Funny, but you can never gauge how ‘popular’ a post is going to be!
I know that I will get more likes if I publish a photo of food or a flower and that any posts and photos about Little Monkey my dog will fall way under the radar.
That’s fine!
I long ago decided to Blog for Myself!
Yes, I realise that might be considered selfish, but you have to ask the question, “Why am I blogging?
For me the answer is a resounding FOR FUN!
I don’t expect to generate income from my blog, so I don’t need to worry about what is popular (thank goodness!)
And I figure, if I am not having fun, how can I expect any readers to enjoy themselves?
So, regardless of the statistics that WP is so fond of broadcasting to us, I post what I find interesting. If my Readers also enjoy it, all to the good. If not, no worries; I had fun writing my post.
I put a great deal of time and effort into many of my posts; editing photos and supplementing the text with links to other info. Still, none of this matters in the real world!
I am a small blog and my posts usually get around 50 likes; sometimes a little less, sometimes a little more.
My most popular post is (to me) a more boring post about afternoon tea, entitled Decadent High Tea. OK yes, the cakes did have gold leaf on them, but still – it’s tea and cake for Pete’s sake!
My dog posts usually fair the worst of all, in ratings.
So imagine my surprise on finding that a recent post A Shaggy Dog Story of my dog Little Monkey after her bath was now my second most popular post in January!
This is unheard of!
Decadent high Tea has 85 Likes
A Shaggy Dog Story is sitting at 82 Likes
Sooooo close!
Oh I’ve just now got to 84 Likes on Shaggy Dog! This is so exciting!
Further update.
Shaggy Dog has toppled High Tea and now stands as my Most Liked post at 90 Likes!
Whoa! Shaggy Dog is now at 95 Likes! What happened?
NEWSFLASH Shaggy Dog has reached 100 likes!
Final tally as of going to press: Shaggy Dog has 114 Likes!
Wow! This is great news. Little Monkey is overjoyed!
Hooray! 🙂
.
This poses further questions; such as why is the post still being liked many weeks after it was published? This is unusual for me, unless it is a topic that people might be expected to search for, such as Winter Solstice for example.
Perhaps WP has been putting my post out there, for some reason?
I have no idea. But Little Monkey and I are very grateful to each and every one of you who popped by and gave Shaggy Dog a Like.
Thank you!
I, for one, thoroughly enjoy dog posts. But I bet you knew that already. 😉
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hehe Thank you Sarah. Yeah I kinda guessed. 😀
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LM is lovely, I really like this photo. Making post is very consuming, I agree. Even post a couple of photos and a paragraph take me much time. But, I have learn how to from my blog friends. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your stories, Scifi!
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Thank you very much Amy 🙂
Yes it does take a long time to put a post together. I’ve also learnt a lot from the WP community 🙂
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LM looks great and I love that pic of her! That’s what I’d say to 100 😛
I do miss Mr. SL. We had matching beauty marks 😂🤣
It does amaze me what gets hits and what doesn’t. My top hitter was a how to read tarot cards…🤔
I am now trying to make money on mine… We’ll see…
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I remember and enjoyed your tarot cards post, but it’s weird how the Likes go!
Thanks for your nice comment about LM – a lucky click. 😀 And yeah I still miss the old boy SL.
And Good Luck with your new blog venture. 🙂
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It’s sure true that WP can get you bogged down in a numbers game if you let it…..
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Well we all like to get Likes 😀 But the trick is not to take any of it too seriously! 🙂
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agreed entirely..
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Love the photo of LM! You are so right about blogging being about having fun and that is always on display in your posts. I was hoping to write more when I began my blog, but have discovered that I enjoy the photography more. I’m glad LM is getting all the likes she deserves!
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Thank you very much 🙂
Yes I find my blog develops by itself – I also intended to be a mostly written blog when I started out!
I love your beautiful photos, so I’m happy you post them. 🙂
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🙂
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Send me a paw print before he gets too famous to bother with nobodies like me! 🙂
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hahaha That’s never gonna happen Tom! 😀
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Hahaha. Well, he doesn’t look a day over ninety! I started blogging as a way to deal with the death of my parents. I was adrift with no anchor. My sister and brother suggested I write for a larger audience. Hence, my blog. I write for me but I also write for you. I am inspired by the blogs that I read on a regular basis and I am intrigued by them. The ether provides me with my ideas and those that read my blog provide me with incentive.
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I’m sorry to hear of your reason for starting a blog, but I’m very happy that you do continue to post. I very much enjoy your daily quips, poetry and paintings 🙂
And it’s true, without the lovely interactions, blogging would be no fun at all.
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Yes its very strange really how the likes go. I get much less for a church post than I do if I do a black & white photo. But like you I really blog for me and I like churches, so I am quite happy if someone likes my churches 🙂 That’s a lovey photo of LM 🙂
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It is odd isn’t it? But I for one love your church posts, from the ancient ruins to the glorious stained glass windows! I also like your b/w photos and any dog pics! 😀
Blogging for fun for ourselves is what I think keeps our blogs going. 🙂
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I think sometimes people think churches are stuffy, but they are full of lovey interesting things and then the buildings are so special. So its worth doing even if only a few people, like you and me enjoy them 🙂 And yes blogging has to be fun, as you said, its a lot of hard work to get a post together…….so we must enjoy doing it 🙂 we will just keep on enjoying ourselves 🙂
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I always feel the history of an old building when I enter it and wonder who was there before and what their life was like all those decades/centuries ago.
Yep, let’s just keep on doing what we enjoy 🙂
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I love flowers and skies but I have always loved posts about your dogs 🙂 I never had a dog so I just pseudo adapted SL and LM from your posts 😀 It’s always uplifting feeling when I read about them, save some rough moments…btw congrats! It’s 115 likes now 😀
Lately things are getting weirder even for me ! I am getting likes from more unknown faces !! I was a bit confused but later I just didn’t care enough to think over it 😀
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Aw Thank you Ady 🙂 You are welcome to share in my dogs and I’ll share in your beautiful photography and stories. 🙂
This is it – the odd likes from complete strangers! It’s a first for me too! 🙂
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😀
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this dog means so much to you, I guess. Usually cat or dog posts get a lot of likes. I should get me a cat to get some likes:) Have a nice day. Kind regards Mitza
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Yes, LM is certainly a part of the family 🙂
Your beautiful photos are enough of a draw without cats, I would have thought 🙂
Happy Weekend 🙂
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Thanks, same to you. I can‘t stand this terrible frost here anymore, longing for the sun:)
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Trying to send you some sunbeams! 😀
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Hikers often tell each other, “Hike your own hike.” The same could be applied to our blogs, “Blog your own blog.” It is sometimes the opposite over here. My blog is primarily to promote my novels. On occasion one of our fuzzy little dogs gets featured. Those and pictures of The Child Bride’s flowers will usually get more “Likes” than the book promos. Keep treating us with LM’s photos. She is a sweetie and an important part of our “on-line pack.”
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Thank you Mike 🙂
Yes we all blog for different reasons, but I enjoy meeting other WP folks and sharing in their blogs. 🙂 I Do love your little dog!! 😀
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I have noticed on the reader that under your current post, WP shows a couple more posts from you that I might like. So maybe that is how others are seeing your Little Monkey 🙂
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Ah Thank you Laura 🙂 Yes I see WP does this, which is a good idea. 🙂
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LM actually stuck out the tongue!!🤣🤣Yes…I too blog for self…and Garfield…whoo hoo on you getting more likes😃😃
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hehe Yes this is an old photo of LM that I thought appropriate for today. 🙂
I enjoy reading your honest posts and fun cartoons that brighten up my day 🙂
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Thank you Sci for letting me know you enjoy my posts😃. It really brightens my day especially today as am in pain😣
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Of course GH. Hoping you;re feeling less painful now? 🙂
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I love reading about Little Monkey and love your photos! 🙂
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Thank you so much 😀
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Don’t let LM know about all those Likes — it might go to her head and cause her to act like a prima donna! 🙂
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hahaha Not old LM – she is very modest! 🙂
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I am in total agreement with your rationale for blogging but, interestingly, Posts about Ray will usually produce the higher stats! Of course that doesn’t stop me from sharing music or expressing my thoughts. My greatest pleasure comes from Bloggers who give me an insight into themselves and their lives, and I am pretty certain there are many others who would share that perspective.
My Blog has been active since late 2014, and my Likes will currently range in 20’s to 30’s,, with Comments in a similar range. Not exactly a “super-active” Blog …. but it gives so much pleasure and, only a few days ago, I was asked if I would provide an insight into Toronto as a fellow Blogger and her husband are emigrating here later this year! What more could I possibly want? Keep doing what you’re doing … and I will keep Following! 🙂
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Thank you Colin 🙂
I think this is it – if we enjoy ourselves, so will our readers. I have certainly enjoyed hearing all about Ray thro your blog. And I love the world wide aspect of blogging too. 🙂
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🙂
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I like the variety of your posts, plants, photos, or your dogs. My posts are lucky to get 20 -30 likes, but those about Mum, Maggie or poetry seem most popular. Like you, I blog for myself. It helps me relax, and I enjoy the challenges as I try to see something a little different if I can. Keep going! 🙂
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Thank you very much 🙂
Likewise I enjoy the variety of your posts, with stories, photos and poems, and learning many new things. You’re also a lot more prolific than me. 🙂
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Thank you. I’ve always been a bit ‘chatty’ on paper (or screen)
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haha That is one of the things that make your posts so readable. 🙂
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😀
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I still think of the longest letter I ever wrote………. 67 sides to a guy in the army!
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haha Yes! 🙂
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Blogging for yourself is the best thing ever 🙂 and LM is gorgeous!!!
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haha Thank you very much 😀
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He’s so handsome! Love the tongue out! What’s his actual age? Looks like he’s in pretty good shape! ❤️👍🐕
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haha Thank you very much. 🙂
LM is 10 and a half in this photo, which is an old one. She’s actually 12 and a half now and just starting to slow down a little! 🙂
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Sorry gender goof! So gorgeous! Hope she has quite a few more! Canines that live 12, 14, 16 year’s are the wonderful exception! ❤️
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No worries – I thought she was male myself when I saw her in the rescue centre! 🙂
Yes, I was hoping LM would make 15 – but we’ll see!
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❤️👍😘🐕🐩🐶
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🙂
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