What catches your attention enough to make you click on a link and read?
For nearly 10 years I have been writing a blog, posting personal comments and insights, sharing scripture thoughts, and generally challenging myself with consistent writing and thinking. Writing helps me clarify a thought. What helps, even more, is when someone writes back a response or asks a question, or even to simply say, “Thanks!”
Even though I enjoy reading my past blogs and thinking through what I said years back, I often wonder what it is that makes YOU click and read one of my posts. Then, what makes you want to keep reading the rest of the story?
I was thinking this early hours of all the headlines I peruse in my News Apps. Some, I have no interest in clicking and reading. Other’s, well, I may click but something inside the story quickly turns me off and I back out. There are a few that I enjoy skimming. And seldom do I find anything that causes me to dive in deeply!
Some of my most popularly read posts revolve around a person that many of us know together, one way or another. James Kilgore. Kenneth Haney. Frank LaCrosse. Franklin Jones. My tributes to them in their passing continually get read more than any other single post. Equally, when I write about my parents or siblings I generally find more readers interested…
Hence, there’s a lot of cross-connection my blog has with my past.
Other posts have some common theme of Leadership, Technology or Personal Insight to some political issue. Scripture nearly always finds a way to connect my thinking to God’s Word. I put #HashTags on each post setting to help search engines find the articles so that when folks research these keywords then my blog often gets a hit in a search engine and someone wanders over to see what I have to say about the topic.
Some of my more popular posts are related to growing up years in places like Baytown, Channelview, Seabrook, and Deer Park. I can throw in some company names and if enough people are interested in First State Bank of Greens Bayou, Texas Commerce Bank, National Bank of Alaska, Armco Steel or even Champion Paper Company… well, there may be a few more readers finding me as they research these names. But there are plenty of companies I’ve worked for and there’s not enough blog space in the cloud to contain everything I’m connected to that might help you find my blog!
What are the most common ways someone finds one of my posts other than Social Media? I have several hundred “followers” (although it shows a higher number) that receive an email when I post something new. It’s an easy process and anyone can do it. But not everyone is interested in receiving updates like this. In order, Facebook garners the most reads, then it’s a toss-up between Twitter and LinkedIn.
There is no other audience that I know of.
So. How do I get new readers? Some of you are kind enough to share a post on Facebook and some find me that way. Others make comments and depending on how your contacts are connected to you, accidentally they find me.
I’m thinking about opening a “Coffee & Blogging Stand” in my neighborhood.
If I move it around every so often I could attract a new audience.
Still, the best way I know of getting more folks interested in reading is to snazz up my website, write better posts, include graphics that get attention, and maybe, just maybe, find something to give away for free! Hmmm…I wonder what I have that anyone would want?
Tell me… If I could offer something for free what do you want?
I’ve been told to quit writing about “such and such” and I would get more readers. Sorry. I’m not filtering my writing based on “how many” may find me. This is not a business and I’m not trying to sell you anything. What I choose to write about comes from my heart and there are things I feel I want to share. Even if I do not find new readers.
I constantly review my blog site, redefine, tweak, shade it a little better for presentation, and perform other housekeeping duties. Soon, I may have another blog added to the mix that will focus on a particular audience for a particular purpose, although I will keep this free-flowing blog to just let the words and thoughts flow as they will. Equally, I’m focused on some technical changes that may make my blogging process fresh and enjoyable to do, as well as to read. I hope!
For several years I’ve had an “audio version” of my blog that posts on Spreaker and YouTube. Essentially, I read my post and hope there is an audience that would much rather listen than read the posted blog. Who knows? Maybe the video VLog is next? How do you get to these locations? Click on the links above, or, I always try to have a link at the ending of my blog for just this purpose.
One last thought. And it comes from someone in my past. Though I never heard them say this, I’ve read their words. It makes me pause and think. There is no reason not to write, and if we all spent some time writing then this following statement might be just for you.
“No one should go to their grave with a book left unpublished.”
It is stated that your “Last Will and Testament” could be your greatest legacy. Forever it could be documented what you believe, espouse and declare to those that will gather around an attorney’s desk to hear your final wishes. What would someone like a Steve Jobs or Bill Gates say to their family, their companies, their worldwide followers? What would some pastor or teacher, so loved by their followers, say to their charges? What would my parents say to me? What would a mentor or coach speak into my life?
I think of the Apostle Paul and his last known epistle to his protege, Timothy. I challenge you to take a moment and read his words as he closes out his last opportunity to speak to Timothy, and the churches and ages that were sure to read his words. It’s only 4 short chapters but I believe it is a testimony of how we should think about those that follow after us. Click here to read online. Here’s how it starts out…
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,
according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,
To Timothy, a beloved son:
Grace, mercy, and peace
from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
(2 Timothy 1:1-2 NKJV)
Such an opening statement. Makes me tear up. Though my “baby book” has letters written to me as an infant, from this older position of life I wish there was someone who thought of me the way Paul thought of Timothy. Of course, it’s my fault that I’m such a loner! But I know I’m a beloved child of Christ. Who will speak grace, mercy, and peace to my life? We never hear of Timothy from anyone else in the New Testament after these words, although I’m sure he’s alive in other writings about the early church.
Who do you want to speak into your life? Well, whose life are you speaking into yourself? Click To TweetMaybe. Just maybe my blog will be a testament to my family. My church. My friends. Maybe it will be thought of in such a light.
Just thinking out loud and by keyboard this morning…
Audio Version: Listen to “Episode 185 – What Makes You Click and Read” on Spreaker.