Gaining Followers

A Blogging Tip.

Ronovan Blogging , , ,

It’s time to take a step back. I notice a lot of people looking at wanting to know how to increase the number of people that follow them on a blog or on Twitter or some other social media outlet. Is that why you first created a blog? Or first chose THAT name for your Twitter Handle? Did you choose @psychochix666 hoping it would attract people to you? Your blog is called myrandomthoughtsaboutstuff. Very enthralling and makes me want to head right on over.

Ronovan Writes is not exactly a “come and meet me” blog title. It’s just what I do. But we all get caught up for a time in the numbers for a moment as people start following us and we see our numbers get close to a certain cool looking number. Then we go nuts.

For a time we begin writing anything we think will draw people in. There is a problem in that. Once you do that you have to keep doing it. Do you really want to write about different ways of using pickles in a dish every Thursday? “Here’s the Dill.” You could call it that. But then you are stuck with it.

At some point this place you created to be you, to share you ends up being a job. You have to do things on certain days. If you don’t do things just right you get people complaining. The place for fun and pouring yourself out has turned into another box/cage to keep you held down and away from the freedom you first felt as you published those first couple of weeks.

It’s not all your fault. You blogging support encourages it with goals and awards. They make out like creating a following is what blogging is about. They make you think blogging is a game of who can get the most followers. To win you must have big numbers.

When you forget why you came here is when you lose. You have fallen in to the trap.

Do you have fun with your blog? Is each post something you want to do? I have a Haiku Challenge I hold each week and I wonder at times if the people really want to do it or if they do it because they have been. That’s a dangerous thing to say because if they are reading this and then decided it is just a habit and not a joy, they will stop.

But I want people to enjoy blogging, even if that means they don’t read my posts or participate in my challenges. Happiness is the purpose of writing. Even if we are writing the most miserable things imaginable we are doing it to get it out of our souls to make room for positive things.

I am well aware there is no time for negativity, misery, or anything like that in life. We are here for a limited time, and there are moments when you come close to that time being up and you realize you should not let anything pull your joy from you.

Sharing you and your honest self will bring people to you—if that’s what you want. I blog with the philosophy of writing what I want to write. My choice of theme for the recent A to Z Blogging Challenge for April is proof of that. I’ve been enjoying it so much even though there are moments of frustration and I will be happy when it is done. I have ideas for it.

I haven’t caved to the numbers game. I’ve written what I like and moved on to the next thing I want to write that I like.

Like what you write. That’s all that truly matters in blogging. Anything else you do is fake.

With all of that being said, for this, my personal blog, with these personal posts, I’m doing away with my traditional “Let’s connect”, ending with my twitter, facebook, and google+ addresses. Those things are elsewhere to find on the blog. I’m here to enjoy.

Much Respect

Ronovan

 

© Copyright-All rights reserved by ronovanwrites.wordpress.com 2015

How to turn your Readers OFF.

Ronovan Blogging , , , , , , , ,

What_The.jpg

What the . . . Pho? I bet you thought I was going to say something else, right? Well maybe not considering this is my blog and you don’t see me using language of that sort. One reason you don’t see me using it is because I don’t use that language in life. First of all, I’m not going to be getting preachy here. That’s not what this is about. I want to help you get more traffic through your blog’s doors.

 

The ‘What the . . . Pho?’ is actually a noodle restaurant that some friends and I just love the name of because here in America we have naughty minds at times. We can say this and people around us just look at us funny. One of the friends played the organ/keyboard in church and he would look over at me and I would mouth the phrase and he would suddenly bend over in convulsions doing all he could to focus on his music. The other friend was the choir director. He had learned long ago not to look at me. Yes, I tended to be a little mischievous if the time was okay to do so.

 

“So ‘What the . . . Pho?’ do you know about this and ‘What the . . . Pho?’ does this have to do with blogging?”

 

I’m glad you asked.

 

How to turn your Readers OFF

 

One of the first decisions you need to make when you create a blog or even when you begin writing an article for publishing is . . . “Am I doing this to get more people to read my writing?”

 

“I write for me. I don’t write to satisfy others!”

 

We like to say that but that isn’t always true. If you have a blog and want to bring people to it, then . . . yes you are writing for them in a manner of speaking. Here are tips to turn your readers off, depending on the type of blog you have. I am going with a blog type that has the average person who wants a nice, safe place to go for entertainment.

 

#1

Put Profanity in the Title of Your Article

You probably have never even really thought of doing that, but I’ve seen it and it instantly turns me away. It doesn’t even make me curious about the article. It could be by the Pope and I still wouldn’t read it to see what medications he’s on.

 

If it happens enough, I stop bothering with that blog at all.

 

RonNoBeard BW“Ronovan, you’re a prude!”

 

Ron Cover ShotFar from it my Friend. I enjoy all types of blogs, I just respect intelligently put together content.

 

 

 

 

#2

Articles Laced with Profanity

Notice I said ‘laced’, meaning filled with it. I’m not a fan of proFANity. Yes I made a pun. I am chuckling on the inside. Seriously. Can’t you tell? You’re screens should be shaking now. Okay, maybe not. I do however understand while reading something real life that words happen. Sometimes a word may fit a situation. I may choose another word while another person chooses a different word. No big deal.

 

I have a problem with the articles that are laced with it as shock factor. It doesn’t match what I know of the writer. It doesn’t match the piece being presented. It was placed there in an attempt to either shock, evoke humor, or just for no reason at all.

 

RonNoBeard BW“We can say what we want, stretch our wings, and experiment, you dork!”

 

Ron Cover ShotVery true, and I experiment as well. I just know myself and what my Friends have come to expect and I will stretch my wings within that boundary and at times it’s more challenging to do so. Write a sensual poem that conveys a lot without saying much in sexually. It’s a fun challenge.

 

 

#3

Being Derogatory

I write poetry where I slam bullies and the like. I don’t spend an entire article running down a people, a country, or a system or a mental of physical illness in generalities. Yes, there are times when certain articles need to be written. However, they need to be written in an intelligent and rational manner or the reader tunes out, turns away, and turns the channel.

 

If you are going to do it, pick your battles so people hear you. Run things into the ground and your words become a blur. That is unless you are targeting that audience who only wants to read about that issue.

 

RonNoBeard BW“Ronovan, there are certain things that are just clear cut!”

 

 

 

 

Ron Cover ShotThe issue may be clear cut but the entire story never is.

 

 

 

 

#4

Back to Profanity

If you are going to use a word then wait for it. Build up your reader, hook them in, get their support, and then when you throw the word in, it isn’t AS MUCH of as a turn off. It might still happen, but less likely.

RonNoBeard BW“If I use the words I want at the beginning it grabs their attention!”

 

 

 

Ron Cover ShotDo you want respect as a writer or attention as a shock hack?

 

 

 

 

I would go for a 5th one just to make it a Top 5 list but that’s pushing it and pushing you to read something weak. So I’m not going to do it. I’ll stop with 4.

 

Keep your articles clean and professional and only use certain words when you honestly believe they need to be used. I’ve stopped following several blogs of late for multiple headlines using certain words. And if you know me you know I follow lots of people of all types and language use. And there are even a few articles that are laced with profanity that make a point, but it’s rare, and I slowly begin to shy away.

 

I hope this article proved useful to you. If so, leave me a comment, so I know I’m helping you out. Sure a ‘like’ works as well, but I like to hear from my Friends at times.

If you found this helpful you can also find other tips by clicking here.

Much Respect

Ronovan