You – yes, you, sitting behind that computer screen looking all kinds of beautiful and confident π – tell me, what was your most popular post?
You know the one where you were getting crazy hits moments after hitting publish. People were commenting like nothing else mattered. I bet you felt like A GOD, didn’t you? You were able to help them in some way. Either by making them laugh, or maybe sharing some tips, or maybe just a feel-good post? BUT PEOPLE RELATED TO IT, DIDN’T THEY? Those moments are still seared in your memory – THAT FEELING OF BEING VALUED; THAT FEELING OF A POST TAKING OFF. *heart eyes*
You were on top of the world – the blogging world at least – and there was no limit to your happiness. It was all worth it that day, wasn’t it? The hard work, writing even when you didn’t feel like it, those long hours searching for EXACTLY THE RIGHT GIF, man THAT’S a real pain!
Still, the appreciation makes it ALL WORTH IT. It’s heartwarming to know that you aren’t screaming into a void; that people are actually listening to you. Nothing pumps up the spirits of a blogger kinda like those appreciative comments, those crazy shares, those increasing stats. (Own it now! DON’T BE SHY ;))
But nothing lasts and you too shall fall down. It’s the law of nature. AND GRAVITY. *shrugs*
You climbed up the mountain. It was hard. It was time taking. But it’s a fucking peak. Sooner or later, it’s gonna poke a hole through your goddamn shoes and you’re gonna have to climb down. If you don’t – a snowstorm might do the trick nicely. BUT COME DOWN YOU SHALL.
But, does it mean that you will start measuring every little success on that scale? Does it mean you will stop enjoying life’s simple pleasures just because they don’t provide the same kind of exhilaration that climbing a fucking mountain does?
I am sorry but that’s just too dumb for words. Yes, I said it.
When you write a post, you should do it ONLY BECAUSE YOU WANT TO WRITE. Not under the pressure of staying at the top. Because that attitude will definitely – DEFINITELY AND SEVERELY – affect your writing process, I am telling you.
Just yesterday I was going through all the posts I made during the last year. And I was surprised by how well a couple of them performed. It came as a shock, to be honest. Plus this realization brought with it a desire, a hunger to reach those heights again. I quickly opened my notepad and decided to write something EXACTLY LIKE THOSE POSTS – setting the bar way too high in the very beginning! I put so much pressure on my mind that the creativity muscle just kinda –
I was forgetting one little thing, though – not every post I’ll write will be a masterpiece. Not every single post will do well. Not every single post will have people raving all about it all over the internet. AND THAT IS OKAY.
You see when you think about it – it’s just as it should be, really. If you’ll give serious thought to how this whole writing process works, it’ll become evident to you that it’s a perfect balance of odds – the more you write, the more chances you create of writing something awesome. But expecting every single word to be like that? I am sorry but that is just not possible.
It’s a process. You practice with the practice. It’s not like you’ll sit in meditation for an hour once a week and the right idea will just flow through your mind and onto the paper. NOPE. How it ACTUALLY goes is you write and write and write and then one day, while writing, some words will JUST CLICK and VOILA! There is your next blockbuster post.
Oh I definitely set the bar too high. Like I am doing all this and working during a pandemic!! i’m doing fine lol
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Hahaha!! Welll!! THAT IS AWESOMEEE!! ππππβ€οΈ
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I’ve never looked at which of my posts have done the best – stat-wise! But I am off to π π I tend to like to write reviews mostly so it’s probably going to be some review or another π
Another interesting post!
Generally, I am quite lazy looking at my stats anyway – it’s hard to avoid on WordPress but the only thing I really notice is if I’ve had a day with no visitors. I also think my stats change month to month depending upon the time I have to blog hop, twitter and interact in the community.
Right, I am off before this turns into a mini-essay π As I said another great post.
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Your reviews are GORGEOUS SO YESSS!! Must be one of them! I LOVE ALL OF THEM SOO SOO MUCHHH!! ππππβ€οΈβ€οΈ
Awww!! THANK YOU SOO MUCH, Jules! I am soo glad you liked it!
Haha! Me too. I donβt make it a habit but…well…sometimes I do slip up! π€·π»ββοΈπ€£π€£ AND OH MY GOD YESS!! Blog hopping does affect the stats DRAMATICALLY!
Awww! BUT I LOVEEE ESSAYS AS COMMENTS!! ππππ
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Your comments are working now! Yay!
A really interesting post Rain. It brought back to me a time (when I blogged regularly π¬) when I felt under pressure with the tag thing. A post everyone was doing, tagging all the people, setting up links. EXHAUSTING!! My blog was still a youngen so getting as much traffic was paramount. Oh the pressure I felt to just keep up! π£ Sometimes my brain refuses to work, more so in my mid- 40βs, and I couldnβt be doing with the stress! AND also when I did what I thought was quite a unique and funny post and my blog suddenly started booming with action ππ»ππ» I was yay whoop Iβve got this blog lark down to a fine art. And havenβt posted a half decent post thereafter because I felt Iβd set my own bar too high. I could go on to be honest but I wonβt ….π€ͺπ
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YESSS!! YAYYYY!!! πππ
Ahhhh!! YESSSS!! THE TAG THING! It was SUCH a pressure for me too! Haha! EVERYONE was doing it and it felt rude somehow to like NOT do them when you got tagged?! π€£π€£
Awww!! Donβt get stressed! Do things at your own pace. And YES! When we write for fun, those posts come out ABSOLUTELY AWESOMEEE!! ππβ€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈ And you know, I do miss your posts. But still..do what you LOVE! And your twitter presence is JUST as delightful! ππβ€οΈβ€οΈ
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Such an interesting topic!! I actually always write what I currently feel like writing about, and have never really tried to recreate an old post. But that’s because I usually write my posts EXTREMELY last minute, so if I wasn’t completely passionate about them, I don’t think I’d get them done in time to post regularlyπ Although I do try to at least have a certain number of book reviews a month, and always write my monthly wrap-ups as the month goes on, even if I’m not feeling it…
However, the posts I do write – I get super perfectionistic about them! I will edit the crap about of them and they still don’t ever feel good enough… So I know the feeling!
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Ahhh! Thatβs something that I used to struggle with as well a writing ON THE DAY I WANTED TO PUBLISH IT! π€£π€£ It used to get SOOO HECTIC! And I agree, we should only write on topics that we really WANT TO TALK ABOUT. Otherwise it just comes off as bland and uninteresting! π€·π»ββοΈ
Ahh! Yes! The monthly wrap ups! Sometimes I just get soo irritated by them – like last month – that I donβt do them. I mean…I just…π€£π€£
Hahaha!! I totally get the editing thing too, although thatβs probably the WORST thing about writing, at least for me! π€£π€£π€£
I LOVED THE COMMENT, hon! Soo thoughtful! β€οΈπ¦
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Haha, I’m glad you can relate – SOOO HECTIC definitely hits the nail on the head when it comes to my writing process. But thanks to university, I have loads of practice at finishing stuff at the last minute ππ
And I feel you on the monthly wrap-ups! If I didn’t like having them to look back on later, I might be tempted to skip them, too π
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Ahhh YESS!! Ugh…all those papers to write..itβs SOOO ANNOYING SOMETIMES, isnβt it?!? π€£
Well..you know I actually agree..itβs soo nice to see the whole month wrapped up in one pretty post! ππππ
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Two main parts of my blogging state of being: type-π °οΈ me and go-with-the-flow π§π»ββοΈ me. π °οΈοΈ loves stats and gives way too much weight to them until π§π»ββοΈ me has a βcoming to Jesusβ talk with π °οΈοΈ and reminds it of whatβs important. I just like to have fun with my writing and my reading, and ultimately that is the alpha and the omega. πβ€οΈπ
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AHHHHHH!! I LOVE THIS COMMENT, Tessa! SOOO TRUEEE!! β€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈππ Having fun with what you write is SOO IMPORTANT! Otherwise you lose the confidence AND the motivation and thatβs just not good! π€·π»ββοΈ
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This is a great post, I agree with what you’re saying. It’s weird but posts I think will be popular, aren’t, and vice versa. So I learnt it doesn’t make sense to anticipate which posts will do well.
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SERIOUSLYYYY!!π€£π€£π€£ I mean ITS FRUSTRATING REALLYY!! Kinda like when you think the negative about some situation, the complete opposite ends up happening! π€£π€£π€£ Weird.
Yeahh! I completely agree, N! Although, I still fall into that trap sometimes! π€·π»ββοΈπ€£π€£
Loved your comment, as always! AND I AM SOOO GLAD YOU LIKED THE POST! β€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈππππππ
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Love this post and those prefect GIFs! π My most popular post is for a really short book review from 2017. It’s a very bland review that only has 2 comments plus a pingback. I have absolutely no idea why it’s rated so highly, it’s bizarre! so it just goes to show that you can’t work out what’s going to be popular. π
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Hahahah!! THANK YOU SOOO MUCHH, Nicki! β€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈ I am soo glad you liked the post! And the gifs! YES! I AM ACTUALLY SO PROUD OF THEM THIS TIME! π€£π€£π€£π€£ππ
Oh?? Thatβs crazy! But sometimes the posts we donβt will hit off are the ones that end up getting wayyy too popular! π€£π€£π€£π€£ Happens with meee as well!! π€£π€£
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I think I put off the thought of the potential popularity of the post until the promotion part so I don’t really pressure myself during the writing part. And I don’t go through old post stats much? I focus on the growth of my monthly stats so I know I consistently produce good content and it’s not just one post wonder boost!
I’m not even sure which of my posts is the most popular? How do I check that? I think I remember seeing my posts according to popularity somewhere once upon the time but now I can’t place WHERE.
Wonderful as always! β€
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Ahhh!! Thatβs a good way to ward off all those anxious thoughts, E! But sometimes you know..I feel like what if what I am writing right now is not as good as the last one?! π€£π€£ Its frustrating really…
Oh..you just go to the stats section I guess. It tells you your most popular post, most popular timing and all?!
Awwww!! THANK YOU SOOO SOOO MUCH, E! Your comments always make my dayy! THANK YOUUUU!! β€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈπππππ»π¦
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Thanks!! β€ β€ I've found it!! My most popular is apparently my guide to Edelweiss+ π
I get that but I think when writting I go into this high focus mode so it's the only time I'm actually FREE of anxiety? I'm super anxious person at any other time though so I'm not spared of that π
β€ β€ β€
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Aww I love this post so much β€ tbh my two most popular posts were kind of throw away posts I just wrote for myself on a whim haha and then people kept reading them and I was like wHAT is happening?? (also my most popular post was from 2018 it's pretty bad I really need to go back and edit it so people who read it from search engines get a better impression of my blog lmao) and of course there are a ton of my posts that I really love that underperform… but I just have to remind myself why I love blogging isn't for the stats, it's for me β€
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Awww!! THANK YOU SO SOO MUCH, Kay!! I am sooo glad you like it! β€οΈβ€οΈπ
Ahhh!! ITS WEIRD ISNT IT?! That the posts we write on a whim, just having fun are the ones that are THE MOST POPULAR!! π€£π€£
Hahaha!! Probbaly a good thing to do! I wonder if I should do the same as well because some of my earlier posts are…*cringe* π€£π€£π€£π€£
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Oddly enough, my most popular post is one for a book that I didn’t care much for. It gets hits ALL the time, both on my old blog and my new one, and I have NO clue why. However, while it still is the best performing post on my old blog, it has moved to below the top ten on my new blog, with my most recent TTT now being my best performing post!
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I KNOW RIGHT?! Itβs the sameee with me too! The ones that I write just for myself – carefree and having fun with it – those are the ones that get the most hits and likes and comments! Hahhaha!! π€£π€£π€£ Kind of frustrating too because….well…you have no idea how to do it again! π€£π€£π€£ But yeah…the main thing is JUST TO HAVE FUN AND KEEP MAKING FRIENDSSS!! ππβ€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈ
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Funny thing… about a month ago I suddenly saw a HUGE increase in my traffic. No rhyme or reason, but hundreds of hits. I thought maybe there was a mistake or something and even contacted WP to ask them what was going on. They said there was nothing strange. Maybe some search engine caught my blog and just threw lots of visitors and clicks my way. Go figure!
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I loved this post so much, and I can definitely relate to it!! I have a post that I wrote about a year ago, and still to this day it’s doing really well and people are constantly going back to it, even after it’s been so long. It’s so weird though, because I didn’t think much of it when I posted it, and I definitely didn’t think it would do so well. Going “viral” with a post definitely has it’s perks- like making me extremely happy to the point of no return- but at the same time I just have to realize that it doesn’t last forever, and that not all my posts will do so well.
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AWWWW!! THANK YOU SO SO SOOO MUCHHHHH!! I AM SOO GLAD YOU LIKED IT, hon! πππππβ€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈ
Really? That is SOOO cool, Gianna! I donβt think I have a post that popular! SOO AWESOME!! ππ
YESS! Exactly! We need to keep our priorities and mind straight, in the right direction and donβt get swayed by the popularity complex, as I like to call it! π€£π€£π€£
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Yes!! No matter how big your blog gets, it’s always important to remember the reason why you love to blog and never let the popularity affect your decisions.
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I have to confess I don’t look at the stats for my posts: it’s not an activity that ever crossed my mind, and now you’ve awoken the curiosity demon…. π
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Ahhhhh!! Hahahahha!! π€£π€£π€£π€£ Well sometimes itβs a good thing! πππβ€οΈ
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I have no idea what my most popular post is lol. I do notice when some get more hits than others but I don’t think I know which is the most. But it’s probably some discussion post or maybe one of my yearly recaps / stats–they always seem popular. Reviews rarely take off but when I get one of those with a lot of engagement or views it feels good because reviews are hard to write! π One of my reviews got shared by a couple people around twitter that have huge followings and that one got more views than normal but hardly any comments. Blogging can be really strange sometimes haha.
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Ohh heyy! You do yearly recaps too?! THAT IS SOO COOL! I think Iβll do one too this timeee then, following your example! ππ
I totally understand about the reviews! Its funny how our blogs are mainly about book reviews and THOSE are the ones that are SO unpopular! π€£π€£
I HATE IT WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY LIKES AND NO COMMENTS! Iβd be happier with like 10 likes and 20 comments than vice versa! π€·π»ββοΈπ€£
SERIOUSLYY! You said it! BUT SO MUCH FUN NONETHELESS! π€£π€£π€£π€£ππβ€οΈ
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Yeah, I think I have a couple different recap posts – one on my goals and challenges and one on all my book reading stats–that one is usually HUGE and full of all kinds of numbers. π
Yeah, I’d rather have comments? Like…come talk to me so I don’t feel like I’m shouting into a void. Let’s be friends, you know? π
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HAHA!! YESSS!! Letβs be FRIEEENNDDDSSSSS!! πππβ€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈ
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Hahaha I remember when you did a similar post to this one after a super successful one feeling like this too. It’s okay that not everything is a home run. They’re not all meant to be unless you’re some kind of Hollywood superstar! π I’ve learned to forget about stats over the past years and know that real joy comes from interacting with people who cared enough to read our posts! π
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YESSS!! I DID! Last year!! The umm….side effects of going viral or something, right? It was soo much fub to write!π€·π»ββοΈπ€£π€£π€£πππ
Seriouslyyyy!! But hey…itβll be awesome to see Leonardo di Caprio blogging!!πππππ WISHING FOR IT!! πππ
YES! EXACTLYYY! Interacting with other bloggers and joining in discussions is where the REAL magic of blogging lies! ππππ
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That monkey is literally me apart from the I’m Fabulous tag.
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π€£π€£ I KNOW RIGHT?! As soon as I saw it, I KNEW I HAD TO USE IT IN THE POST! ππ
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