I have been noticing that over the last few months, readership seems to be down, not just on my blog but on many bloggers sites out there. Now I'm not sure what to contribute that to. Is it the new Google search BS that has been rocking the SEO world? Is it the fact that the content we are creating isn't "read" worthy? Is it just everyone on earth is just too busy? I don't have an answer.
But here is what I do know. I have quite a few people that come here, not just for my witty and entertaining posts, but for the access to other blogs over here on the right hand side with my Dogfaced Daily. This is my blogroll so to speak. I try to keep it as updated, diverse, and comprehensive as I possibly can. As such, I tend to deactivate any sites that haven't had any activity for more than 6 months. I know we are all busy and sometimes get in a rut but even I don't generally go more than 6 months without posting something on one of my blogs.
With that being said, I would like to encourage any one with a blog, any reader of this blog, or anyone in general to take a look at the blog roll over there. If there is a blog that you feel should be there, comment with the address and I will try to add it. If you used to see one and it has disappeared, let me know and I will check it and find out why. Also, add me to your blog lists if you don't mind. Follow my blog, this one or any of the others (although I don't post on the Garage much, if at all anymore...the actual garage kind of blew up). Also follow me on Twitter or whatever else I have linked to over there. I promise I won't bombard you with random tweets of what I am doing every waking moment of the day.
I am extremely appreciative of all of you that read my drivel on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. In one way or another, I think we are all dependent upon each other. This is a great community. I am very happy to be a part of it.
My pageview trends have been all over the place - near record highs some days, and then dropping off 50% a few days later. There doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason behind it, but I could be wrong.
ReplyDeleteMark, I added Battlin' Bucs to the blogroll over there. I thought it was already on there but I guess not. And I agree with you about the no rhyme or reason thing. I have experimented with posting everyday, every other day, once a week, or letting it sit for a while. It is really hard to gauge what is going to happen anymore. I used to be able to count on 400-500 page views in a week. Now, I'm lucky to break 200. I'm not going to stop though. Just curious.
DeleteLet's Go Bucs!!
I know I've told you this before but I check in multiple times a day to see if there are any new posts and to check the blog roll to catch up on the hobby news. I know I am reading the other blogs less because it seems like general boredom has set in. I really noticed it this year with Allen & Ginter, which used to be blogged about for weeks on end and I really enjoyed those post because I find Ginter interesting. This year the coverage seemed minimal to me, a few posts here and there but it used to be every blog. Since the vast majority of the blogs are baseball related I think Topps' monopoly has had a negative impact on the entire hobby. For a company to masterfully hold the hobby hostage in 2010 and 2011 with Strasburg and Harper I think they've done a terrible job with Puig. Releasing Topps Chrome and Bowman Chrome in the same week seems like a mistake to me. The four Puig Superfractors should be the biggest cards of the year and they all get released at the same time? This doesn't create a buzz or any momentum as they will get pulled, graded, and bought up to be re-released (as the Bowman Chrome Super Auto already has) within a week or two and then there's a lull again. There are so many distractions now (GTA V for me) I think a lot of those fringe collectors go away during these lulls and many don't come back.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I'm 85% incorrect, but that's my two cents!!
Wow! What a comment. That hit the nail on the head probably for many collectors out there. That general malaise that comes over us once in a while, those times that life takes over, the lack of product, the saturation of product...all these things play a roll in the disconnect sometimes. I think your take on the product releases and boredom with the stale products that are out there, especially in baseball, is very straight forward and honest. And yes...I know you check here for the other blog content. You aren't the only one. That's why I try to clean it up a few times a year. (your comment reminds me again why I keep telling you that you need your own blog)
DeleteGreat point, Nick. I know that traffic is down on many of the card forums I visit, and that would seem to hold true in the blog world as well. I've been blogging less than a year, but a lot of the blogs I started reading when I first started are dormant, and a lot of the reader comments I see on other blogs are from the same core group of readers.
ReplyDeleteI've all but lost interest in new products, and that definitely makes blogging harder. I have thousands and thousands of cards I could write about on the blog. But how many ways can you make a post about a Doug Drabek 1991 Donruss card be interesting? Or how many times can I write about Jose Guillen before readers come at me with pitchforks?
I haven't been around long enough to have any accurate comparison, but it seems like the blog community used to be far more active. I think we're in a vicious cycle where a lack of interesting products make it more difficult to come up with unique, creative content on a regular basis. But I think that also reflects larger hobby-wide trends where it seems that a lot of collectors are just taking their time and/or money and doing something else.
as someone who's been "writing" a blog for almost 6 years now... let me throw something else out there that may or may not be relevant.
ReplyDeleteFive or six years ago, there were about 75 sports card blogs. Four years ago there were 150. Two years ago around 260... Now I have close to 380 sports card blogs that I follow.
With respect to everyone.... there's only so much content that can be written about that's fresh and new. I see posts on newer blogs that are exact from older blogs five years ago... It was bound to happen. Our own success got the better of us.
I'm not saying there needs to be fewer blogs, but I know I now skim a lot on my dashboard because I see repetitive posts. And as we all know, there's only so many "Hey look what I bought!" posts one can handle in one day...
380!!?? Really? That many? I couldn't keep up. I try to read what's on the blog roll, another reason i look for new content. But there is no way i have that many linked. I guess fresh content is the key to building readership. Maybe that's my problem. I'm stale and generic. Oh well. I'm not about to change now. I just want everyone that comes looking for a jump off gets a good variety.
DeleteI started blogging cause my brother was blogging (dansotherworld.blogspot.com) (he still posts just not as frequently as I do) I was in the hobby as a kid and didnt buy a card for 15 years and came back. I've enjoyed it quite a bit and I learned to narrow my focus on collecting certain things. I go all in on Topps Chrome and try and pick off singles of other sets with the occassional box thrown in. What were we talking about again?
ReplyDeleteI don't know. I wasn't sure where you were taking that.
DeleteI actually did the same thing as Brad in 2008, had to narrow my focus because I was buying a little bit of everything. I came to that realization after I opened three blasters of Press Pass Football and realized they were basically worthless. I missed 1996-2002 due to school so when I got back into the "game" in 2003 it was an entirely different world. It took me a few years to realize I couldn't collect every set and I think I enjoy the hobby more now that I am only focused on a few sets and a single player instead of trying to put every set together and never feeling like I'm getting anywhere.
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