http://reflectionsfromthebellcurve.blogspot.com/2011/06/zeitgeist-of-justin-bieber.html
The post above from June 20, 2011 was the first of many shameless attempts I've subsequently made to boost my readership. Just to be clear: Short of reneging on my mission or going XXX, I'm open to most any idea you can think of to attract more readers, especially those who will help jump start a robust online conversation. In the meanwhile, a big thanks to those of you who read and comment already.
Starting out, I naively thought the significant number of views reported from other countries meant I'd gone instantly global. I've since learned about "bots" that scan the blogosphere 24/7 and the effect that has on artificially inflating viewing statistics. But despite some initial disappointment, this geography geek turned that into lemonade. The sixty-one foreign countries that have turned up to date in my stats (FYI, Russia is now in the lead with almost 2000 views - all bots I'm pretty sure) are put to use in my project to eat the cuisine of every country in the world. When my wife and I are looking for a new country to sample, out comes the list of bot-initiated countries that have stumbled onto my blog. Voila - Cameroon here we come.
Later this month, one of the modules offered in a writing course I'm taking is about blogs. I'm hopeful the suggestions made in that module will assist in boosting my readership. Or, at least provide ideas to bring me up a notch from shameless pandering to pathetic grovelling.
About Me
- Pat Barton
- My most recent single release - "My True North" - is now available on Bandcamp. Open my profile and click on "audio clip".
I wonder if there is a way to get the word of your blog to college professors...especially those engaged in teaching writing courses and such. What a fabulous tool this would be to hone the students' ability to respond to various thoughts and engaging topics. d.
ReplyDeleteAnother thought. How about putting up flyers in the library with those little tear off slips on the bottom stating the web address? Describe what readers will find or experience by receiving your blog, and invite them, with clear instructions, to subscribe. Especially in the library, you might get readers interested in your insightful literary commentary. Not to mention those patrons just looking for someone with a new perspective on the everyday conundrums. And you might invite your current readers to post the flyers in their libraries as well. Team effort cannot be understated! d.
ReplyDeleted; Both great ideas and thanks for putting so much thought into my shameless pandering efforts. I'm pretty good at talking about my blog (that's why I thought you knew of it because I'd talked about it and then forgot!) but I especially like your "flyers in the library" notion. Given how much time I spend in all my local libraries this will a painless suggestion to implement. BTW, I love the word "conundrum"
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