I just discovered an awesome website for any blogger who is trying to increase his site traffic. I currently get about three or four visitors per day. And, while I thank those loyal three or four readers for their interest, I can't help but feel jameslogan.md is underachieving. The site I'm talking about is problogger.net. They have some excellent tips for finding new readers and publicizing your blog.
Which brings me to my second point: why do we care so much whether or not any reads our blog anyway? For those select few who attract thousands of visitors per day and for whom blogging is a real business, the answer is obvious. Their revenue is directly tied to their readership. But, for the vast majority of us, blogging is only a hobby destined to earn us $0 over the course of our blog's lifetime. So, why do we care whether or not anyone reads us? Are we hoping to become famous? Are we hoping to gain power and influence? Are we clinging to some subconscoius notion that, if only people knew what we had to say then everyone else would see the light and agree with us and there'd be no more war, no more poverty? For me, I think the combination of all these things comprises about 15% my motivation. The other 85% is comprised roughly equal parts vanity and exhibitionism.
Why do you blog?
I found you through a comment at Midwife with a Knife.
Why do I blog? I write fiction, and a blog affords me the opportunity to share my work with others while I work towards my ultimate goal of having a novel published (several, really, but one at a time).
Looks like I'm one of your 3 or 4 regular readers. :-) I'm not only a new blogger, but also a secret blogger! I haven't admitted to any friends or family yet that I have a blog. So why do I have one? Because I like to write and it gives me an opportunity to be a little bit creative. It's entertaining and amusing to me - I've had a few hits but very few comments. Maybe my blog is boring. I don't know, but I'm just having fun with it. Good luck with yours!
Thanks for the comment, Madeline.
Spynster, you should check out that problogger site. It has some good tips for increasing your comments. For example, you should like to other blogs on your page - this one, for example :) I'm going to put up a links page in the very near future, I just haven't decided how to manage it yet.