Tip Tuesday — If You Blog it, They Will Come

That’s the theory, right? You set up a blog, type out the deep secrets of your family-life, the inner-workings of your soul and thousands of people around the globe will flock to read your wit and wisdom.

It didn’t exactly work that way for me. I’m currently having a hard time getting more weekly hits than Chris’s old blog archives. So how do the Finslippys, Dooces, Fluid Puddings and Very Moms of the blog world do it? Where do all the readers come from?

First, every one of those women is a fabulous writer, with great insight and often amazing humor. So, start writing like an amazing professional and you may eventually be able to quit your job and blog for a living. Um… if I can’t even take my own advice, I’d better come up with some better tips than that.

Here are a few ways that I’ve met the awesome readers/friends that I’ve found through my blog.

1. Blog on a semi-regular basis. The more consistently I post, the more my readership grows. There is a certain level of awesomeness which you can attain where people will keep coming back every day or keep you on their bloglines just waiting and hoping for a morsel of your dulcet prose but I’m definitely not there yet. Whenever I take a break, it takes me a while to remind people that I exist.

2. At least once a week write a post that doesn’t consist of whining about how much your life sucks, how gross your kids’ bodily functions are, how insensitive your husband is and how all your friends are jerks. Sorry. Pet peeve.

3. Unwittingly create a scandal. If you don’t remember this, I’m not linking to it here. (Oh, and it only works if you create the scandal by accident so good luck with that.)

4. Read and actively comment on other blogs. I found one of my favorite blogs when I left a comment for Alice and Surcie followed the comment link to my site.

5. Register with various blog listings and directories. (Okay, I don’t believe this really gets you any readers but it’s a good time waster and they look so pretty all in a row on your sidebar.)

6. Make the summer end so the internet comes alive again. (Please don’t do this until after August is over.)

If you have any great ideas to get more readers, please leave them.

Also, please delurk and let me know how you first found my blog. I think this will give us all a good idea of how in the wide web we REALLY find each other.

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80 Responses to Tip Tuesday — If You Blog it, They Will Come

  1. Damselfly says:

    Man, I wish I could remember how I found your blog. Maybe you found mine first? In any case, 50 comments on your post shows people are reading you! Congrats!

  2. You have 51 freakin’ comments, girlfriend, and you’re worried about your traffic? You are the queen of them all, in my book, DYM. And I don’t remember how I found you, but I know you were one of the very first blogs I read, which sort of set the bar high for the other blogs I would read.

  3. Artemis Rich says:

    Delurking to say that I couldn’t remember how I found your blog and then was reminded of the “Baby Talk” article by Sarah. It was that that first showed me the world of the “Mommy Bloggers.”

    I’ll never be the same again.

  4. Nicole says:

    I left a great comment, but blogger ate it for lunch I think. I just wanted to tell you that I love your blog, and read it regularily. I found you on a link on emlouisa’s blog.

    Now I have to go look through your archives for the scandal.

  5. Tammy says:

    Um…with 53 replies already on this post, don’t think you have a thing to worry about here!

    I’m new to blogging, and as I’ve said before, my original intent with my blog was only to update family and friends and give my writer-self an outlet. I only decided to go public a few weeks ago…and I love discovering so many great bloggers- especially fellow Christian women on journeys similar to mine. And I’m finding I have no special voice- as in always funny or always a huge message…depending on the day, I have done a little of both. Maybe that is good, maybe not…

    I have your blog bookmarked – your posts are always fun to read!…but hey, if you want to come visit a lowly newby like me, I will be greatly honored! 🙂
    ~Tammy (and you have me curious about that scandal thing!) 😉

  6. "Grandi" says:

    I found you through Her Majesty’s Throne – I have enjoyed reading your posts, although I don’t usually comment!

  7. Tracy M says:

    You’re on my blogroll… but like most things in my life, I have no idea how you got there. But I’m ok with that.

  8. Amy A. says:

    I found you during the “Scandal” and then stuck around. I like ya! You are up to 58 now.

    PS. I’ll be in Edmonds/Seattle this summer. Maybe we could meet in a primo parking spot at Target.

    Everytime I get a good space, I think it’s because your mojo rubbed off on me!

  9. christina says:

    I found you through another bloggers blogroll, but I can no longer remember which one. I have been reading it for a few months now, but I have not posted. So out I come from lurkerville. Keep up the great blogging stories. I too have a blog however I don’t write all that often and I mostly have been using it as a journal of sorts jsut writing whats on my mind, I have had NO hits and its ben up for a few months anyway. Ah well I am OK with that as I am not doing it to get any publicity from it. Anyway thats all.

  10. Melessa says:

    I found your blog from Chris’ old blog. She said you were clever and funny, then she said you were Mormon. I thought I was the only clever and funny Mormon on the internet, so I had to come read your blog. To my dismay, you are funnier and much more clever than me and now I’m hooked. You might not want to check out my blog just yet, though. I just finished a post about how my life sucks and how my friends are jerks. (And boy oh boy am I in trouble for it.)

  11. Chrissie says:

    So I’m not a blogger, but I read yours nearly everyday (okay, more than once a day). I think I’ve maybe left one comment?? Maybe none at all :-X BUT I think you are HILARIOUS!!!! I stumbled upon you and this whole blogging world somehow through the controversy, though I can’t quite recall how, since I had never even heard of a blog before then. I was hooked as soon as I read your review of the the Gottman marriage book, and the post about you and DYD trying not to wake Magoo, and the one about the chargers. You are one funny girl!! I never leave comments, but I shamelessly stalk your site, waiting for new posts 😀

  12. Chilihead2 says:

    I think #4 is probably the most important one. If no one knows you’re out there they can’t come to your site. No one will know you’re out there unless you tell them. You tell them by commenting. (Says the girl who mainly lurks.)

  13. Jen says:

    I came and read through reading other’s blogs but I really don’t know how this all got started…
    I am a lurker…I just read and never comment…nothing I say seems half as interesting as all you mom-types out there. Hoping that I will be a funny bloggin’ mom someday too.

  14. Melissa says:

    I followed a link here from some other mom blog (how original am I?!). I don’t even remember which one! I keep reading because I think you are hilarious and adorable.

    And now I’ll go comment on the newer post, where you ask whether you were asking us to tell us how much we like you on this post.

  15. Hi, I think I found you through a magazine actually. And then when I started blogging I came to check you out. Then I added you to my bloglines. And, well, the rest is history! Hope to get to know you better 🙂

  16. beth says:

    I’m late to comment here, as usual. I lurk a lot because for some reason every time I read you my son is doing something that requires my attention by the time I am done so I can’t comment. A few times I have come back to say what it was I was thinking, but often not. I comment in my head, I’ll try to be better about doing it on screen.

    I found you through that Baby Talk article, which introduced me to blogging. After starting my own blog I gathered the courage to make my first comment on another’s blog – yours, and then I received my very first comment – from you. I believe I then called my husband at work to yell to him that, “DYM commented on my site!” I was so happy that it all seemed so simple and clear. I find it ironic that you struggle to find more readers. Judging by all these comments and my own view of you, you’re the role model for many of us.

    That said, I wonder how to find more readers all the time. Then I try to remind myself that I started blogging for myself and try not stress about it or take anything personally or to rush it. Then I go back to wondering how to get more readers…

  17. Mom on the Gulf Coast says:

    Sorry I’m late! Busy busy. I found you through my SIL Chilihead at “Don’t Try This At Home” (I have no idea how to link that here). I have been reading for a while, I love your style and upbeat attitude, it’s what keeps me coming back. That said, I have no advice, I don’t blog, I just play one on TV…

  18. Ummm, I found you because you’re my sister. How original, huh?

  19. Gosh, I found you in a round about way. It was a nice sunny day and I was blog-hopping. I thought this one claims that she’s “Daring” and “Young” and a “Mom”. Must investigate…

    What I saw the first time while visiting your blog, was the picture of your little guy falling asleep while eating. I still think that video clip is among the most priceless things I’ve ever seen.

    It’s nice to see people read & comment on my writings, but sometimes I forget that it’s “public”. My blog is my little haven of mindless chatter. It’s been my catharsis. Even if no one ever commented, I’d still blog. If nothing else, it’s the best record I have of this incredible time in my life.

    HA! I just caught what Chris wrote below re: update the link to her blog. I’m definitely one of the stoopid ones, ‘cuz I’m still going to BYH. That’s it. I’m not reading HER anymore. 🙂

  20. kyouell says:

    And here’s comment #70…

    Like Sarah and Momof3busyboys and Kage and Mamalaughingbear and The flip flop mamma! and Artemis Rich and Mommy off the record and Beth, I found your blog from the Baby Talk article.

    I use Blogarithm to “subscribe” to blogs so I don’t know if your stats show me or not. I like it because every morning I get an email with all the blogs that have changed and a little preview of the new entry. On days like today when I get an email that says “8 of your blogs have changed” I ALWAYS save yours for last so that when I’m done I will have a smile on my face. You are the bittersweet chocolate of the blogs that I read (that means my favorite).

    I don’t leave comments very often because it seems that you have an inner circle of LDS Mommies and I don’t feel that I belong. I’m not a church-going momma, just a plain momma. Well, my son has Down syndrome, so I guess my momma-ness isn’t really the plain vanilla kind, but it’s not the church kind either, YNWIM? So I only leave comments when I feel I actually have something to contribute and leave the “yeah!” stuff to the people who seem to be your friends.

  21. Tangerine says:

    I’m a long time lurker and lover of your blog! I found your page jumping links from Times & Seasons to Tales from the Crib to you. Thanks for your thoughts and humor!

  22. Heather says:

    I think I found your blog from Chris @ Notes From the Trenches and I DID update her link! (snicker) So am I worthy to read yours? 🙂

    I am pretty new to blogging, so no advice here from me, but you have given some good ideas for other bloggers. Looove the scandal idea.;) teehee

  23. Wendy says:

    73 comments, wow! I get excited about one comment. I guess they are coming for you. I found you through a link on someone else’s page…can’t remember who.

  24. krista says:

    I can’t even remember how we met- do you?

    It might have been the Share The Love Blog Awards. I met alot of people through that.

  25. Carola says:

    I found you in Chris’ blog…I linked to your blog after I read one of your comments. I don’t read/comment very often, but I love your blog!

  26. Laura says:

    Hi, I just found your blog the other day. I had finished my own update and thought I’d just hit the old “next blog” and see what I’d come up with and lo and behold here you were. I’ve enjoyed reading your messages! I’d like to link to your blog if that’s alright.

  27. MaryO says:

    Sorry, I’ve been out of town and didn’t see this post till just now!

    I found you from the Baby Talk magazine article. I thought, how could someone who calls herself the “daring young mom” NOT be good? and I was right!!! Love your blog.

  28. Andrea says:

    I can’t remember how I found your blog, but it’s great. Keep writing, even if you think it’s a boring day; you never know what people will find useful or interesting. And I intend to follow your tips, as I think it’s time to expand the readership of my blog past the grandparents.

  29. SuperMom says:

    Excuse me, you have 78 comments on your blog and whining about hits?!

    Puh-leeze.

    (Just so you’ll know, that is said in a sort of fun, sarcastic tone. Not in a mean, snotty tone. Though I do think you’re silly.)

  30. Bonzo says:

    Well DYM,
    I found you because I met you in person and then you mentioned blogging I said “whating” and you patiently explained how you write a journal opened for the world to see. Ok, so I thought to be nice to my new friend I would poke around and spend a few minutes getting to “know” you. That night alone I spent about 2 hours reading, and every night since have been finding all of your links to previous posts and have had quite the time. So ,my advice: be nice to lots of people in real life, and they will want to read about all the silly mundane things that you blog about ( which don’t sound either silly or mundane when you write about them because you are just TOO funny.) Of course now I am reading everyday just to see if I am blogworthy or not 🙂

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