be good for new bloggers to introduce themselves to the blogging community. That said, to me it’s like going to a speed-dating session. Personally, I’ve never been to a speed-dating event, either in the real world or in the blogosphere.

Blogging Platform — I’m Only Human

Fandango7 Comments

While Dr. Tanya, who hosts Blogging Insights, is on a hiatus, Sadje thought that she could host discussions about our experiences and expectations regarding blogging on the Blogging Platform prompt.

Today’s topic is about pointing out mistakes made in writing by bloggers we follow.

Sadje asks…

Do you feel comfortable pointing out a very obvious mistake in a blogger’s post or do you shy away from doing so? Conversely, do you appreciate it if someone points out your mistake or does it offend you?

In last week’s Blogging Platform prompt from Sadje, I confessed that I blog exclusively using my iPhone. I also admitted that the posts I write on my iPhone are, in fact, prone to more typos because I’m tapping them out on a tiny, virtual keypad rather than on a standard physical keyboard. As a result, I have to spend more time proofreading my drafts before publishing them.

But I’m only human, you know, and even when carefully proofreading my posts before hitting Publish, my eyes often see what my brain expects them to see rather than what actually shows up on the screen. Lo and behold, the mistake makes it onto the published post.

So, to Sadje’s questions, let me answer her second question first. I do appreciate and strongly encourage those who read my posts and notice a typo to let me know about it. I’d rather fix the typo ASAP than let it go indefinitely uncorrected. I’m not at all offended, but even if I were, I’d rather be momentarily offended than permanently mortified.

I’m comfortable pointing out another blogger’s mistake if I am familiar with that blogger and know that he or she feels the same way about having their mistakes pointed out to them as I do. Otherwise, I probably will shy away from pointing out the error, especially if it’s easy to know what the blogger intended to write.