Behind the Scenes
So guys. At some point in their career, many bloggers write some frustrated posts about whatever is or is not happening in regards to their blog.This is not one of those posts.
I just want to tell you guys what's up because I'm afraid some of you guys feel like I'm not paying attention to you, and I am. So this post is going to consist of a lot of words. I'll try to separate it into sections to make this a little less HOMG HUGE BLOCK OF TEXT.
My Followers
You guys are awesome, first of all. Seriously awesome. Now, the only follower widget I have had on my blog for a long time is Google Friend Connect. I am well aware that not everyone has a Google account and might not be able to follow this way. A well-intentioned reader politely and rightfully brought this to my attention, and I added the ability to follow by email.
I know there are other methods of following, like Bloglovin' and all this other stuff that is complicated and that I don't understand. I don't know how to add these things to my site. If you tell me how, I will do it. I don't want to disclude anyone, and I know I'm frustrated when I come across a great blog that I can't follow because they don't have the GFC follow button displayed on their site, and then I lose them in the vast internet vortex and never find them again. That's sad. I don't want that to happen.
The People I Follow
When I first started out blogging, I would click on every new follower I got and if they had a blog I would follow them back. However, as you probably could have guessed, I ended up following a lot of people who have never demonstrated any interest in my blog beyond following it, probably with the very hopes that I will follow them in return.
Also, this positively flooded my reader with posts. So I went through and I unfollowed all the blogs that I noticed myself skimming through and never commenting on.
HOWEVER... if you DO care about my blog and you ARE reading this and you're thinking "Well why isn't she following me?" it's because when I get home and am able to check my reader I have like 85 items to read which is a heck of a lot, but I have come up with another option for you and that brings us to our next topic.
The BlogRoll
Now, I have been less than attentive to my poor little BlogRoll. I don't keep it updated of my own accord because I'm lazy and I don't know if anyone cares. However, if you would like to be on my BlogRoll, I would love it if you sent me an email and asked me to put you on it. I really would!
This is to make up for my not being able to follow back every person who follows me. So seriously! Email me! I wanna show you the love you deserve!
Your Comments
Comments are priceless in the blogging world. They make you feel like you're doing something right. I really appreciate those of you that leave me all these wonderful comments.
Now, I used to respond to every comment I got, but as I'm getting more lately I'm only responding to those who say something that requires a response, or that I have something to say to.
Also! I moderate comments, so these never make it onto the blog, but comments with links in them are ridiculously tacky. It is a long-established blogging faux pas, and yet people continue to do it. That is the surest way NOT to get followed back by whoever's wall you are spamming. Really not cool.
Hey linkdroppers, see all the people whose comments got published? Yeah, that's cause they're awesome and I love them and they don't drop links.
My Comments
When you leave comments on my blog, I want to leave comments on yours. Comments make me feel all warm and fuzzy. I try to comment on as many posts as I can every day, but I'm pretty busy right now.
I hope to have my schedule working smoothly pretty soon and then I will be able to comment obnoxiously often on all of your blogs and you will wish I had never freed up the time.
Your Requests
In the giveaway, one of the required questions you have to answer is what I could do to improve my blog. Here are some of the responses I have gotten so far:
- An easier to read font (I finally got around to changing it!)
- Write reminders to myself to take a bottle shot (this would probably be a good idea)
- Change the motto because "buttload" is unappealing (I'm working on it, Meg)
- Follow my blog back (As I said before, I can't follow every blog but I will put you on my blogroll!)
- Tell which collection the polish is from (Good point. I will do this in the future, provided I know what collection it's from)
- Tell how a polish wears (I change my polish every day, so I can't provide an accurate wear test beyond 24 hours. However, I am constantly messing with my nails, tapping them, and using them to pry things open, so I can tell you how a polish holds up through all that)
- Do more tutorials/nail art/exciting stuff rather than just swatches.
Now, that last one is one that I think needs to be discussed. I want to do more nail art too. I like doing nail art, but sometimes I am busy and sometimes I'm lazy. Which are still not good excuses.
I am going to try to do more nail art, really. I'll try to make tutorials of it as I go along. I know seeing swatches all the time gets boring. One of the things I wanted to do to set my blog apart was to do more than just swatches! So I know I've been dropping the ball on that count. I will definitely put a bigger effort into doing nail art. I enjoy doing it and I know I enjoy seeing it, and seeing as there are so many inspiring, creative things to do, I have no excuse. I will be a better blogger (say that ten times fast)! I will listen to the will of the people!
In Conclusion
I think I've covered everything I wanted to say. Basically, the message I'm trying to convey is: I'm listening. And I want you to keep telling me anything you feel like I need to know, because I hear it and I appreciate your advice.
So I hope you made it this far, because I am not used to typing so many serious words and it was difficult!
Here's something funny and completely unrelated:
I know it looks scary, just watch it. Trust me, it's good.
**If you want to email me with questions, comments, encouragements, suggestions, or pretty much anything else, email me at lauram999@sbcglobal.net**
Yay!!! NO more buttload! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I don't moderate my comments but it kinda annoys me when people leave links
ReplyDelete@Meg: I'm still trying to think of something with the right ring to it.
ReplyDelete@Kristy: Yep! Major no-no!
Nice post today Laura. Thanks! I will see if I can troubleshoot Bloglovin' for you and get it down to a 1,2,3 with any details that are really important (like large user fees that would mean NO to it for you I sort of think at this point).
ReplyDeleteAs for moderation - it takes so much time. When you get bigger, it might be next to impossible other than going back and removing them later in the day.
I think you are doing a great job.
As far as more nail art - there are many that don't like nail art - don't want to learn - so it's a Catch-22. Don't feel pressure to learn how to do stuff you don't have time or a huge interest in. Do what you do best and work toward where your passion for nails & lacquer takes you in time. I love seeing swatches of color. I am far too lazy to go looking through huge file of 'all the teals' all the this and that in photo sites on line (non blog)...the photos are often lousy. I look for swatches of shades I am trying to pull up off blogs whenever possible. So swatches is doing a huge service...after all these years of only horrible graphic color chips and/or graphic bottle shots, blog swatches bring us a huge new area for help, cross-ref and all the other things folks go searching for shots of shades on the web.
I find that banana commercial creepy. :D
ReplyDeleteIt's weird, I can relate to this one alot although I have a severe lack of followers (which tbh I don't really care about XD I blog for the hell of it) but more for me putting that pressure on myself but there never seems to be enough hours in the day and in those hours there are never enough chances to sit down and do a post. TBH I'd love to see nail art but just seeing swatches is great too, I find with nail art if a new colour is used it's hard to get a jist of what it'd look like overall.
ReplyDeleteAlso, no intended link spam but: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUns49-05hc < quite possibly as funny/funnier than that japanese video. :P
I kind of like buttload! I think you should keep that. Plus, if you ever need help adding things to your blog-just let me know and I'll help you. Thanks for the bigger font-my eyes thank you!! I'm glad you wrote this-I thought you didn't like my blog anymore!! Remember, it's YOUR blog-you make the rules-I get that you want to please everyone-but its impossible! In the end, you have to do what you want and like.
ReplyDelete@beachgal: Well the thing is, I *do* like doing nail art so I have no excuse. And I wouldn't be doing nail art every day, I'd have swatches too. I just don't want to get stuck in a rut!
ReplyDelete@Sandra: But awesome, though, right?
@Naomi: This is true, but at some point I'm going to use the colors I used in the nail art as a full mani, so I think it evens out. And it only counts as link spam if you're promoting yourself, so you're good. :D
@Fingers: Well I usually change the motto along with the theme, so I'm overdue. And I am commenting again! I know I don't *have* to please everyone, but people like nail art and I like nail art, so why not?
I hear you on the reader overflow...I've been trying to edit my reader, but apparently following via GFC and via blogger's "follow" button are different from each other as well as from the "subscribe via rss" thing, so now I have all kinds of junk to weed through >:( Which is I do not have a bloglovin thing, because I do not know how to use it, first of all, and because I don't need more networks wreaking havoc on everything! Why can't things be simple???
ReplyDeleteOkay, rant over. You're doing fabulous, I love your blog :)
lmao I think I showed you the banana video. And the worst thing is when people unfollow you!!! It breaks your heart and then you're like I DON'T NEED YOU IN MY LIFE
ReplyDelete@Larie: IKR! There are waaay too many different ways of following. So confusing! But thanks! :)
ReplyDelete@Sonia: Actually, I showed it to you. :P