Thursday, May 19, 2011

free pic from stockphotos.it
 
I do see following as a way to promote your blog.  It is a tool we have, and good one I think.  I use following in a couple of ways.  First off I of course follow blogs I'm interested in.  That is first & foremost as I don't want to be following a blog that doesn't interest me.  I also like to follow a variety of different blogs as I have a variety of different interests.  I'll follow blogs on crafting, quilting, photography, child rearing, families, eco friendly issues, cooking I could go on, and on, but I won't bore you all.  I like following a modge podge of blogs, because my moods may change from day to day as to what I am interested in reading.  A great way I personally use following to promote my blog is if I'm reading a great post I like to also read comments, and if I see an interesting comment I'll check out their blog, and might end up following them.  I've gotten a number of great followers that way.  So for me that does work, but it does require effort on my part...lol, hmmm but is that actually promoting my blog as I'm again following people that I'm interested in to begin with.  If they check out my blog or follow that is bonus, but not my ultimate goal in doing this.
 
I personally don't join a lot of the follow me Tuesday, or Wednesday or whatever day it might be...lol.  There is one exception last week I joined tried Follow Me Friday which I learned about from The Adventures of J-Man and MillerBug it actually turned out much better than I thought it would.  I did get more followers which is the main purpose of it, but I also got followers that comment, and interact which is icing on the cake woo hoo!!!! So this Follow Me Friday is something I'm going to join in each week, because for me it seemed to work.
 
I also then wonder about followers in general.  Do you go looking for followers?  Or do you care?  The only time I look for followers is on Follow Me Friday, and I will promote my blog on ETSY.  That's pretty much about it.  Other than that I'm sure I follow a lot more people than follow me, and I don't worry or stress about it.  I figure if they were interested in my blog they would follow me...lol...plus they still might in the future.  That being said I do personally however follow back those that follow me.  I personally just think it is good manners...lol.  Are there manners in the blogosphere?  Eh I'd like to think there are.
 
So to those that might still be reading I pose these questions to you:
 
~ do you care how many followers you have?
~ do you follow back those that follow you?
~ do you go looking for followers or do you just let them come to you?
~ if you look for followers is there a number that once you hit it you won't actively go looking for new followers as you won't need to?
~ do you use following as a way to promote your blog?
~ or is life to short & you didn't even get this far in my post...lol?

 

14 comments:

Ariel said...

1. I think it's interesting.
2. I don't tend to use the "follow" option, I use Google reader, subscribe to the blog, it then tells me when one of "my" blogs has something new on it.
3. I let them come to me.
4. n/a
5. Nope.
6. That made me laugh.

.. said...

Great post.

1. I think getting more followers is always a plus, so yes I care.
2. I usually do follow those who follow me.
3. I do both.
4. Nope.
5. I try to follow what I am interested in, but if others follow me I will usually follow back.
6. I got up to the last question!

Natural Momma said...

~ do you care how many followers you have?
YES
~ do you follow back those that follow you?
YES
~ do you go looking for followers or do you just let them come to you?
LOOKING :o)
~ if you look for followers is there a number that once you hit it you won't actively go looking for new followers as you won't need to?
HMMMM- I DON'T KNOW!
~ do you use following as a way to promote your blog?
I DO (OR AT LEAST I HOPE IT HELPS PROMOTE!)
~ or is life to short & you didn't even get this far in my post...lol?
NOPE I GOT THIS FAR! <3

I was actually trying to increase followers and trying to think of ways to do so.

I am trying to make a small income (off of products or monetary) to help cushion us because I am a stay at home mom and my husband works so hard to no avail.... So- to get companies to endorse me I need great posts and FOLLOWERS on blogger and FB...

Crunchy Diva said...

thanks for the comments Ariel & jacquie :)

Crunchy Diva said...

@ natural momma ~ yeah that makes sense to me.
the reason i ask if there is a magic number where you think you'd stop actively looking or promoting your blog as i think maybe more like wonder if there's a point where the number of followers just sort of keeps growing, because a blog would have reached a point of being popular. the blog is popular enough where readers find the blog. if that makes any sense.

ColorSlut said...

In general I just happen on people. I see someone else post something about a blog and I go chekc it out. Once a year I clean out what I'm reading though and if something isn't working for me - then I get rid of it.

Victoria said...

I keep an eye on the number of followers I have, but I don't stress over it or spend too much time trying to get more. I used to post a lot on the Etsy forums about new blog posts and sometimes I'd get followers from there, but since the forums were downsized I've been mostly just trying to blog consistently. :) I don't automatically follow back followers, but I do make an effort to at least check out their blog and comment, especially if someone leaves a comment for me! Like you I'm pretty sure I follow a lot more blogs than I have followers, and that's okay - blogging is more of a place for me to share things than anything else, so I try to tell myself it doesn't really matter how many followers I have. :)

Jewelry By J said...

of course i care! i love my followers
i usually follow back if someone follows me.
i don't really go looking altho i do join the occasional blog hop
i don't think you can ever have too many followers, can u?

Meeling said...

Great post!


1. do you care how many followers you have?

yes and no...I mean I like having followers that I know are interested, comment regularly etc...some of these people become friends, but I'm not out to reach 1000+ or anything

2. do you follow back those that follow you?

most I'd say yes, if they have a blog (not all do) but there are a few that even though I've tried I just don't care for their subject matter.

3. do you go looking for followers or do you just let them come to you?

I don't really go searching for new followers...sometimes I stumble across a new blog and leave a comment and then people find you that way.

4. if you look for followers is there a number that once you hit it you won't actively go looking for new followers as you won't need to?

I don't think I would stop/start...more followers if they are true followers means that you have a larger audience that technically "expects" regular posts from you...not sure I'd want that stress...right now I blog because I enjoy it.

5. do you use following as a way to promote your blog?

No...I only follow blogs that interest me.
~
6. or is life to short & you didn't even get this far in my post...lol?

Lol!!!

Crunchy Diva said...

thanks everyone for your thoughts on this!!!!!!!!!

@ victoria ~ there are teams about blogging, i have gotten a few followers from there

Allison said...

~ do you care how many followers you have?

It's nice to know people like reading your blog :)

~ do you follow back those that follow you?

I always try to

~ do you go looking for followers or do you just let them come to you?

Sort of...I like to gain followers but I don't actively seek them!

~ if you look for followers is there a number that once you hit it you won't actively go looking for new followers as you won't need to?

Nah, I don't think so.

~ do you use following as a way to promote your blog?

Yes, a little bit! But mostly I just like to see what others are up to.

~ or is life to short & you didn't even get this far in my post...lol?

I made it to the end!

Yellow Rose said...

It's always great to know that people are interested in and following my blog. I don't always follow those who are following me, but I do make a point to visit their blogs and leave comments. I've only made an effort to recruit new followers by posting in those "who needs blog love" forums on Etsy. As for following to promote my blog, not really. I have a wide spectrum of interest so, I tend to follow blogs that I really enjoy.

Ich habe alles gelesen, bis zum Ende!
( Translated ) I made it to the end of your post :)

Unknown said...

Stopping in and giving you a follow back from the hop. Thank you for stopping by !!

Lindsay @ Delighted Momma said...

Well said!! :-) I believe that if you blog has great content and you update it regularly then eventually people will find YOU. I also think it is important to be interested in other people and their blogs. If you don't act interested I'm someone else..why would they want to be interested in you?..well for the most part ha!