Everyone knows a pot never boils when you watch it, right?
Just like your blog won’t grow while you watch its analytics. Oh, but this is so much easier said than done, isn’t it?
When I started blogging I knew nothing about analytics or hits or page views. When I found out about these things I became a fanatic. I was always checking and rechecking my stats. It was really cool to be able to see that 4 people had visited my site, in a month. Wow!
Then I found out that people compare their stats, like nail polish colors or baseball scores, and that the numbers could make you popular.
Wait, what is this high school?
I got totally sucked in and it was terrible. I felt terrible… about myself. It took me a really long time to get over the numbers. I knew they didn’t really matter but it was so hard to just say “No.” As I waited for that perfect post to go viral and for the numbers to come pouring in, I would click over to my graph, every hour on the hour. I was definitely not subtle about it.
It wasn’t until I realized that blogging has nothing to do with numbers that I was able to erase my analytics bookmark. The V-8, slap to the forehead moment came only after I began to interact with other bloggers and build relationships with them. And this is really why we blog, for the relationships we develop with our readers.
Today, I only check my stats once a month, and even then I sometimes forget. My stats don’t record the ongoing conversation I had with one of my readers for over three weeks on Instagram. The analytics don’t have a way to mention the emails I get from readers thanking me for the encouragement. There is no graph to show how active my community is on Facebook and how much I’ve come to love my audience.
Stats don’t make you a better writer. People do.
Stats shouldn’t be what you think about at night. Solving your reader’s problems should.
So how do you let go of the numbers and learn to love blogging in spite of the analytics?
Stop checking and start interacting
Take the link off your toolbar if you need to. Train yourself to check your stats once a month and to use them as a gauge as to how well you are growing within the context of reaching your goals. Stats are for you to see how well you are doing at hitting your own benchmarks. They also help you figure out if you are finding an audience more on one social media platform than another. Did you get a ton of new Pinterest followers but not too many on Twitter? Use this information to help you determine where you should be spending your time.
Start interacting with your readers on your blog and via social media so that your relationships become what drives you to write, not black and white numbers. Create community with Pinterest group boards, Twitter lists, or a Facebook community. Within those confines you will soon realize that you could care less about your numbers. It’s all about the friends, baby!
Set at least one relationship goal
As you set your goals (of which you should have 3 for this year) make sure that one of them is a relational goal. You could aim to reply to all comments left on your blog. Or maybe you want to ask a question of your readers on Facebook every day to encourage interaction.
Whatever it is, be sure that it is based on the relationship, not the numbers. Happy readers are loyal readers. Aim high and you’ll hit your target because your audience will know you really have their interests at heart, not just your own needs or wants.
Remember that numbers “cover the spot”
I recently wrote about how comments are only part of the equation when it comes to your overall blogging picture. Your followers, your subscribers, the number of comments, and your daily interactions all contribute to the overall success of your blog. Because it is a relational.
If you are interested in creating a lasting presence on the web, you have to do more than just rack up numbers on your blog. You have to be a person to your readers. Let them see your messy kitchen, your laundry piles and how you make mistakes. If you sell a product, show your readers how you use it. Instagram your product in real life situations.
The bottom line is, it all counts. Every like, follow, comment, share, and favorite.
It’s time to stop watching the pot boil and start participating in what’s going on around you.
Is your obsession with analytics holding you back?
Photo by Webaroo.com.au on Unsplash
Photo by Carlos Muza on Unsplash
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