Thought of the day: It’s hot today and I really really want ice cream.
Hiiii everyone!! How are you all today? Today I’m here with a blogging discussion, because it’s been SO LONG since I last did one and they’re so much fun to write! (Though half the time I have no idea what I’m writing, but shh. Minor details.)
So, I was glancing at my stats the other day, and I’m almost at 1000 WordPress followers?! I’m currently at 998, without counting my email followers. And gosh, I’m just so surprised and shocked and so THANKFUL, above all, that there are actual people out there who read (and sometimes even enjoy?? I hope???) my insaneeee sleep-deprived rambles omg haha. ❤
Which brings me to this post! I’m planning a follower-themed appreciation post when I hit 1000 (and possibly a giveaway? POSSIBLY. I am a poor broke bookworm, but fingers crossed!!) but for now I’m going to just share some of the thoughts I’ve had on blog followers and being a ‘successful’ blogger!! LET’S GO.
Defining blogging success:
It’s SO SUBJECTIVE?? I feel like everyone has different goals and ideas on what it truly means to be successful. In the eye of the beholder, or whatnot. Maybe it’s reaching a certain amount of followers. Maybe it’s reaching a certain amount of comments or likes per post. Maybe it’s achieving a goal, whatever that may be. But from a general, outside perspective, the common idea is that being a ‘successful’ blogger, means you have perhaps, a large follower count, lots of interaction (comments), and views. In the book blogging world, maybe a blogger who receives a lot of ARCs and review copies.
Now, I don’t know about all of you, but to me, my idea of success lies primarily in reader interaction AKA comments. Views, likes, I’m glad for all of it, but comments feel a lot more meaningful to me, because they’re how I get to actually TALK to people, which is a huge part of blogging for me. I always feel so grateful for anyone taking the time to write a comment to let me know their thoughts, and hence I always do my best to reply to the comments on my blog, obviously, but also on the commenter’s blog. Maybe it’s a form of validation, kind of?? That what I’ve written is useful, or enjoyable or whatever, and that I’m not just talking to myself haha. But of course, I completely understand if you don’t comment, because time is precious and sometimes we don’t have enough of it. *SIGHS* Personal struggle, here.
But yes, for me, comments is a way I measure success, if you will? Don’t get me wrong, success is not limited to that at all, and there are so many different things that play into your own view of success, but interaction is one of the most important parts of blogging for me, and so comments mean a lot in my mind!
Impact of followers
So we’ve established the importance of comments! But.. of course it doesn’t stop there because we also have FOLLOWERS. I’d be lying if I said followers weren’t important ahah. Because even though they’re not necessarily an indicator of success, interaction-wise (you could have a huge amount of followers but not really have as many comments, for example), I just think there’s this appeal, in our minds, to reaching those milestones. No one celebrates the achievement of a certain number of comments (not outwardly anyway haha) but reaching the 100 followers, 200 followers, 300, 400, 500, etc etc marks? IT FEELS GOOD, it makes us happy. Even if it’s just a number. And so we set goals, expectations, hopes, that one day we’ll reach an even bigger number and so on, you know? There’s nothing wrong with that, with being proud of your achievements or even wanting a bit more. We’re human, it’s normal.
Oh and!! To tie it back to my previous point, there’s this idea that a large amount of followers = a lot of comments. After all, more followers mean more people will view your post, a larger possibility for people to comment, etc etc. Wow, we’re really getting double the temptations here.
But because I’m extra contradictory, there’s also the question of dead followers?
Because a large amount of followers does not necessarily equal lot of comments? Or even a small amount of followers does not equal less amount of comments, in fact there are so many blogs out there with perhaps a lesser amount of followers but with so much interaction on their posts. Because followers, are not always a reliable indication of anything when not all those followers are actively reading your blog: AKA what I refer to as dead followers. The majority of these I’d consider to be the non-book blogs, for me. Most of the people who comment on my posts (being an active follower) are book bloggers? So. The non-book bloggers… I don’t know what they’re doing honestly haha. They might still read my posts, but who knows.
But wait… does success = lots of followers yes or no???
From comments to reaching milestones to dead followers… where did this discussion go?? I DON’T KNOW.
Verdict: Maybe? Maybe not? Sometimes? HELP ME OUT HERE. A large amount of followers means at first glance the blog seems like it’s really popular which could be synonymous with successful… But on the other hand not all of those followers necessarily follow the blogger’s posts, yet at the same time a large amount of followers give a higher chance for lots of comments, which can be an indicator of success?
I am very much over complicating this. SOMEBODY STOP ME.
Ahem.
Okay, maybe success for some people is defined by their follower count? But when you think about the many bloggers with a lower follower count who are still achieving so much–they are totally successful! So to me, there’s no number associated with success. Followers are super great and make you feel super great, for sure and I’ll always aim for that high follower count haha but being successful with blogging is something you measure based on your own goals.
Okay, so this post was kind of a complete mess? I’ve abandoned these discussions for SO LONG haha whatever ability I had to write somewhat coherent posts has disappeared. 😛 But I hope that made a bit sense?? Let me know your thoughts on this!! What does success mean, to you? Comments, followers, both, or neither?? What are your opinions on followers–is it something you care about or not really? Any other thoughts? Bonus: feel free to tell me your favourite ice cream flavour!! 😉
FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR: COOKIES AND CREAM. NO DOUBT. IT IS THE BEST. I WANT SOME NOW.
I love this discussion, Analee! For me, success is the amount of friends I make — the comments/interaction, I suppose. Of course, everyone loves to see that follower count go up (even if they’re DEAD FOLLOWERS), and I think that’s our way of COUNTING our success. But FEELING successful? All the comments I get make me feel SO SO happy, and make blogging worth it.
Wonderful post! ❤ (I also agree that just because you have more followers doesn't mean you'll have more comments — but there's more POTENTIAL for more comments. XD)
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Oh yeah, and I forgot to say: ALMOST TO 1K!!! I’LL GO FORCE TWO PEOPLE TO COME FOLLOW BECAUSE SERIOUSLY, YOU DESERVE IT!!! ❤
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AW THANK YOUUUUU!! 😘❤ What would I do without you May aghh thank you SO MUCH. Also coincident? But I reached 1000 yesterday as well MAY DID YOU DO SOMETHING?? 😂😂 Thanks again love! ❤
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Yes, what WOULD you do without me? *flips hair* XD AND OMG THAT’S SO AMAZING!!! CONGRATS!!! 🎉🎉❤❤
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YES YES YES I ADORE COOKIES AND CREAM!! 😍😍 (I actually just had it today… *cackles* *figuratively offers you some?*
Ahhh yayy!! Yes, exactly. Haha for sure! At the end of the day, reaching those milestones is so thrilling and seeing the follower count rise is such a feel-good feeling haha dead followers are far from our minds at that point. 😂 OOH SO ELOQUENT MAY!! I agreeeee that’s such a great way to put it, it’s 100% true in my opinion. Comments mean SO MUCH to me, there is nothing that makes me happier when it comes to blogging ahhh. ❤
Thank you lovely!! Yes, exactly. 😊
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Nice discussion topic!
I definitely agree with each book bloggers opinion of success is subjective. And I also agree that follower count makes most of us happy – “hey people are following me? They’re liking my posts and adding to the discussions? Awesome!”
It encourages us to continue blogging because you’re getting that validation. And there’s nothing wrong with someone wanting more followers because that usually means (aside from dead followers that you mentioned) you’re also getting more likes and comments and even friendships! 😀
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Thank you!! 😊
Right? People prioritize different things when it comes to success ahah. Yes exactly!! Seeing that follower count go up is always such a flattering moment. 🙈
Very true!! With that push, the validation and the likes that come with followers/comments etc, it really makes me want to continue with blogging and always do better/my best. And yes! Wanting more followers isn’t anything to be ashamed of at all, not to mention the usual added positives such as likes, comments and friendships of course! ❤😊
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I randomly stopped looking at the number of views per day and per post because I just got happy whenever someone liked a post or left a comment. Obviously I would love to have more followers but I want active followers because I like the interaction. I didn’t think I’d even have five followers when I started my blog and even though I’m just shy of 100 there are only a couple people I know read all of my posts besides my mom.
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Same here!! I don’t usually check my views anymore, I mostly concentrate on comments ahah. And yes I appreciate all followers but active ones are for sure the best because interaction is so lovely! 😊 Ahah I understand the struggle, not all followers actually comment or read the posts!
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The interaction is definitely the most important measure of success for me. It’s kind of hard because I don’t always know what to say or keep up as much as I want to but I like talking with others in the book community.
Favorite ice cream flavor is salted caramel cluster ☺
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Right? It means so much to me. ❤ Ahah very true, it can be SO hard to keep up with everyone's blogs! But when I get the chance I love doing so and talking with others in the book community as well. 🙂
OOH that sounds so good! I never tried it but now I want to ahhh!!
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Congrats on 1,000 followers! I agree, each bloggers have different goals and visions of ‘success’. A lot of people would want to be ‘famous’ and gain lots of followers.
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Thanks so much!! 😊 Yes, exactly! Everyone has a different perspective on success ahah, but yes there are common ones for sure!
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I love this post so much! CONGRATS ON ALMOST 1K!!! That is so awesome!
I totally agree that reaching follower milestones feels good but comments, like you, make me feel the best! I love talking with everyone about books and life, it brightens my day every time!
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Ahhhh I’m so glad to hear that!! THANK YOUUU I reached it and I’m still in disbelief 😂
Right?!? I will always like having the follower count go up, but nothing beats reading comments and talking to other bookish people omg. 😍❤️
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Yeah, for sure!! 😀 ❤
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Great Discussion !! I personally have found a lot of friends within the community (even though I don’t post hahahahaaa) and that’s a lot more important to me than followers 🙂 Because these are people who’s blogs I can stalk with like only a little shame and I get to have discussions with them which is why I started blogging in the first place !!
(Do my opinions come from the fact I only have like 61 followers because I never post??? Probably.)
ALSO Congrats on pretty much 1000!!!!!!!!!!!! That’s really great and you totally deserve it 🙂 and because ice cream is the loml my favorite flavor is Ben and Jerry’s Phish Food. It’s the best.
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Thanks!! Ahhh that’s so great! Making friends in the community is by far one of the best things about blogging. ❤❤ YES same haha talking to other people (mostly about books ofc) was one of my initial attracting factors to blogging, if you will. 🙈
Hahahaha every follower counts!! You are SUCH a great person to talk to though, you deserve all the followers. 😊
THANK YOU!! 💞 You’re so sweet. I WANTTTT omg I’ve never tried or heard of that one ahah but now I’m jealous 😍😭
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1000 is awesome. 😀 Congratulations!
I think large amounts of followers look good, but it is best if they comment and show some interaction. It’s kind of like you have a club that lots of people have joined, but only one or two—sometimes no one—come to the meetings that you have worked on for them to enjoy.
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Thank you so much!! 😊
Ooh I love that comparison! So true, ahah. Followers without commenters would be kind of dull?? Working so hard on writing posts only to have them flop is always disappointing.
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It is a bit of a sad thing. Yet I think pushing through and continuing to blog is the best way to get more of the community to participate.
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Cookies and cream is my favorite!
I loved this post. I think that having a lot of followers looks good, but comments show the interaction of your blog. I know completely what you mean about “dead followers!” Thanks for this post!
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OOH one of mine too omg. 😍
Ahh so glad to head that!! Oh yes having a lot of followers can be quite impressive. But having comments definitely shows the interaction which is the best part! 🙈 Ahah right? They’re everywhere. No problem!!
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Congratulations on 1000 followers!!! Such an awesome achievement!!! I think I am a bit the same as you, I feel successful when people comment/like my posts and also seeing how many views I have had of my blog. The amount of followers doesn’t bother me so much, but it is a nice bonus 🙂 Awesome post!!
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Thanks so much!! 😊 Ahah right?? That’s exactly the same for me. Comments mean the most to me, I think but I love likes and views as well! For sure the number of followers can be a nice perk. 🙈 Thanks so much!!
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Well since I just started blogging I’d LIKE to have more followers and comments, but I’m not sure if that is the most important thing because I haven’t been blogging that long so maybe in the future it will be other things? Idk. And as for Ice cream, I love chocolate! Or peanut butter cup…or Ben and Jerry’s Jimmy Fallon On the Tonight Dough, that one’s REALLY good! 😛
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Ahah getting followers and comments are lovely, for sure what’s considered as important can definitely vary from person to person and with time. 😊 OOH yes chocolate is so delicious!! And aghhh that sounds SO GOOD I want it now ahah. 😍
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This is such a great post!! I agree with you that my own idea of success is the interactions I have- I’d rather have 10 followers and we all be friends than a million followers who aren’t interactive. I love making friends here!! But when I see myself gaining followers, it does feel nice, because at least on my part I assume I must be creating interesting content. So it makes sense when I see other book blogs follow me, but I know what you mean about dead followers whose content doesn’t seem to match with yours at all. I’m like…maybe they just want some book recs??? Whatever floats their boat, I won’t complain!
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Thank you!! Yes, exactly. The friendships hold the most balue for sure! Ahah yes, getting followers feels good and it also gives me a sense of, oh I must be doing something right?!? 😂 Haha I knowww I’m not going to complain either but sometimes I think they just want a follow in return? But oh well, they’re boosting my follower count I guess? 🙈
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Haha yes I think that too sometimes…and then I’m like, why are they still following me?? Maybe some blogs don’t pay much attention to the blogs they follow lol
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I also had posted about my personal struggles as a blogger who wants to be also a successful (seriously, is there even a person with a blog who doesn’t lowkey dream of becoming a successful blogger?), and I at first was really concerned at the amount of followers I had on both WordPress and Instagram. But as time went on, and the amount of comments I received from those few 80 ppl following me, I understood that for me, a successful blogger should be a person who’s having good interactions with followers and has interesting, conversational type of discussions (like the ones you can relate to, or you find interesting to dig into???)
So I recently stopped worrying about WordPress followers, because you can’t judge a person for his personal tastes. I’m always happy to receive a comment even from those who constantly leaves feedback on my blog, and I’m willing to reply at my full force 🙂
Oh, and my favorite ice cream flavor would be VANILLA, or COOKIES AND CREAM, although I personally think that nothing can beat the milky taste of McDonald’s Ice cone lol
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Yes exactly! Ahah it’s kind of ever blogger’s dream isn’t it? 🙈 Having those interactions though, is really what holds value and having discussions and conversations with other people is the best!!
Aha yes exactly, I love seeing the follower count go up but I don’t think about it as much as having conversations with other people! Same ahah I love each and every comment. 😊 Thanks so much for your input!
Oooh YESSSS. ❤ I’ve loved vanilla since forever and cookies and cream is DELICIOUS omg. 😍 I’ve never tried that one though I’ve been meaning to!
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I think a successful blog is really difficult to summarize in numbers in the end. Because obviously followers and comments play into it (especially if your goals includes getting ARCs or maybe sponsorships, etc as companies will want to know about those things) but then even the biggest numbers of followers may result in little interaction because people don’t find something to comment on or don’t want to comment. We definitely had more reader interaction when we had fewer followers on the blog which still confuses me sometimes!
To me, a successful blogger is someone who posts new content regularly, is involved with their readers and other members of the community!
Oh boy, favorite ice cream flavor.. I usually go for two scoops: lemon and then a nut flavored ice cream. Sometimes I’ll go for some kind of candy (kInder Bueno, etc) in ice cream form. I love the mix of sour and sweet!
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Oh so true Swetlana!! High numbers follower wise can be useful for ARCs but it doesn’t necessarily mean there will be lots of interaction to go with the follower count! I’ve seen so many blogs with lower follower counts but with so much interaction which is so great ahah. Aw your blog is so lovely! Deserves each and every comment and follow ahah. ❤️
Oh and yes! I agree completely.
Oh my gosh that sounds like HEAVEN I’ve never tried that but now I definitely have to!! 😍
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I also really like to see come moments as a measure of my personal success. It’s nice to think I wrote something interesting enough that people took the time to engage.
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Right? It always means so much to me when people comment because it tells me they enjoyed what I wrote which is a success and achievement of my goal! 😊
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congrats ok 1k!! This is a really interesting discussion, and for me, that’s the marker! Interaction and a good back and forth in the comments, people really engaging with what we’re writing! 🙂 Also chocolate chip cookie dough all the way!!!
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Thanks so much!! 😊 Ahhh I’m so glad you think so, that means so much to me. Yes for sure, interaction through comments and having people engaged are so important! 😊 OOH YES I love that flavour as well omg. ❤
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Great post, Analee! I wrote about my goals in blogging a little while ago, actually, and my overall feelings about this blog post are pretty much summed up in this. For me, blogging success obviously depends on how you see success: if seeing numbers grow and views obviously make us feel happy about ourselves and ultimately is what makes publishers give us ARCs – I’m guessing – , interaction and comments are, for me, way more valuable in the sense that they make me feel GOOD about blogging in no way the stats can. There’s no feeling like the one when you get comments because people actually wanted to take the time to answer to your blog posts, share their thoughts and communicate 🙂
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Thank you Marie!! 😊 Oh really?? Agh I must’ve missed it, will check it out later! I’m so glad to hear that ahah. Oh yes for sure, I completely agree! Although stats and followers etc offer a certain measure of pride and useful for getting ARCs (usually), comments and interaction are SO much more meaningful to me, emotionally ahah. Yes, that’s exactly it! It’s such a great feeling. ❤
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YES that’s exactly it – emotionally, I’m so much more happy about it than a number of followers 🙂
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Aah congrats on reaching 1,000 followers, and this was a super interesting discussion! I’d like to say that I’m entirely invested in reader interactions, and I think the blogging friendships I’ve made are what lasts, but I do still like to increase my views and followers since, I dunno, it seems like a tangible representation that I’m reaching more people? Or that I’m blogging better? (Even if currently my stats are going down, ahem haha.)
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Thanks so much Eve!! 😊 Yes same here, blogging friendships and the interaction is what I value the most, but I love seeing my follower count and views go up as well! It’s definitely not a one-or-the-other situation ahah it’s lovely to have both. ❤ Yes I get you! Having new followers has this ‘oh I’m doing something right and people actually want to read my posts??’ feeling with it haha. 🙈
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Congrats on getting to the magic 1000 🍾🎈
I don’t know if it’s really a measure of success but it does feel good when you hit a follower milestone. Comments are probably more important as it means someone has actually read what you’ve written but I’ll take whatever I can get 😀
Favourite ice cream: tablet
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Thank you!! 😊❤ Ahah right? Whether it’s a measure of success might vary, but it’s a lovely feeling to reach that milestone. Comments do mean more to me for sure, but I’m grateful for both haha. 🙈
Ooh I’ve never tried that one before!!
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This is a wonderful discussion post, Analee! And I agree with you – it’s definitely not a dichotomous, yes/no answer. It really does depend on your goals; do you want a certain number, or do you want more engagement? I noticed that when I didn’t have the time to blog-hop, and when I wasn’t visiting other people’s blogs during the university year, my views dropped too! So it’s incredibly important to interact with other people – it makes me FEEL good about blogging, but it also helps me reach my personal goals too. Comments and interaction are definitely more important for me than just the number. 🙂 Also, congratulations on hitting your first 1000. Here’s to many more *raises glass*
~ Aimal @ Bookshelves & Paperbacks
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Thank you so much Aimal!! ❤ Oh yes for sure, personal goals and priorities play quite an important part! Right? That was the case for me too, it can be hard to get lots of interaction on your own blog if you don’t reach out to other blogs. Beautifully put! I completely agree, interaction is a two way street for sure. 🙈 And yes! They mean a lot more to me. Thanks so much!! ❤️
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I totally agree with this post and congratulations on reaching 1000 followers! It’s really a great achievement and you totally deserve it! I always enjoy your wonderful posts!
BTW My favorite Ice Cream flavor is Chocolate! 🙂
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Thank you so much Raven and I’m so glad to hear that!! 😊 That means so much to me. ❤ Ooooh a classic!! I love chocolate so much. 😍
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Absolutely adore this discussion! Congrats on reaching 1000 followers! For me, I think comments are the most important because it shows that your audience is engaged. Followers are great and in terms of numbers, I try to reach for those big milestones. However, the community is why I keep blogging, the conversations I have with other people that love the same things that I do, they are what keep me going. My favorite ice cream flavor is either Cookie Dough or Strawberry Cheesecake; yum!
http://www.thebucketlistbookblog.com
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Thank you!! I’m so glad to hear that! And eeeep thanks so much!! ❤
Yes, I totally agree! Comments definitely mean the most to me, it gives me a more real connection to other people and tell me that people are *actually* reading my posts! 😊 And yes for sure, it’s great to reach for those follower counts and it’s lovely to hit milestones! But the community is definitely why I keep blogging as well, talking to other people about mutual interests (books in my case haha) is what I originally started blogging for, what I’m here for now, and I love it SO much. ❤❤
OOH those sound so delicious oh my gosh! 😍
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Ohh, I hope you get the two followers you need to reach 1K Analee, if you haven’t already that is! 😀
I definitely count success in terms of the comments I receive on my blog/posts. I didn’t start off blogging for the followers or the ARCs so for me it really is all about the comments and just the interaction in general with other book bloggers out there. I feel it’s so important to interact with people on here to gain followers, but at the same time you don’t need a large follower base to get comments. There are some blogs I follow that always have loads of comments on their posts and I’m always surprised when I hear them mention that their follow account is still growing, that they’re still a newbie blogger in terms of WordPress you know. It just goes to show interaction is more important to gain traffic to your blog than anything else. 🙂
I have a certain amount of dead followers on my blog too, but as long as I have the people who I talk to and who comment on my posts I’m a happy blogger.
Great post Analee, and congrats on the nearly-1000-followers as well! 😀 ❤
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I have, actually! Thank you SO much Beth ahah you’re so lovely. ❤❤
Right?? Same here, I think most book bloggers started a blog to primarily TALK to other people ahah, for me followers and ARCs came after and to this day comments and interaction are definitely what come first to my mind. Oh and yes that’s so true! Comments play a huge part in gaining followers, but the number of followers doesn’t necessarily affect the number lf comments. I, too have seen that! Those blogs always seem so much more older than they really are blogging wise haha. I know I definitely wasn’t as put together back when I first started blogging ahah but it definitely goes on to show th importance of interaction to grow your blog. 😊
Haha same, I don’t really mind them much considering there are so many active followers I love talking to! ❤️ Same here.
Thanks so much!! 😊💞
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That’s all right, and that’s great to hear as well, it’s so well deserved Analee! 😀 ❤
It seems a common thing for book bloggers, I guess that's why the community is such an amazing place, because we're all here for the same reason. 🙂 I wasn't as put together either. I think that's why I had three failed blogs before finally working out what I was doing the fourth time around.
That's all right! 😀 ❤
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Aw thanks Beth!! ❤
Ahah so true, the community just clicks together. Oh gosh, really! I’m so curious about those blogs now, have you deleted them? But yay, fourth time’s a charm??? 🙈
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That’s all right. 🙂
Yeah, guess it took me a while to get it perfect, and yes they have all been deleted. Not sure what else I could have done with them you know?
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Ahah very true! Well your blog now is amazing so I suppose the failed ones have paid off! 🎉😊
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Yeah I think they really did! 😀
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I agree. Success depends on one’s own goals. But to be honest, I think comments are the most efficient way of seeing how a blog is doing. It means people are reading what you say and that they want to talk to you about it, and that’s great!
*sigh* I used to get more comments on my blog but then I went crazy, changed my blog name and I may have had to start almost from zero again in terms of traffic. But that’s okay. It challenges me to write better posts!
Congratulations on your accomplished goals!
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Yes, exactly!! Ahah I agree, I definitely look to comments first when it comes to seeing how ‘successful’ it is ahah. Yes!! I love comments so much for that reason. ❤
Aw no, that’s no fun!! 😰 But yayy it’s great you’re finding a positive to the situation. 😊 And thank you so much!!
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I know that my personal idea of blogging success is a mix of everything – reader interaction, but also pageviews and followers! I’m the end, all of them can be pretty rocky – you can have dead followers, you don’t know if people are just glancing st your blog or actually reading it, and you can have the same people commenting on your blog month after month without it ever really growing! So, really, in general, it’s hard to measure blogging success, but if you’re doing what you want to be doing and meeting your goals, I think it’s success! 😄
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Oh that sounds so balanced! That’s great ahah, I definitely agree having a mix of everything is great. 😊 Oh yes such a great point! There are upsides and downsides to each ‘measure’ of success, really. Ahah yes totally! Meeting personal goals and achieving what you want is totally successful. ❤
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First, congrats on 1k followers 🎉🎉 That is seriously amazing!!
Love this discussion too. I think success does come down to what the individual person’s goals are. I don’t think followers/comments are necessary for ‘success’ but they definitely help you stay motivated and inspired! I know interaction is one of the things that encourages me the most. I love seeing what everyone’s thoughts are. And of course it’s always so great to see the follower count go up because it’s like ‘wow, there’s people out there who actually like and want to see what I post about???’.
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Ahh thank you so much!! ❤️😊
Oh yes! Success definitely varies from person to person based on their goals. Ahah they really do! 🙈 I would’ve probably quit a while ago without them tbh haha. And yes, same here! Interaction, making friends, getting comments always feels so good and pushes me to continue. 😊 YES haha that’s me literally all the time!
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I absolutely love this post! This is totally a question I have to ask myself every now and then, and definitely something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. The great thing is, when I went to say how many followers I have (just now) I realized that I don’t know the number. And I’m better for it! Because, like you (using your term because it’s perfect), I have a lot of dead followers. Mostly dead followers, actually. And I guess that’s just something you have to work on with time. It’s the never ending battle of not being too floaty and above all the numbers but not being so glued to them that you don’t enjoy yourself and you’re not being yourself. Anyhoo, CONGRATS OMG 1000 FOLLOWERS IS SO AMAZING!!!
And my favorite ice cream flavor is only available at my favorite ice cream place- it’s called Mackinac Island Fudge. Ohhhhhhh now I’m craving it. Argh!
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AH thank you so much!! Right? It’s been floating in my head for so long haha. Oh I totally get that! I haven’t really been focusing on my follower count lately, it was such a surprise to see the number! Oh SAME. Honestly, most of my followers are dead followers too haha. 🙈 And yes so true! I don’t think I will ever write off the numbers completely, I do care about them, but I’m definitely not as focused on them as I used to be which is a good thing, for me, because I think at one point it started affecting how much I enjoyed blogging. 😪 And that was HORRIBLE UGH. So I’m glad that’s over!!
BUT THANKS SO MUCH OMG! ❤❤
OOH I need to come over to this ice cream place now??! 😍 Hahaha sameee omg strugglesss.
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Exactly! And then I feel so proud when I finally do look haha. I think that’s the case for most people! I totally agreed
YES. I no longer even live in the town anymore which is very very sad but if you’re ever in northern Illinois, go to Union Dairy. You won’t regret it.
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Yes exactly! Such a lovely surprise and a great feeling. 😊
Aw noooo how horrible but OOH I won’t forget that ahah I have no idea when or if I’d ever go to northern Illinois but ICE CREAM. ❤
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Great post and congrats on all your followers!
I agree with you about interaction trumping follower count. When I just started, I thought more followers means more successful, but if the intention of blogging is to reach out to others, then interaction would be more important.
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Thanks so much!! 😊 Right? Interaction means so much to me, though I appreciate followers of course. Ahah same!! I was always so awestruck by the blogs with high follower counts. 😂 Still am, sometimes but interaction is what I look for the most for sure!
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Hi there!
Yes– I agree, comments are much more appreciated in my mind. I take the time to seriously organize my writing, and when I get responses I am SO happy! When I get followers too. Because it makes me feel good– like I have made a friend. So, maybe a follow validates an online friendship?? I don’t know. But hmmm ice cream??? I recently tried Pistachio for the first time and was in loveee! Besides that, i like moose tracks!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the differences between comments and followers. I’m sort of new to this blogging thing, although I think I have the hang of it. It seems to take a lot of work.
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Hi!! 😊 I’m so glad you agree ahah, same here, I spend a lot of time on my posts and so it makes me so happy when people take the time to leave a comment. ❤ And yes for sure followers are lovely! Hm, I never thought of it that way!!
OOH I’ve heard such great things about the flavour ahah I reaaaaally need to try it!! 😍
No problem, thanks so much for stopping by! Ahh that’s great. And yes it does take quite a lot of work haha but it’s one I enjoy at least! 🙈
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You should try the pistachio flavor it’s surprisingly good!
You are very welcome. Blogging is a lot of work, but it gives us something to look forward to after at the end of the day.
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Ooh I definitely will!!
Ahah very true! ❤
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hahaha yes it made sense!! Great post and massive congrats!!! I agree with you about interaction meaning more than followers- but both are always great 😀 And my favourite flavour of ice cream is Belgium chocolate 😀 What’s yours???
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YAYY I’m glad to hear that!! 😊 Thanks so much! Ahah right? I’m glad you agree, and yes for sure I appreciate and love both! 🙈 OOH such a great choice I love anything chocolate so much. Right now I bought cookies and cream recently and I’m in love with it!! 😍
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You’re welcome!!! 😊 yay!! Oooh yes, I love cookies and cream too 😀 😍
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congrtssssss on almost 1K!!! Except you’ve probably reached it already because I have been apparently dead the last couple of days on commenting on others’ posts and COMMENTED TWO DAYS LATE. *throws self onto floor* will you ever forgive me?
Anywayssssss apart from that random melodramatic moment I AGREE WITH YOUR POST. I also think that it matters on the TYPE of posts that you do… I measure success in comments and interaction, tbh, but I feel like there would usually be less comments if your posts are mostly reviews, you know? And there would be more of a focus on views/follows than interaction than talking. But for discussion focused blogs, it focuses more on comments and talking, hence DISCUSSION. Anyways pm that’s just my view 😀
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Thank youuuu!! I have reached it but IT’S OKAY you’re not lateee ❤️❤️ *throws self too because I’m sacrificing like that* ONLY if you forgive meeeee for neglecting your posts for so long 😭😭 I promise I’ll catch up soooooon. 😘❤️
Haha YAY I’m glad to hear that!! Oh that’s an interesting point, I hadn’t thought of that but it’s so true! Different types of posts definitely engage readers more or less depending on… well, the type haha. Reviews in general seem to get a lot less comments than discussions or other types of posts for sure. 🙈
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YOUR WELCOME. And you deserve it ❤ XD ALL IS FINE. I have been neglecting WordPress for a while anyways haha! ❤
Yeah! I was looking through some popular review sites and I was super surprised that most of the reviews didn't have many comments although I knew they were popular! But yeah, discussion posts definitely attract more IMO (but then again, I'm super biased because I LOVE THE DISCUSSION POSTS)
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AW THANKS LOVELY ❤❤
I knowwww it’s kind of ironic seeing how book reviews are what drew many book bloggers to blogging in the first place! 🙈 You’d think there would be more attention paid to reviews but I suppose it can be hard to compete with the discussion posts haha which I ALSO LOVE so um whoops we’re not very objective here are we? 😂
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XD that’s true! I feel like book reviews have been regarded as the “traditional” book type post because THERE ARE A GAZILLION EVERYWHERE. But yes I LOVE THE DISCUSSION POSTS but as long as no one knows how biased we are it’s ok, right? 😂
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Haha I KNOW RIGHT. 😂 Yessss we can keep it a secret obviously?? How good are you with secrets? 🙈
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I AM GREAT WITH SECRETS. TOTALLY. *nods totally not suspiciously*
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REALLY… 👀🤔
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YES. *nervously backs away*
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[…] I talked a bit about my thoughts on comments last time, and it inspired me to come up with: A LIST! Because people seem to like those (same […]
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Obviously just not catching up on my comment right now. I’ve been the silent reader for a while here now #sorry
OMG 1000 LET ME JUST SCREAM *Dies*. I totally understand what you mean by ‘dead’ followers. I’m nearly on 1000 (#gasp) but i don’t get 1000 comments or likes, and in fact, I don’t even have 1000 readers. Most of them are just inactive accounts or people who never check their feed. SURE, reaching a milestone like that is SO HUGE, I can’t even…but I feel like comments are what really define my success. I’ll consider you an amazing blogger if 1)you have WONDERFUL posts and 2)quite good comments. The quality and amount of comments matter so much to me. While I appreciate followers and likes, COMMENTS FEEL SO MUCH MORE REAL. People actually take their time to scribble down something about your post and IT IS AN AMAZING FEELING.
To be honest, followers DO NOT DEFINE SUCCESS FOR ME. They used to, but now WHILE I GET ALLE EXCITED ABOUT THEM, they don’t really excite me. take May @ Forever and Everly, she has fewer followers than me YET I CONSIDER TO BE 1000000000X more successful than me.
Another point is that sometimes I comment on a blog, mentioning HOW MUCH I LOVE IT, and they say ‘No, your blog is better, you probably have BETTER STATS than me’ To be honest, Stats – I don’t even check them. like I haven’t checked them in like 5 months #oops so they don’t define success for me either.
More followers = more chance of comments but NOT SUCCESS
P.S The vibrant purple is hurting my eyes. I know no-one asked for my opinion but please try a different colour *pats eyeballs*
P.P.S VANILLA ALL THE WAY
P.P.S #yeah I forgot what I was going to say
P.P.P.S I REMEMBER. THIS IS ALL MY OPINION. And I can’t spell Success
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Hahaha don’t be sorry! Thank youuuu for stopping by to catch up lovely ❤❤
EEP THANK YOU that was literally me haha. And YAYY THAT’S FABULOUS! Early congrats!! But yes, exactly! Not even half those people following actually visit my blog. 😂 Yes I totally agree!! It’s a huge milestone for sure but comments mean a lot more to me. SAME. Posts and comments kind of make up blogging as a whole for me? So I definitely look up to those for sure. YES EXACTLY! I appreciate all of it, ofc but emotionally comments leave much more of an impact on me! IT TRULY IS. 😭❤
Yes yes yes!! I LOVE reaching milestoned and getting new followers but it doesn’t define success for me either. Right, She’s SO successful ahah, and I am kind of in awe but Mahriya you’re no less successful!! Your blog is literally goals. 😍❤
I KNOW RIGHT??? Literally I have just the vaguest idea of my stats, likes, views and visitors wise. I was so surprised to even see where I was with my followers! Happy surprised but surprised all the same because I hadn’t really been keeping up with them at all.
PERFECT EQUATION 🙌😁 Totally agree.
P.S HAHA thank you for telling me!! I was trying to go for a pink to match my theme but WordPress options are so limited. TELL YOUR EYEBALLS I’M SORRY! 😂😅 I wasn’t too much of a fan of the colour anyway haha so I’m glad it won’t be missed.
P.P.S YES VANILLA ❤ Vanilla and chocolate are literally my all time favourites.
P.P.P.S LOLOL meeeeee! Also what does PPPS even stand for? Is that a thing? Post post post script?? #randomthoughts oops
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I wish I had less “dead followers” but I consider myself successful when I am happy with I put out and hope others appreciate what I wrote second to that. 🙂
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Aha yes it would be lovely to have more active followers instead! Oh so true, being happy with your work is so incredibly important as well! ❤
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I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get blogger envy when I see the blogs of bigger and more popular bloggers out there, BUT I do believe that they achieve what they have through hard work and don’t think they deserve less or anything. :’) I was more obsessed with stats and numbers in 2015, but since then I think I’ve grown to appreciate my small corner in the blogopshere. Plus, I take pride in that I’ve become more of a veteran blogger somewhat (because 2.5+ years of nonstop blogging is a pretty impressive commitment (if I do say so myself) now that I think about it).
I love this post (as well as your other discussions), Analee! Anyway, for me, a successful blogger is one that feels fulfilled. And fulfillment doesn’t have to be something measurable in regards to numbers. XD
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I definitely agree with you, Summer! I’ve totally been envious of popular blogs before, but they totally deserve their success! 😀 Haha yes, I used to be a lot more concerned with stats when I first started blogging compared to now. Oh and yes for sure! 2.5 years and counting is such a long and incredible commitment ahah, congrats on that!! ❤
Thanks so much Summer, and oh I agree! Fulfillment doesn't necessarily have to do with numbers at all ahah.
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