Blogging: Page Views and Money Talk Part One

Posted: September 7, 2011 at 7:00 am

I have a bit of fear publishing a post diving into such topics as page views, money, and blogging…from a personal perspective, no less. You know me, though - touchy topic and I’ll suck it up and jump right in. Mainly in the hopes of opening up some good discussion and giving you a glimpse into my perspective on blogging and why I emphasize what I do.

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super attractive action shot of me writing this very post

At the Healthy Living Summit conference, Ashley from the blog Coffee Cake and Cardio asked Lisa, Janetha, Beth, and I if we could give any specifics related to our blogging. I will own up to feeling like a deer caught in headlights in that moment.

I imagine that moment is when this picture was taken. Winking smile

After some adequate time to think and mull this all over, I now have a lot I can discuss. So, let’s get the ball rolling!

In the discussion, I brought up that I have some blogging related goals. I don’t think I have ever shied away from the fact that I make a small amount of income from the blog. When I set out to start blogging, I did not have it in mind to earn a cent from this little hobby. I didn’t even know you could! I simply loved sharing my life and having a place to ramble about fitness with other like minded people.

With more time, I fell more in love with blogging, putting my story out there, and connecting with others. I signed up for BlogHer when they offered me a spot in their publishing network because I figured “why not”.

With time, I realized that this blogging venture could be something amazing for myself, as it continuously helps me grow as a person, and also for my family, giving me the opportunity to help support my family (even the smallest bit) financially in a flexible way that still allows me to be a mom first

I have goals to see my blog grow and develop for a few other reasons too:

  • it will work in conjunction well with other goals I have (personal training)
  • I truly believe God put blogging on my heart and that I’m meant to do it at this time in my life

As I blogged, time passed and this happened…

image_thumb8_thumb

My little baby blog began to grow little bit by wee little bit and then hit steady increases in readership since April or May of this year. I won’t go into specifics, but I can tell you that my readership has increased 500% in the past year. You can decide if you think that means going from 100 to 500 page views a day or 100,000 to 500,000 a day. Although I can tell you right now it’s not even close to the latter. Haha! I laugh at the thought of that ever happening. Winking smile

I think people have a skewed impression of my blog’s reach. In fact, I know some do. After some discussions with a few other bloggers, my thoughts were confirmed that people think I have a much larger readership than I do. I’m okay with that. Do you know why?

While I do have goals for my blog, I do not emphasize the numbers. I value the relationships, living out my passion, and sharing my story. I allow those things to grow my blog as they will in a natural way.

I only really keep track of my blog’s readership, so I can:

  • know what works and what doesn’t in my blog’s layout
  • understand the content you value most as a reader
  • have accurate information to give companies who request the information
  • see what ventures outside of writing my own posts most effectively use my time

Page views, subscribers, and my paycheck are never the goal for my blog.

Despite not coming close to comparing to some other bloggers’ statistics out there, I have found opportunities through blogging outside the publishing network via review programs and sponsorship opportunities. I cannot emphasize enough that I think these come because my goals for the blog lie in being real and building relationships.

Companies will work with me because they know I will work hard and that you and I have a bond *likethis*. They can see I care about what I share and how much I love you all. They notice the community I strive to create here in FFF-land as I hopefully encourage you while you motivate and inspire the heck out of me in return.

I think (and hope) my determination to keep this blog a place of positive community makes an impact – it may not always show up the highest page views, but it does show up in trust and connection. That’s what matters to me and what helps my blog reach expand. That is why I don’t get caught up and put too much time into the numbers game when it comes to blogging. I know I can only do what I do and then I have to trust God to take it where it is meant to go and reach just who it should reach.

I always say money (and with money, page views and all other related numbers) can't be the motivator behind blogging. I ask myself - if I wouldn't make a cent off my blog...would I still do it? And if that answer ever becomes "no", I will stop. Plain and simple.

I honestly blog because it is my passion and something I feel I need to do. This quote about sums it up for me:

quote

I quite literally cannot go a day without thinking about FFF and you all.

That's my passion in blogging...that's why I do it. The passion. The connections. The deep down in my gut feeling of rightness. The fact that it can lead to opportunities to help support my family just acts as icing on the cake.

I never view you as page views, subscribers, or clicks to spike my checking account. I love YOU for reading. For supporting. For showing me I can trust God and His plans. For helping me to grow as a person day in and day out. Thank you for reading. I look forward to continuing this discussion in a post later this week or next that will focus on why I think my page views increased and more specifics in the goals I set for my blog. I hope you stay tuned!

  • What is something you can’t go a day without thinking about?
  • Do you have anything you want me to discuss in the next post?

And if interested in learning more about money and blogging - Katy has already done a wonderful post on different ways to earn revenue,

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98 Comments to “Blogging: Page Views and Money Talk Part One”
  1. Great post, Tina! Your truly caring about FFF and your readers is very apparent. I started blogging as an outlet when things on the O2 site started getting a lil weird. I missed the friendships I had there and also getting things off of my chest. Writing and getting feedback has been a tremendous help to me, especially since starting the blog. It’s been my own form of therapy, I guess you could say. Starting my blog was never about money or page views, but just allowing me to share my story because I know there are others battling the same issues as me. My blog is constantly on my mind, as is baking AND health & wellness. I’m thinking of making a big jump in the very near future in order to be able to incorporate it all b/c I just can’t seem to shake the feeling that I am meant to do more in my life, in the way of helping others, making them smile and guiding them towards better health. Keep up the great work…and continue to be YOU!

  2. Trisha says:

    Great post! This is something I think about a lot. Not because I get any money for blogging or have a lot of readers. But I truly want to always blog because I love it and I love teaching people…not because it is something I am “popular” for or feel like I have to.

  3. Ela says:

    I love that you’re talking about this! It’s really inspiring to me that you are making it so big, and are willing to talk about the process.

    I love my blog too, and treasure each and every comment that comes through it. And I definitely want to make it bigger and better, but am never quite sure how to do it. When you’re straddling two or three different potential audiences, it can be a tricky juggle, I’m finding. Maybe better to focus on just one and make the other subsidiary, but I can’t do that easily.

    My creative writing is something I can’t go a day without thinking about, but it often takes many days to come up with something remotely presentable!

  4. Thank you for posting about this! I also make a tad bit of money from my blog, but for me, it’s never been about money. I love my blog, even with it being as small as it is, and I definitely don’t continue writing for the money (believe me, I don’t make nearly enough for that to be a reason to continue blogging). I only started keeping track of numbers because of the blog makeover I received from Katy + Jess last year for their Fitbloggin’ presentation. Although I do look at my readership, it’s still not a huge concern to me. Most of my readers are friends and family and just hearing from them how much they love my blog makes me happy.

    It’s nice to hear a bigger blog’s (I know you think your blog isn’t large, but it is much larger than mine) perspective on why they blog – I like that you’re in it for the community. I think that’s what makes your blog so wonderful! You really care about what we are reading and taking from your blog. I look up to you more than anyone one in blogging – you are my blogging idol! I can only hope that my blog will be anything like yours someday! And it still makes me squeal that you actually read MY blog!

    • Birce says:

      / Ich hab Roberts Eintrag gelesen, lese da eilngteich eh te4glich. Da hat sich das ffcr dich ja rundherum gelohnt. Ich schaff’s so schon auf gut 100 Besucher te4glich, aber ne Steigerung ist immer gut. . Bin schon sehr gespannt, was das bringt. Und vor allem eben auch ob es langfristig was bringt.

  5. Tina, I absolutely love this post! What a great topic to cover and I greatly appreciate your openness to discuss this. I too love sharing information and even after blogging for two years, I still have a hard time figuring out which posts people benefit from the most. It is fascinating to look at stats and see what people are interested in and are learning the most from.

  6. you read my mind. you were seriously on my to-do list to email you about this very topic! no lie!!!! thank you for being open about this…I still may email you soon!

  7. Although you may have been hesitant talking about this subject, it is actually one of the only ones i have read through start to finish (most of them i cant help but skim) but your i was hooked because i can relate so much to you. Sometimes i think it’s crazy that blogging can become a job for some people.. they get so many hits a day but so much of “who they are” starts to fade. I would much rather make a few bucks a month and produce posts that people feel uplifted and inspired by, in their own lives (like i find your posts do), than to simple reach a blog ‘celebrity’ status but i never feel connected to them. Blogging should always feel transparent between the author and the reader..there should never be an ego attached. basically your approach inspires me and your mindset is exactly the one i want to maintain. you are amazing!!! <3 <3

    xoxo

    • Tina says:

      Hey – skimming is the way a lot of blogging is meant to be done so I completely understand! 😉

      Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts! I 100% agree with them and that’s why I approach blogging as I do. I want quality here on FFF. From inspirational to fun, I love a variety, but still QUALITY. And that quality comes in how I view and treat the friendships I build through blogging.

  8. Great post! Lately, I’ve been seeing such wonderful blogs actually discussing blogging that I’ve been inspired to self-host and possibly (hopefully) find some sponsorship. I’m a wimp though, so it may not happen. I’m at least inspired though!

  9. […] I have to say that you all crack me up! Here I go taking the time to write a thoughtful post on blogging numbers and then you all get riled up on my post about sports bras! This is why I love blogging as I do. I […]

  10. I love that blogging and pageviews is getting more playtime since the HLS! It’s a great topic and can be inspiring:)

  11. Kate @ The Pasta Free Runner says:

    Tina, this is such a great post! I love the question you ask yourself, if you would still love blogging if you didn’t make a penny from it. It is such a great way to keep yourself in check! Thank you for such an honest and open post!

  12. Dani says:

    Thanks for addressing this! I hope you do get to that latter number one day 😉

  13. This is a great post Tina! I love how honest and humble you are. I think you’re completely right- God led you in this direction and I am thankful to Him and to you for giving me as a reader motivation and positive influence every day!

  14. LOVE that quote and thanks for sharing!!!

  15. B n B says:

    That quote is perfect, but I hope not too “romanticized”.

    Love your passion. I’m glad you haven’t been affected by negative forums out there that are bashing a lot of bloggers. It’s extremely hurtful and painful – and disgusting. I believe a lot of those bloggers that get the big page views are actually getting it from places like these sadly.

  16. Hi Tina

    I have to admit I do get angst-y about my page-view numbers. I don’t make any money from my blog (and think because I have a wordpress site I can’t join BlogHer) but for me it is a bit about performance anxiety… and the old perfectionism creeping in.

    I have very low numbers of hits (though more than the 1-2/week I had when I didn’t post daily or promote via Twitter… which I still find hard!) but on the lower-hit days I worry that my post was boring, or badly-written etc.

    I do love writing, write from the heart and overshare a tad… so my blog posts are still ‘all about me’ but I must confess I do get some joy from knowing that others are reading what I write.

    Deb

  17. Thank you for sharing your thoughts here. I can find myself on occasion being discouraged because my blog isn’t as “popular.” I lived that life in school, of being self-conscious about myself and I don’t want to allow blogging to turn into that for me as well. I want to stay confident as well as true to my blogging. This post is a reminder of that for me. Thank you!

  18. […] came across this quote on an awesome blog and immediately fell in love with it because of just how much it resonated with me!  Given my […]

  19. […] am more than thrilled with the paths and direction my blog has taken since then, but deep down I know that the faith aspect can sometimes impact my blog. I know there are people […]

  20. hillary says:

    love that “never give up,,,” quote! great perspective. i am going to remember that one 🙂

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