As bloggers we know it’s all about the page views. More page views mean more people are reading what we’re writing, which is kind of the point. It means being able to participate in exclusive ad networks, and more money. It means being in demand. It means we’ve succeeded.
For new bloggers it can be frustrating to work so hard and not see the rewards.
If you’re new to blogging, or have recently re-branded, or just aren’t seeing the growth you expected, I ask you to take a deep breath, put your expectations aside, and embrace your low page views.
There’s a lovely quote from Jon Acuff that makes the rounds every once in a while and I think it’s appropriate now:
Don’t compare your beginning to somebody else’s middle.
In other words, don’t get discouraged by bloggers who have hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of page views each month. For one thing, you can’t possibly know how much time, energy, and love they’ve poured into their blog, for however long they’ve been doing it. For another, they’re not you! Their journey is not the same as yours, so comparing yourself is a big waste of time.
Besides, there are some positives to having a low number of page views for the new blogger.
Learn everything you can. There’s a lot more to blogging than people think. I know that when I first started I thought I could just start writing and people would find me. Ummm… no. Not only will people not just find you, there’s a lot more to blogging than just writing. In my first year blogging I have learned about photography, social media, the ins and outs of a self-hosted blog, plug-ins, and even a bit of coding. If I’d had a blog that was mega successful right out of the gate, I wouldn’t have had the time to learn all that prior to being “discovered.”
Experiment. As you’re learning, you’re going to want to try out new things. That can be hard when you know that whatever you do is going to be seen by a lot of people. A big audience puts more pressure on you to get everything right, and even Thomas Edison knew that sometimes experiments are messy. In my early days I tried out different themes, series ideas, advertisements, affiliations, etc. Some worked, some didn’t. But I didn’t stress over it because half of the 20 people who were reading my blog were my close friends and family anyway.
Find your voice. Writing might be something you love to do, but finding your blogging voice may take some time. I know that personally I’ve rewritten many posts from my early days because it just doesn’t sound like the writer I’ve evolved into. A smaller audience gives you the freedom to find your blogger voice. Do you want to swear or not? Are you going to be a full paragraph person, or 1-2 sentences at a time? Do you want your blog to be conversational or formal? Take some time while your blog is small to see what feels most like you.
Slow growth is steady growth. Sure you could have a post go viral and “strike it rich” with tons of page views, but just like real viruses, viral posts eventually go away (usually). However, growing your audience slowly means your readers are more likely to remain your readers.
If you stick with it, keep learning and experimenting, and find your authentic voice, readers will come. Use this time to refine your craft and embrace your low page views.
What have/ did you find to be positives about having low page views as a blogger? Share in the comments.
