If you’re reading this, it means you’re reading my blog.
Even though I didn’t SEO it, or share it on Pinterest, you’re reading my blog.
Even though my G+ page is a wasteland and I didn’t optimise my layout, here you are.
Hello!
Come on in, make yourself comfy. Excuse the mess.
I did Tweet a link to this post. But I completely neglected to make my Tweet 120 characters, I didn’t Tweet at 3-4pm on a Friday, or use a call to action to increase my CTR (click-through rate).
I haven’t Stumbled my blog lately, and I didn’t include my latest post in my email newsletter. Probably because I don’t have an email newsletter.
Basically? Can’t be faffed.
I know I could do X, Y and Z to increase traffic and reduce bounce and build sticky content. But I’ve just made some toast and it’s never as nice if you leave it to get soggy.
Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE that people read my blog. I adore it when people comment. Partly because I’m needy (natch) but also comments sometimes make me look at situations in different ways – and that’s really cool. Some of the people who comment on my blog are seriously funny, too.
Of course, I love that Flea has met so many people and had so many experiences because of this blog.
Of course I do.
But blogging’s just one part of my life.
I have an insanely chaotic job, and friends, and a family, and other hobbies. I love spending time with my daughter, and going to the cinema, and throwing pebbles into the sea. And I can’t always be the Textbook Blogger and still do all of that stuff. Choices have to be made.
I’m completely at peace with that. There are other blogs do that stuff way better than this one. It’s okay. I bet none of them ever accidentally flashed the headmaster.
There are lots of people who want to ‘perfect’ their blogs – a bit like some people want to perfect their golf swing or crochet making. I completely understand the geeky urge – I just am a bit too lazy to feel it personally. Maybe because I do such a lot of that stuff in my work, I want this space to be where I don’t have to try too hard.
This means sometimes, as I read yet another post about taking my blog to the Next Level, or yet another website that tells me how crucial it is that I comply with this law, or that policy – I get this urge to stamp my foot and shout, “I don’t want to!”
I find myself wondering sometimes if there are other people who – like me – wonder if they’re losing sight of the fact blogging is something we started because it’s fun. And I sometimes worry that bloggers are missing out on how much FUN blogging can be because they think you have to do the other stuff to be “successful”. I worry that blogging must look like really, really hard work.
People sometimes ask me what I consider to be a “successful” blog and my answer is always – it’s a blog that makes you happy. If blogging makes you stressed, or guilty, or insecure then you’re not doing it right. And that’s pretty much the ONLY rule of blogging I subscribe to.
I know myself well enough to know that for me, the fun of blogging is in writing a post, publishing it, seeing the feedback, and engaging in a conversation. Sure, I like to see my traffic increase but I’ve always been much more interested in comments than page views. There are others sites – of course – where I have different priorities, but on this one, it’s all about the writing, and the fun.
So – here’s what I say:
If networking and editing CSS and wrestling FTP while building the perfect landing floats page your boat – that’s wonderful. I absolutely love to hear about how you Stumbled your way to world domination, and became a Twitter ninja. The world needs more geeks and I’m glad you’re out there. Sometimes, when I’ve broken something, I weep with gratitude at your existence. You make the world a better place. You do.
But MY blog is where I write stupid stories and share pictures and capture memories so that one day, my kid will look back and know that she was loved beyond measure, and that we laughed together every day.
I do it to have fun.
And for me, blogging doesn’t get any better than that.
