The last post was number 300! Wow! I began blogging in November 2012. I have tried to consistently blog each week. The goal was three a week, but I have actually averaged a little less.
Here are some of my thoughts on blogging after 300 posts!
- I am grateful to the readers. Writing is good for me personally. It causes me to think and clarify my own thoughts. It leaves a journal and record of some events for our family, but I primarily write because I have a message I want to share with others. You write because you want to be read! So I appreciate everyone who has taken time to read a post, because I know there is so much competing in this world for your attention and time. For you to take time to read my post, is a compliment.
- Titles and social media drive the traffic to the blog. I began learning early on that titles are very important for folks choosing to read your post. Just like with newspaper articles, the headline makes a tremendous difference. This connects well with social media because the title must interest the person scrolling their news feed for them to click and go read. By far, most of my readers have come from Facebook.
- The challenge is writing consistently. Most bloggers start off writing regularly, then slowly slip into irregularly and often seldom post. This happens because it is tough to write weekly. I could not do it if it was not a part of my regular work flow. I do it as part of my ministry, and I prioritize it above other things I could be doing. Not only is it hard to find the time, but sometimes it is hard to have the content. Even though I keep a list of possible topics, I sometimes don’t have anything to write.
- Don’t get caught up in who does and doesn’t read your blog! I learned early on that most folks which I have a personal relationship with would not read the blog regularly. That is fine, I probably wouldn’t read theirs that regularly if they did one. In fact, I struggle to keep up with blogs that I really like and benefit much from. So don’t be discouraged and certainly don’t let it affect your relationship with others.
- Blogs typically have a slow steady growth, and mine has reflected this truth. I have seen this happen over the 2 and half years. While I had one post that went far beyond everything else, the typical pattern of slow steady growth is what the blog has seen in traffic numbers.
- People care about the church. While people don’t read straight Bible teaching posts that well, there is still a hunger for posts about the church. I find this encouraging that people want to know more about the church and are concerned about the future of the church. I plan on trying to write more about the church in the future.
- Finally, after 300 posts, let me say that WordPress and BlueHost have been great. I am thankful I chose Bluehost as a provider and WordPress as the platform. Wordpress is easy to use and works well. If you are thinking about blogging or getting a website, definitely consider them.
Once again thanks for joining me on the ride, whether it is for one post or all 300 I wouldn’t do this if you weren’t there!
