If a Blog Falls in the Forest…Will anyone give a care?

Yesterday, I was having one of my many daily email exchanges with Susan Cartier Liebel, who I have the utmost respect for. Her blog, Build a Solo Practice, LLC provides so much insight into working as a solo in any business or profession, that I don’t have the space here to even start to tell you why. While Susan’s is targeted to those “newly minted or well-seasoned” lawyers, it is just packed full of stuff anyone can use.

Susan sent me a link to a blog post which she wanted my opinion on. The post was called, “If a Blog falls in the forest with no one around, does it make a sound?”, published on bizsolutionsplus Featuring Solutions to Grow Your Business. Needless to say, the post title caught my attention. And while, Lewis makes some great points, I knew Susan gave me the link because she knew I would have to comment.

First, here are the points Lewis made in his post. What follows are my comments and take on it.

1. Why do blogger audiences change? In traditional media, readers subscribe for decades. But I have noticed that most of our early readers return less and less frequently. And new readers take their place, showing a new passion and zeal for our written thoughts. If we are interesting, new readers should always emerge; but where do the other readers go and why?
2. Does a blog have a natural life and what is it? One year? Two years? Three? When is it time to change the subject to something different? When should I, for example, stop writing about marketing and communications and start writing about something else?
3. Do our voices become tiresome when we stay on the same subject too long? (This thought is related to the first two, as you can see.)
4. What do our readers want us to write about and will they tell us if we ask? (You can begin sharing what you want to read starting now.)
5. What blogs, if they went away, would be missed? And why?

Here are my responses to each of Lewis’ points, numbered as they are above:

1. Audiences change because that is the beast of the Internet. “The Internet is a true example of ADD. But, I also disagree with his position that our readers return less often. I for one will read a blog as long as it gives good content. Take some of the ones I follow for example. (not naming names) I have read one blog for over 3 years now and I read it daily. Its content is wonderful and I learn something new every single day. Perhaps the biggest reason “old” readers leave is because our content gets stale. And we fail to bring in new ideas and points. Most bloggers love to hear themselves talk so much they don’t consider bringing on a guest blogger or as I have done, a contributing editor.

   However, I agree that we do loose some of our readers for whatever reason that may be. And yes, we get new readers daily. That is just how blogging works. But, I don’t agree that we see all of our old readers go by the wayside.

2. Similar to number 1. As long as a blog is relevant and provides good, relevant, interesting, well written content, it will have a life. If you think your blog is stale, it is. Make some changes such as a new design and get some guest bloggers. Print magazines change their design, why shouldn’t blogs. You have to work at blogging if you want it to work And if you want your blog to last as a relevant location for content on the Internet, you have to be open to change and you have to work at it. You simple can’t throw up a blog and hope that it will just continue to work over and over again.
3. Tied to numbers 1 and 2. Be willing to change. You don’t have to change the entire theme or focus. But you can certainly grow and improve and reflect what is going on in your niche or target. However, if you do love to blog, and I am assuming someone who has been doing it for sometime does, if it looks like your blog has completely lost its audience, move on. Do something new with a new blog.
4. If you don’t ask, you won’t know what your readers want you to write about. But, at the same time, listen to the emails, comments and especially search stats of your blog. Watch what they are looking for in your niche and if you are not providing it, provide it for god’s sake.
5. I have a list of blogs I would certainly miss if they went away. But, they all go to 1 through 4 above. All of them do just what I suggested above. They all provide relevant, interesting, up to date, well written content. And they all are not afraid to bring in guest bloggers. And most of the blogs I read on a daily basis, have done a design change at least once since I started to read them. They all are willing to change.

I truly believe the biggest reason a blog might fall in the forest with no one hearing it was because the blogger was not willing to listen to his/her audience and make any changes. Don’t let your ego get in the way of having a successful blog. It won’t hurt you to just “shut up and listen” to your audience to see if you need to make a change.