Geez - I hope using "justify center" everywhere and place white text on a navy background aren't some of those great tips on writing we all should follow.
Good illustration of how a lousy design/presentation fouls what might be great content (I really couldn't force myself to read long enough to find out).
TDavid
· 3 years ago
Actually that's not 43 folders with the tips, that's renowned author Elmore Leonard with the tips. And Brian Sullivan (rightly) above calling out the odd centered text. Somehow I'm guessing that wasn't Mr. Leonard's doing.
Brad Isaac
· 3 years ago
Hey,
He's remaining "invisible" by hurting your eyes so much you can't see him ;)
Jason Pettus
· 3 years ago
Well, that second question answers the first, doesn't it? That's what I answer as well, whenever someone asks me the same question - "If you want to increase traffic, write something that people actually want to read." That's the beauty of blogging, in my opinion, that it's literally no more complicated than that.
Henry
· 3 years ago
Great tips! Oh wait, forget that exclamation point! Whoops. Speaking of traffic, have you any idea if '17 views' in the Blog Stats in WordPress means unique visitors or rather page views?
polizeros
· 3 years ago
The best way to get traffic is to have content people keep coming back to. And to know your audience.
Mike
· 3 years ago
I agree that's the wrong question. The real question is, "how much valuable content are you ready to give away for free?"
Brad Fitzpatrick
· 3 years ago
Granted, I'm far from being the best writer in the world, (that's why I draw pictures for a living) but aren't some of the best blogs the one's that sound like someone's speaking directly to you in an every day voice? A conversational tone? I think those tips are great for article, essay, and book writing, but I'm not so sure for your average bloggers should get too hung up 'em. I like the "real" factor... so if that means breaking some of the rules, so be it.
Grammer Shmammer. :)
Bob Ackman
· 3 years ago
It helps to be an insider at a company lots of people are interested in. I'm pretty sure people don't read this blog for the meticulously crafted prose.
Guy Pelletier
· 3 years ago
Bob, I read this for the wit and banter, occasionally Robert leaks out some good stuff that I have not been able to find anywhere else. Besides, when scoble posts you can be certain that somebody will like it and somebody will hate it!
Jake
· 3 years ago
"The best way to get traffic is to have content people keep coming back to. And to know your audience. " from bobmorris and "I agree that’s the wrong question. The real question is, “how much valuable content are you ready to give away for free?” " from Mike Those two comments hit the nail on the head here. Constant fresh content that is worth reading to a number of people are what bring the traffic. My personal blog has rather low traffic, but the content is not designed for a high traffic. The other blog I am a part of, I have noticed the traffic going to it depends on one major thing: frequency of updates. The more we post to it - the more people who come back to visit and link it, thereby increasing the traffic. -Jake
Aaron Pratt
· 3 years ago
I get a kick out of mindless content bloggers, their advice is always “add good content” like content is some sort of dish to feed search engine robots.
I am also finding in my humble weenie blogs that “traffic” is directly related to my level of passion. The only other thing you need are friends, go out there and introduce yourself, links are important.
JTony
· 3 years ago
I'm way down on the U list somewhere, I'd guess, and I think that blogs are NOT about the traffic. Blogs are about getting your words and pictures out to other people who will find them interesting. Depending on the topic of your blog, that may be a huge number of people, or it may be just a few.
What I hate about all of these "Blogs are about X" ideas is that they are all wrong because they look at blogs too narrowly. Blogs are like Books. You can't say "Books are about X" (unless X = Reading... and then you still have wordless picture books to explain).
The only blogs that are about traffic are the ones that are in it more for the cash than the content. These would be things like single company marketing blogs, and blogs that rely heavily on their advertising for income (and the best of them still value content over the cash because they know that the content is what got them the the point they could make money in the first place).
I totally agree with Aaron above. If you have passion in what you're putting out there, there will be people who want to see it. If you want them to see it, then by all means, get out there and schmooze, but remember that you're schmoozing to get the content OUT, not bring the readers/viewers/searchbots IN.
Serge Lescouarnec
· 3 years ago
Well, I think Brian has a point, Steve's post was a little contradictory. I guess it is no fun to write and not being read. I think patience, decent topics, a little humour and regular postings get you an audience. For example my contributions over the past few months to Wine Blogging Wednesday has brought me a number of readers (next one on March 8 is on Rhone and Rhone style wines). Another recent post on Artichokes was an add on to a piece from Elise on Simply Recipes proved also popular. On a final note, to start with you have to enjoy writing.
You make missing a flight sound like it's not a big deal ;-) I wish I had someone paying for my airfare. sigh. I once slept in on the day of my flight and nearly crapped my pants when I saw the time, but I made it cause the flight was delayed.
dewitte
· 3 years ago
In looking over a number of non-technical blogs, I have to think that there is a certain theraputic value to blogging. I see stories of day to day activities, essentially a diary - and writing these down must provide some closure to the days' activities. In analyzing my own blog, I'm essentially keeping a warehouse of facts and sites and even "how-to's" that I refer to more often myself as I don't see that many visitors.
Scott Gentzen
· 3 years ago
It's been said in some of the other comments I think but...
I was a blogging birds-of-a-feather type session (at a certain little conference in Orlando in January) and a similar question came up. The answer stuck with me...it was something like "we don't need more readers, we need more writers."
That's the main thing I took from the discussion. If your writing gives people a reason to want to come back and keep reading, they will. You can promote yourself all over the place and you're not going to keep your traffic consistent.
Of course, knowing that is easier than doing it as my blog is evidence of. I'm not really worried about promotion though. When I find my voice, if it turns out to be interesting, I'll get the hits. If I don't, no big deal.
Ed Kohler
· 3 years ago
It wouldn't hurt for bloggers worrying about traffic spent more time worrying about creating content that readers may find valuable.
Consistent posting seems to help, which seems odd to me since I tend to read blogs through Bloglines so get around to reading what a blogger has to say when they get around to saying something.
Ambrand
· 3 years ago
Q. how do you get traffic? A. increase your incoming links, even leaving aside Googles PR, having more incoming links is likely to attract more human visitors. Now the question is how do you get people to link to you? Well write good content, and it just happens!
Brian
· 3 years ago
"Just write good content, and the links just happen!"
Some people benefit from a little help and guidance. There's an entire business sector called the "publishing industry" you might want to check out.
/pd
· 3 years ago
Why should my content be good for others ?? And why the heck would I want traffic ??
pigeonblog
· 3 years ago
I think my blog's quite good - for a pigeon. Love to know what you think. Kind regards Brian Pigeon www.pigeonblog.wordpress.com
All Comments
Did you actually follow the links to here:
http://www.elmoreleonard.com/index.php?/forums/...
to see those 10 tips?
Good illustration of how a lousy design/presentation fouls what might be great content (I really couldn't force myself to read long enough to find out).
He's remaining "invisible" by hurting your eyes so much you can't see him ;)
Grammer Shmammer. :)
I read this for the wit and banter, occasionally Robert leaks out some good stuff that I have not been able to find anywhere else. Besides, when scoble posts you can be certain that somebody will like it and somebody will hate it!
"I agree that’s the wrong question. The real question is, “how much valuable content are you ready to give away for free?” " from Mike
Those two comments hit the nail on the head here. Constant fresh content that is worth reading to a number of people are what bring the traffic. My personal blog has rather low traffic, but the content is not designed for a high traffic. The other blog I am a part of, I have noticed the traffic going to it depends on one major thing: frequency of updates. The more we post to it - the more people who come back to visit and link it, thereby increasing the traffic.
-Jake
I am also finding in my humble weenie blogs that “traffic” is directly related to my level of passion. The only other thing you need are friends, go out there and introduce yourself, links are important.
What I hate about all of these "Blogs are about X" ideas is that they are all wrong because they look at blogs too narrowly. Blogs are like Books. You can't say "Books are about X" (unless X = Reading... and then you still have wordless picture books to explain).
The only blogs that are about traffic are the ones that are in it more for the cash than the content. These would be things like single company marketing blogs, and blogs that rely heavily on their advertising for income (and the best of them still value content over the cash because they know that the content is what got them the the point they could make money in the first place).
I totally agree with Aaron above. If you have passion in what you're putting out there, there will be people who want to see it. If you want them to see it, then by all means, get out there and schmooze, but remember that you're schmoozing to get the content OUT, not bring the readers/viewers/searchbots IN.
I guess it is no fun to write and not being read. I think patience, decent topics, a little humour and regular postings get you an audience.
For example my contributions over the past few months to Wine Blogging Wednesday has brought me a number of readers (next one on March 8 is on Rhone and Rhone style wines).
Another recent post on Artichokes was an add on to a piece from Elise on Simply Recipes proved also popular.
On a final note, to start with you have to enjoy writing.
Serge
http://www.njconcierges.com
Blog:
http://sergetheconcierge.typepad.com
I was a blogging birds-of-a-feather type session (at a certain little conference in Orlando in January) and a similar question came up. The answer stuck with me...it was something like "we don't need more readers, we need more writers."
That's the main thing I took from the discussion. If your writing gives people a reason to want to come back and keep reading, they will. You can promote yourself all over the place and you're not going to keep your traffic consistent.
Of course, knowing that is easier than doing it as my blog is evidence of. I'm not really worried about promotion though. When I find my voice, if it turns out to be interesting, I'll get the hits. If I don't, no big deal.
Consistent posting seems to help, which seems odd to me since I tend to read blogs through Bloglines so get around to reading what a blogger has to say when they get around to saying something.
A. increase your incoming links, even leaving aside Googles PR, having more incoming links is likely to attract more human visitors. Now the question is how do you get people to link to you? Well write good content, and it just happens!
Some people benefit from a little help and guidance. There's an entire business sector called the "publishing industry" you might want to check out.
Love to know what you think.
Kind regards
Brian Pigeon
www.pigeonblog.wordpress.com