I had big plans for today.
Ok, maybe not big, as in flying-to-Hawaii big or meeting-Bill-Murray big (Bill Murray is the shit!) but bigger than sitting-home-watching-my-deck-turn-from-brown-to-white big.
You see, here in Charleston (South Carolina), the mere mention of snow, ice, freezing rain, wintery mix, or any synonym thereof, results in a complete shutdown of the tri-county area, where flip-flops and shorts are de rigueur. It was only last week, after all, that my Facebook friends were whining about 60 degree weather in December (thanks…ya’ll happy now?)
So, what does a writer do when snowed in?
Exactly, Math!
Well, not really math….I decided to teach myself a little bit about statistics. It’s hard for me to fathom, but my blog has been up and running for almost a year now, and since I consider myself a writer, not necessarily a blogger, I haven’t been overly concerned about statistics. Yes, it’s comforting to see my page views growing and my followers increasing, and I LOVE interacting with my readers and fellow bloggers through the comments we trade. But, unlike many of my blogger-friends, whose livelihoods (or potential livelihoods) depend on boosting blog traffic, my stats are not my primary focus.
That being said, WordPress collects and aggregates a plethora of fascinating data for its users that in my case, is simply languishing out there in cyberspace. So, seeing as I’m under house arrest for at least the next 24 hours, I might as well put that time to good use! Here is what I found:
TOP 5 POSTS (based on page views)
POSTS THAT GENERATED THE MOST COMMENTS
Analysis
As I crunched the numbers, there were a few things I noticed. Surprisingly (or not), the posts that were my personal favorites (yes, although we may not admit it, we do have posts we just like more than others), were not necessarily fan favorites. Have you ever noticed that, during a yard sale, the junk you think won’t sell is the first to go? Kind of the same concept…except that I don’t consider any of my writing junk. Ok, so maybe that’s not the best analogy after all.
I tried to find commonalities or trends among the most popular posts, without much luck. For example, although my page views obviously increased the longer my blog was up and running, two older posts ranked the highest: On Life After Death and Text Messages from God. About halfway through the year, I joined a Facebook blogging group, which certainly influenced my statistics. Their Sunday blog share, for instance, garnered seriously high participation rates, resulting in consistently higher-than-average views each Sunday.
The Power of Perspective and Creativity Revisited ranked in the top 5 on both lists, and both were two of my personal favorites, due to their profound messages. Speaking of messages, I found that folks have a lot to say about creativity (written about here, here, and here) and fear (focused on here and here). From a personal perspective, I’m super happy about that, since my blog was created to help folks overcome Fear and live their best lives. The quickest way to do that is by honoring the inspiration that Spirit places inside each of us, expressed in large part through our creative endeavors.
I’ve discovered that, although it’s fun to get a glimpse of the stats, I’m probably better off just focusing on my writing, an activity that makes me happy and comes much more naturally. I truly believe that when we immerse ourselves in joy and appreciation, the rest will fall into place!
Happy Snow Day!
Written by : drallisonbrown
I’ve done this a few times and have been completely unable to find any rhyme or reason to what resonates with people and what is just me yelling into the wind! stay warm!
Isn’t it funny how that works, Jeremy? But I like that analogy, “yelling into the wind!”
You have no idea how much I appreciate this post. I have yet to dive into any statistics as I am writing for my happiness, and to hopefully share my happiness with others. Although, I have to say, it was interesting to view your top-viewed posts, and the posts with the most interaction. If we ever have a snow day here in MN this year (we have very little snow, but deadly-cold temps – ick), maybe I’ll take a glimpse at my stats – for curiosity’s sake. Great write-up!
Thanks, Erin! I agree, I write for my own happiness and perhaps to assist others in finding their own!
Statistics are fun, but just like you I don’t worry too much about them because I just enjoy writing/sharing. It is interesting to see which posts have the most views and learn from it for when I actually DO want to get a post out there. I, also, like seeing where and when views come from and I am often surprised!
I didn’t look much at the where and when, but it sounds like something I’ll check into! Thanks for reading, Shannon!
Thank you for sharing this with us. As a novice writer, this is something I’m interested in.
And I’m still learning, Bradley! That day, I just brushed the surface of what’s available.