As all bloggers know, we need readers. We craft our words carefully, sitting hours before our keyboards late at night, early in the morning, and all crazy hours in between. We write in between work, household chores, minding children, paying bills. We toil away at our words. Finally, when each blog is done, polished, spell-checked, ready for public review, we click Publish, and wait. We wait for our words to come to life in the eyes of our readers.
I have many regular, loyal readers, and I treasure and appreciate each one. But that was not always the case. When my blog was still a baby blog, my readership was sporadic, often disappointing. As a shy baby blogger, I wasn’t hip to recruiting readers. Until the Group of Four came along. Yep, my very own little 4G network. I’m not sure which one I met first. I believe it was Techy, of Working Tech Mom who very kindly added me to her Blogroll. Blogroll? I didn’t know there was a Blogroll. Then came Margaret of Conjuring my Muse, Zahara of Earthquakes and Rattlesnakes, and Mark of The Idiot Speaketh. Since then these four have been loyal blogger-readers, commenters, and all-around blogging buddies, as I try to be to them. Even if
I write a fairly ho-hum post [which hardly ever happens I’m sure 😉 ] I can count on someone from my 4G network to chime in, to be there to support me.
Who is your Group of Four? Who do you count on to help your writing come to life?
(Images courtesy of Google)
Huffygirl's Blog 
Awwwww, I am honored and in good company! Love your blog.
Thanks Zahara. I love yours too. How’s school BTW – almost done?
School’s great. Semester is more than half over. As you know I just heard from the first of the three nursing schools to which I applied. I’ve been working on my prerequisites for 4 years now. All nursing programs around here are impacted, which is why I’m so relieved to have one “for sure”.
I must be old – I don’t remember 4 years of prerequisites when I went to nursing school. Congrats on getting in – sounds like you’re ready.
Great post! You are so right. I was all over the place, readership wise, until a small core group of ladies really stuck with me. Sure enough, their readers started coming over, I went over to their readers, and things just started growing. It’s almost funny now…it’s like a whole huge series of inter-connected families….. Honestly, these days it seems that it is rare to get a new reader who just stumbled upon the blog……they all seem to comment that they came from “so and so’s” blog…..
It’s so true. When I first started blogging, someone told me that the way to get readers was to read other people’s blogs. Well at first I didn’t read that many, because there’s so many – where do you start? And then I met you four. Now I’m finding the same as you – new readers came from other people’s blogs or from clicking on commenter’s blogs.
I need a core group of 4. Want to be one of mine? 🙂
Hey, I found Redneck Princess off someone elses blog and I see she liked your post, so she must have found you via me? Even if it’s not true, I’ll take the credit! So, does that make it a core group of 5 with me being the 5th person? ha!
We’re all so intertwined like roots of a plant! One person finds someone via another source, be it a blogger’s blog role, or comment area…or via blog directories. Once one of us developes a rapore, you can see that “new” person pulled into how we all know each other. think about all the sites you’ve been and all the comments and such.
Sandi
http://www.ahhsome.wordpress.com
I think the comments are a great way to meet other bloggers. I always visit the blog of anyone who comments on mine, and have met some great blogs that way. Looks like you’ve got your own blogging community started in full swing on your blog. I hope other readers here will check it out.
Sandi, I really like your blog. You are very creative. I just subscribed 🙂
Good for you Sandi!
Huffy, right back at ya. I was in the same boat until I met you and Techy and Z. I think it’s time Mark and I get acquainted. Every time I see his gravatar pic (or whatever the heck it’s called), I dream of pastrami sandwiches. 🙂
Isn’t that funny? I thought you, Techy, Z and Mark were already buddies. How did it happen that we all met up anyway? Whatever it was, I’m glad we did.
Like you, I’m not sure who I met first. But I found everyone else through that first person’s blogroll and comments. Very glad we all met.
As am I. At first I didn’t know I could have a blogroll until Techy added me to hers. As you know, I’m not as technically-oriented as you and Techy are. I think I’m going to start paying more attention to my blogroll and update it more often. As we’ve found out it’s a great way to meet other bloggers and promote other bloggers.
I have only been blogging for 6 months and like your early days my readers are slow to subscribe, read regularly, and comment. My Group of Four include a couple dear friends Tracey and Smita, Laurie – known as holessence, and you. Thanks, and I try to read most if not all of those of you who are also my readers.
Thanks Ann. I probably should have changed my title to Group of Seven, since I met you, Sandra and Sandi, all of whom have become treasured regulars. But then I couldn’t have capitalized on the 4G network thing in my post.
Besides having the Group of Four, what really helped me get launched was being featured on Freshly Pressed. Of course, you can’t really do anything to achieve that, other than write well and creatively, and hope that you’re noticed among the thousands of other WordPress blogs.
I am not a techy person either and find it difficult to know all the things I need to do and how to do them. You have to have REALLY HIGH VOLUME in order to get on Freshly Pressed and I am FAR FROM it.
Does anyone else find it difficult to keep up with reading all the other blogs we subscribe to? Even though I am currently not working 😦 I find it difficult to read everything including blogs and books with everything else going on in my life. I keep busy without having a job and know that much of what I currently do will cease when I have a job again!!!
Part of why I limit myself to the few blogs that I read, even though there are hundreds of great ones out there, is that it is hard to keep up. Especially since WP started this Post a day thing. Some of the blogs I normally read that were blogging 1-3 times a week are now doing seven. I don’t want to bail out on the ones I’m loyal too, but sometimes it’s too much. Sometimes I end up clicking “like” instead of commenting, just because I don’t have time to commment on them all, but want to continue to show my support.
I don’t know how others do it. Mark of the Idiot Speaketh says he gets over 1,000 views a day. Even if only some of them comment, that’s a lot of comments to respond to, and I see he does respond to them all. It would probably be interesting to do a post about reading, commenting and subscribing to blogs and how do people manage it. I’ll leave that one to you since you posed the question, and maybe you’ll get such a response that you’ll be featured on FP!
It is so great to meet others this way, get to know each other, and become friends.
I agree with you. I can’t read everything but sure do try to keep up best I can. I need to use the Like button more often.
Maybe I should write my blog tonight about this 🙂
I’ll look forward to reading it whenever you get it done. This could be quite a topid – maybe even a two-parter!
he he he!!!
🙂
You are on my blogroll. I think I found you from my daughter’s blog (mypajamadays) or Freshly Pressed, but I’m happy I did. I’ve been blogging since last August, but I haven’t managed to increase my readership. I have a small group of readers who are personal friends and family mostly who read fairly constantly. I do have one or two bloggers who comment once in awhile. I just keep plugging along, hoping one day I’ll entice some outside readers.
Thank you Comingeast! You reminded me that I really needed to update my blogroll. I’ve added you and a few other regular commenters and blogs I like. Don’t know if it will help or not, but you’ll be able to tell by your incoming links if it does.
Keep plugging away. My readership is still pretty modest compared to many. As I’ve mentioned to others, the things that helped me were being FP’d, commenting on other’s blogs and having regular reader/commenters like my G4 (actually G7) group.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for adding me to your blogroll! I’m glad to be one of the G7!
You’re very welcome. I hope it helps.
Pingback: Blogs…Readers, Comments, Subscribers « Ann Marquette
Thanks for the pingback.
Hey there Huffygirl! I am honoured and blessed to know you. Thanks for the mention as I truly feel enriched when reading your blog.
I have been blogging the last two weeks, but not reading much since I am in full job search mode – and vacation mode. Trying to catch up with some friends I can’t see when working too much, and all time online doing research for job interviews. I decided to spend time this week catching up and your blog is putting a smile on my face. (that will look good in my interview this afternoon)
go G4. (cool image)
Thanks so much for your kind thoughts. I missed you and I’m glad you’re back. Good luck on your interview today G4 friend!