Blog Machine (Photo credit: digitalrob70)
My wife thinks I’m crackers, but I am glued to the stats that get produced from the two blogging platforms I use. When I post something, I want to know that someone has read it. Not just that – I want to know that they have enjoyed reading it. Not just that – I want to know that my readership is increasing and not declining. A neutral observer might say I am obsessed.
As a blogging platform, WordPress provides excellent stats. The way that they have used game mechanics in the blogging dashboard is first class, and I feel that they must share some of the responsibility for my obsession.
There is a little tiny notifications icon in the top right hand corner. When your blog achieves something, that beautiful little icon slowly starts to glow, and almost in perfect time, I start to smile with it.
However good the blogging stats are on WordPress, they are not perfect. I find that sometimes I get a like when the number of page hits doesn’t go up. Sometimes, the counters get out of sync’ but no matter, they are still a useful barometer of activity on your blog.
When I get a follower, my heart soars – someone has subscribed to my random musings – I must be doing something right. When I get a “Like” on one of my posts, I cannot help but smile. When I post something and nothing happens, I descend into misery. But then that little notification icon glows slowly into life and I am bouncing off the walls again – such is the bipolar life of a blogger.
I find that I am not the best judge of my writing. Some of the work that I am most proud of has fewer “Likes” than some of the work that I’m maybe less proud of. But whichever way you cut it, all feedback is good. When people take the time to comment on one of my posts, I love to see their perspective. Somehow I haven’t managed to inspire the level of engagement of some of the blogs I admire, but any comments are a start.
I find that being part of the blogging community myself has changed my behaviour when reading other people’s blogs. Where I read a blog now, I look for some way to give the author feedback. I know how much it means to them to know that someone is out there and they care about what they are reading. I would urge you to do the same.
If you read some good work – congratulate the author. If you disagree with what you read, comment and argue your point. If you don’t like what you read, give feedback (but please be gentle).
Whatever you do – don’t play possum.
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bluedeckshoe.com 
I know exactly what you mean, great post, and thanks for the mention 😉
[ Giggles ] There is no need to be obsessed about statistics.
Simply come up with wonderful articles and your statistics will improve.
It was a pleasure passing through and good luck on your blog!
maybe an agnostic button would do the trick?
Excellent post.
Okay, here’s my comments! LOL! Funny post, and very true. You mention the ‘notification icon’ but you didn’t mention site stats, unless I missed that part (but I get the impression you’re familiar with them.) Anyway, on my stats page I’ve noticed that a lot more people read my posts than actually click ‘like’ on them. Maybe they didn’t like them. Or maybe they don’t have blogs of their own an don’t realize how happy it makes us when we’re ‘liked’.
Woohoo! I’ve just had my 5,000th hit!
I’ll try and ignore my stats page now for a while.