For a while I entered regularly and viewed many other blogs on this site. It seemed safe and comfortable. I liked the feature "random blog" and when I would read someone else's blog, it felt like I was making a new friend. Soon, though, I noticed the number of teens and Tweens utilizing the blogosphere. I'm not sure befriending teens and "peering" into their world was all that much entertaining to me, an old frumpy mother. But mothers felt it to be safe thing for their young to spend time doing.
After a time, I moved my blog to its current address. Life got busy, Facebook erupted, and so I seldom posted. If I remembered to post, it would take so long to format it all and make it how I liked it that I just gave up altogether. I could never read other's blog anyway, so why try. Everyone seemed to be doing the Facebook thing anyway.
Once I read an article about how to make a successful blog. I don't recall all the details of that article, but it did have one point that I was just tonight pondering. The article told its readers that to have a successful blog, you should have a focus-- you know, something you always talk about so readers know what you are about, how you can help them, what encouragement you can be, etc. I realized right then why I'm not a successful blogger--I'm too random. No one wants to read random. Right?
Really I just needed to get off Facebook. Now that all my time is not focused there, maybe I can think of blog posts. That's my biggest hurdle--what do I have to offer anyway? I can visualize blogs like different places to eat. Some people don't like fast food, so why would they stop at a Mcds? Some people don't have the money to eat at MichaelAngelos, so why go in there? Some don't like coffee, so why go into a coffee shop? However, there are times when you visit these restaurants for different reasons even if it's not regularly.
Blogs are similar. There are different reasons for visiting a blog. Some people don't care about cooking, why read cooking type blogs? However, someone might be looking for a specific recipe. Some don't like travel, why might they subscribe to a travel blog? Maybe it is personal like eating at home and you just want to journal your own life journey. That is going to be a blog with lots pictures if your family. Ok. Good. This just doesn't mean that's all you ever do. I see my blog like a small café. So perhaps random is ok. There could be a time place for it. And I should stop trying to be so silly. Ummm, no that won't work either.
Perhaps 2:45am is not the best time of day to make comparisons.
I do have niche blogs I read regularly...sewing, home deco, babyloss, crafts, recipes, etc...But I also love to read blogs that just talk about life...what fun things (or not so fun things) they are doing with their children, a family favorite recipe, a quote they like, life observance...Those blogs feel like they are like my neighbor or a dear friend. So be random if you like. I will still read:).
ReplyDeleteI didn't think I was thinking through this idea very well. It was like 2 or 3 in the morning and I couldn't sleep so I went random. But then again I'm usually random. Ha.
ReplyDeleteI think a little bit of random is OK, and in some ways, I feel like my blog is a bit random too. But it all falls under the category of motherhood, so in that way, it sort of fits my "niche." But years ago, I told my husband that I was nicheless, because I don't follow just one pattern of parenting/motherhood, and that's why my blog would never take off. He said that perhaps other moms were nicheless too and could relate.
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