Blogging statistics. Those annoying yet useful numbers associated with your blog page views, readers and social media accounts.
I have gone through periods where I ignore them altogether, then times when I’m trying to “boost” those stats and obsessively check them once an hour. I also check out other bloggers’ stats and play the comparison game. I either smugly note that I am above so-and-so with such-and-such stats or want to cry because why does that blogger have more followers than me? What’s she got that I don’t? Why don’t people like me???
Both ends of the spectrum are obviously bad. We don’t want to start thinking we are better than anyone and we also don’t want to get down on ourselves for having low numbers. We shouldn’t judge our value as a blogger and as a person based on some silly stats.
But how do we know if we are getting better?
How should we keep track of these numbers for advertisers and brands?
Since stats are necessary as a benchmark for ourselves and many companies that you will work with as a blogger will want to know your stats, unfortunately we have to look at them from time to time.
As with anything in life, a balance must be struck. In this case it is between the obsessing over stats and ignoring them altogether. Here are some tips and thought processes that have helped me get in the right frame of mind (and be less stressed and actually have FUN) when it comes to blogging stats.
How to Keep Blogging Statistics in Perspective
…so that you can relax and enjoy your blog and readers!!
1. Be realistic—these numbers have nothing to do with you as a person. Each and every one of us has something unique to offer the world. The biggest challenge is finding out what that is, harnessing it, and sharing it. Even if we are able to master all of these things, those benefitting don’t necessarily have to visit our blog or follow us on social media. You have worth outside of your blog!!
2. There is life outside of the World Wide Web! Shocking, right? You don’t need to spend all of your time and energy online trying to achieve the best stats. It should be part of your goal as a blogger, but not the whole goal. Try to be present when you are with people in real life instead of scrolling through your Instagram feed. You never know if the person in front of you is a reader!
3. The numbers should be part of the goal as a blogger, but not the whole goal. Tracking stats should not be the bane of your existence. Yes, at times it helps to notice what works and what doesn’t work, but don’t forget why you started your blog in the first place. Likely it wasn’t to get more Twitter followers.
4. Whether we like it or not, comparison is a part of life. We need to accept this. How would athletes break records without something to strive towards? How would you know this is the best burger of your life without comparing it to past dining experiences? I know, I know, “what about the quote ‘comparison is the thief of joy?’” In my opinion, the quote is talking about obsessively comparing yourself to others. It’s okay to notice how well a peer is doing or how yummy a person’s cookies taste or how amazing a fellow blogger’s photography is…just don’t beat yourself up over it.
Instead congratulate your peers on their accomplishments and learn from them.
5. Compare YOU to YOU. We can’t obsessively compare ourselves to a peer because we are not that person. You can only be as good as your best, so look to others for inspiration, not an end goal. Try to compare your present to your past.
[ Original image from Picmonkey (<-affiliate link) ]
Am I better today than I was yesterday?
How can I improve upon my last accomplishment?
6. Write things down. Put this into real practice. Keep track of numbers you want to improve. Instead of just wondering how far you’ve come on your Pinterest following, check out your handy spreadsheet to see how much you’ve increased in the past couple of months. You will probably be delightfully surprised that you are in fact improving over time! (If anyone wants more information on what exactly I keep track of and how I do it, let me know in the comments!)
[Tweet “It’s You vs You! How to Keep Blogging Stats in Perspective. #blogging #selflove”]
I won’t lie and tell you I am always perfect at following my own advice. I will say, however, that I am at my happiest when I can celebrate how far I personally have come! Since these numbers are a part of the blogging thing, let’s embrace them, shall we?
I’m no expert on growing numbers, but I have learned a few things that help if anyone is interested in a post on this! Let me know!
Tell me…
How often do you look at your blogging statistics? Be honest!
What is one thing you’ve done to be a happier blogger?
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Oh lawdy! Hmm. I would say it ebbs and it flows. I may check more frequently but I don’t make any judgments on daily stats. I keep it in check at monthly. I may look at a weekly stat and say “wow, I had a good (or bad) week but then I drop it. Very rarely do I compare myself to other bloggers because there are too many variables. I will look at engagement with bloggers and their readers. If I see a blogger with good engagement, I might peak around their site/social media to see how they are doing things. I also know there are certain things I can do to get my numbers up but they don’t feel authentic for me. I have made peace with that or am trying to do it my way. That all said, summer has been slow by me and I am not going to lie…it stings.
I think summer is always slow for blogs, right? Most people are out enjoying the weather and don’t necessarily want to be stuck behind a computer. That’s my grasp on it anyhow. 🙂
This is great Amanda! You know I am honest with you, and yes, I do follow my stats, and it does bother me when I spend a lot of time on a post, and it receives little interest or comments. I do not compare to others though, thankfully I do not know how. I think you are right, but like everything else, it is good in moderation…as long as we do not obsess over it.
I hear ya girl! That’s the WORST when you pour your heart and soul into a post and then there are crickets. Sometimes there’s no telling why a certain post does better than others, but hopefully it all evens out! And hopefully YOU were happy enough with your content that it doesn’t matter so much. 🙂
Bloggers are so much more than their number 🙂
Amen to that, Linda! Thank you!!
I had to read that last line a few times, I thought you were asking how I was a “hippie” blogger.
I’ll admit that most of the numbers stuff behind the scenes on my blog is over my head… doesn’t mean I’m not trying to learn, but luckily it’s hard to obsess when you don’t really know what’s going on 🙂
hahaha are you a hippie blogger??
And yes, it really is hard to obsess if you don’t get it, but pretty much bigger numbers are better than little numbers. 😉 😉
I don’t look at my stats that often. When I do, I just like to look at the monthly stats to see how I’ve improved. That’s kind of fun!
To be a happier blogger, and actually enjoy blogging, I do it for me. I ignore all of the advice about posting and just go with what makes me happy. Honestly, if I didn’t have a single reader, I’d still be happy with my little space on the web.
Yes monthly stats are FAR more important than silly daily stats especially in social media with all of the spam account follows/unfollows!
I used to JUST blog for myself, but now I write posts that make me happy/proud AND will hopefully help someone else out either through laughing at me and my goofiness or through a tip/trick/recipe/inspirational word. I think both are important to be a successful blogger! 🙂
You know I hate this…not the post, but the freakin’ numbers! It’s definitely an inner battle that I face myself but I find the less I focus on the numbers and the more I focus on quality content, the better my numbers get…interesting, isn’t it? 😉
Mighty interesting if I do say so myself. 😉 <3
As a new blogger, I think I look at my stats way too much. I’m starting to get over the fact that views does not = worth. One of the life lessons we learn from blogging!
It’s so true! Don’t beat yourself up! It’s the bigger picture that counts and looking at things over a longer span of time also helps! 🙂
I try and keep my eye on my personal goals with my blog vs numbers. But the most important thing I gained from your post is to be present outside of the social channels, blog and internet. So true. Sometimes I am too plugged in. I am working on finding a good balance so I feel connected to both worlds.
It is tough! It seems like when I spend too much time blogging I miss out with my “real life” friends and when I’m busy in “real life” I miss out on blogging friend stuff. You can’t do it all though so like anything…balance! 🙂
I’ll check my stats every few days, but it’s mostly to see where my traffic is coming from so I know where to focus my efforts when it comes to social media and promotion. Other than that, I don’t really pay attention. I used to be pretty obsessive about it when I first started out, but all that did was make me miserable and get in the way of my blogging. Numbers are a dry small part of the picture, and I find that taking your attention off them and not trying to write to be successful is what actually brings success… if that makes sense.
That totally makes sense and I like that you check your stats to see where to do your promotion! Promotion is probably the thing I dislike most about blogging…why can’t everyone just know to come check my blog? lol kidding. Thanks for your input, Amanda! 🙂