About 6 months ago, I was admittedly clueless about blogging and about social media in general. How clueless? Here’s that old post Confessions of a Clueless Blogger in which I fess up.
I won’t characterize myself as clueful now, though I’ve become much clueier. I’ve passed my 100th post, gathered over 300 followers, and will hit 10,000 views in the near future. I know this is probably a drop in the bucket for many bloggers, but for this writer it’s a freaking marvel!
Just to give you a peek at my past…(don’t laugh)…here are some old stats:
In 2012, my first FULL YEAR of blogging, I posted 11 times, had a total of 7 visitors, 1 like, 1 follower, and 0 comments.
Yep, a real success story! The stats for 2013 and 2014 improved, but at a pace only a slug’s mother could love.
The hilarious part is that I didn’t know this was bad. Even if I’d discovered there was a stats page, I wouldn’t have understood the significance. Ignorance is bliss, right? You don’t know what you don’t know, and I was truly clueless.
WordPress was new-fangled technology. After my daughter set it up, I was afraid to touch it. All the buttons looked dangerous. Any change threatened to blow the thing up and destroy my pitiful, pain-staking progress.
I didn’t know I was supposed to add images to posts, reply to comments, read other blogs, follow other blogs. I didn’t know social media etiquette and didn’t know anyone who did. I was a writer, a myopic hermit, Smeagol in his cave obsessing over his golden laptop. Honestly, I was that clueless.
Then in late December 2014, the light bulb in my brain flicked on. The confused electrical synapses in my skull connected. It seems this is how I do life – skip happily along, whack my head on a branch, and then notice the trees. I patted my bruised head, forgave my failings and sucked in a brave breath, ready to tackle the learning curve.
Six months later, I’m still learning, still intimidated by technology, still afraid to click a few of the buttons, still writing and blogging, searching for time and balance. Still clueless now and then.
But, there’s one thing I’m not confused about…I’ve met wonderful people in this spirited journey. Talented, generous, fun people all around the world; souls full of wisdom and heart: writers, bloggers, artists, photographers, doodlers, teachers, poets, young, old, parents, travelers, wanderers, seekers, some who’ve led me to laughter, others to shared tears.
About the joy that comes from connecting with you, I’m not clueless at all. Thank you, my friends, for sharing yourselves and this blogging adventure with me. ❤
image by clipartpanda.com
Myths of the Mirror 
I can definitely relate!! If it weren’t for the kids and grand kids, what in the world would we do 🙂
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I would write, of course, but that said, I wouldn’t trade them for the world. 🙂
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I love your stuff!
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I’ll take that as a big compliment from someone with a great sense of humor! Thanks 😀
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This is very inspiring! I’m currently thinking of ways to boost my viewers, thanks for sharing 🙂
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Thanks for the encouragement. I tried to watch what the pros did and just jumped in. Happy blogging!
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Thank you! There’s just too much to learn from them, good luck in blogging too 😀
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I love this! I’m 1 year in, and I’m still too scared to mess around too much, with all the buttons too! I don’t want to be responsible for the death of the internet! Which would be the end of life as we know it!
Thanks for the follow.
Melinda
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You are too funny, Melinda, I can so relate…obviously. Those buttons are all so mysterious. I’m afraid I’ll hit one and my entire site will vanish! 😀
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It is a steep learning curve, although there’s so much to learn… I guess that’s the beauty of it.
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I’m still learning, Olga. A good thing 😀
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Great post, D! I think an awful lot of us can relate. We learn, and move forward, and watch out for that tree! 🙂
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I had no idea that most bloggers struggled with the learning curve. What cracks me up is that I didn’t know I was struggling 🙂
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Funny! Is this the link you submitted for reblog day? I hope so!
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Yes it is. I was hoping you’d like it 🙂
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Great post. I’m just writing and connecting and trying not to worry about the numbers. You are so right about the connection to other writers being the hidden gem. I’m Blown away by the compassion and support in this blogging world. Your 300 followers blows my 142 out of the water. Congratulations! Keep up the good work.
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You’ll be surprised how “just writing and connecting” will grow your blog. Don’t worry about the numbers, just enjoy yourself – that’s what counts 🙂
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In the early days, I was naive/silly enough to think “If I write it they will come.” Haha! Don’t quite work that way.
I enjoyed your post & all the comments, yours and others’.
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I thought that too (sigh). It makes sense that it doesn’t work that way, but who knew? Not me obviously. It seems I wasn’t alone 🙂
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Clueless? I didn’t even tag my posts. Congrats on your growth!!
Diana
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I didn’t either. I didn’t know why it was needed. 🙂
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*High five*
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This sounds a bit like me although it was my brother who set it up for me. It’s definitely a learning curve as we go along but so worth it. 🙂
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Thank goodness for those friends and family members who can at least get us started. I was lost before I even went live. Thanks for visiting 🙂 Love your poetry BTW.
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Thank you. 🙂 My brother had been on about it for a while and I just kept nodding because I didn’t really know what blogging was. Two years down the line I’m only sorry I didn’t listen earlier!
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Wow Diana, so many comments! You have so many online friends – beats the statistics, no matter how good they are too! I’m so glad to be part of your online community!
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Likewise, Rosanna. And you’re right. Stats don’t matter at all when compared to the online friends. 🙂
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Have to keep on blogging!
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Will do! 😀
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Thank you for sharing!
Although I’m still considered ‘young’ (and therefore expected to feel natural with technology) I struggled a lot when setting up my humble site. It’s a learning experience, but I’m grateful to be able to meet some wonderful people through it 🙂
Best wishes,
Takami
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Thank you for the comment. Yes, it is a stereotype, isn’t it? Your comment validates how challenging it is to figure this all out. And not just the technology. Blogging is different than anything I’ve ever done before. Once the learning curve is conquered, it is quite rewarding. 😀
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I agree with you 100% 🙂
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Wow…it seems you are quite the success story…..those are some impressive stats!
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Thanks. I’m actually not very stat-conscious and don’t mind, since it’s not why I blog. It was just fun for me to see how far I’ve come from having no idea what I was doing! Thanks for visiting 😀
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By gosh this was an enjoyable post to read. It had me smiling because you do not seem as though you EVER found this blogging business baffling! Congratulations on coming this far, and here’s to thousands of more followers, friends, and hearty souls with hearty words. 🙂
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Fooled you! Ha ha. I was probably getting better at it when we first crossed paths. The lack of followers during the “clueless” years probably gave me time to figure some of it out. 🙂
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Great post! After 8 months I am still pretty clueless but on the up, have done wordpress 101 and probably failed nearly miserably but may do it again as now feel a little more confident, but have met some amazing people so am so glad I dipped my toes into the world of blogging.Thank you for your tips. 🙂
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Congrats on the discipline to do wordpress 101! It probably cut a year off your cluelessness. I’m still learning and enjoying every moment. Thanks for visiting and commenting 🙂
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I can so relate. I started because writers should have a blog. That simple. I never looked at the stats because, truly, they were pretty similar to yours (except the posts–I’ve always been pretty chatty).
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I started for the exact same reason, Jacqui. Now it’s morphed into something I enjoy for its own sake. A very pleasant turn of events 🙂
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Awesome, honest, full of heart admission which I, as a middle aged technophobe, can identify with! Pleased to meet you, sir! 😊
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Thank you, Kunal. It’s not just us middle-agers who struggle with this, though I do feel as if I’m always trying to catch up 😀 The good thing is we can learn it with a little perseverance and patience, and the help of a community of good friends. Thanks so much for visiting.
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I agree with you all in so many ways. One of the many things you’ve keyed in on, Diane, is keeping the “social” in “social media.” That is the biggest joy for me — connecting with other real people about the things we love, learning something new daily, being challenged to think new thoughts, and (I trust) sharing some new challenging thoughts of my own with the world.
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That is so the key, Erik! Focusing on the great relationships and genuine interactions makes this tremendously fun and rewarding. If that’s working well, the rest follows (almost) effortlessly. Thanks for reinforcing that point 😀
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D, I’m so glad you shared this. It is a pretty daunting experience stepping into the whole social media/blogging world. New languages, new etiquettes and mostly a new way of writing. It’s not like sitting down and writing a letter. I think it does have an impact on how you write. It’s a pretty crazy ride to be on! 🙂
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Thanks for the comment, Belinda. It’s amazing how much of a learning curve this requires, isn’t it? But the blogger community is gentle on the newbies. The kindness of people all around the world is one of the sweet surprises. Happy blogging 🙂
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Love this. We’re all clueless in the beginning, but the learning curve is more than worth it. Because of the connections me make on this blogging journey.
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So true, Lidy. I’m glad we connected. Thanks for visiting! 😀
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I love this post Diana. Yes I was once alone and clueless, but I played with things, made mistakes, still do, but not so much. The main thing is to ask another blogger in comments how they did whatever. Most are glad to help. Or use the WordPress forum search box. 😀 ❤
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Hi Ralph! I’ve learned a ton from watching what other bloggers do, and I read “how to” posts all the time. The ones with step by step instructions for dummies are the best 🙂 And yes, the folks out here in blogland are incredibly supportive when I need help. And very forgiving of my mistakes.
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I know exactly what you mean. And over the last year or so I have rarely added anything to my blog. My excuse is my move to SC from GA, getting settled (which I’m still not completely – need furniture etc.), getting involved in various activities, volunteering, meeting new people and some becoming friends 🙂 And of course, my brain was awash with the need to find a job because I need the money. But things slowly fall into place, and Greenville SC is where I truly feel at home.
I use to add pics to some of my posts and wordpress use to have a bank of pics you could pull from, but apparently they have done away with it because it is no longer available on my blog page. And most the time I don’t have the time to full around trying to find available pics on other sites…and especially since they have to be free and available without strings attached!
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I often have to block out time to learn something new. If I feel rushed I tend to get anxious and this is supposed to be fun. I can see that a move and job hunt would definitely cut into learning time! Hopefully things will settle down for you soon. Thanks so much for visiting 🙂
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Could be like me, jumping in with both feet and floundering for a life raft x D Actually, it wasn’t that bad once I got into the habit, but the start.
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Great minds think alike, Riley! Yes, once I put my mind to it and started paying attention, it got easier. 😀
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Blogging and navigating around WordPress can definitely be intimidating at first. It’s great that they offer courses for beginners. Congrats on your new stats!
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I rarely take those courses. I just jump in and doggy paddle. Hmmm…maybe that’s the problem 😀
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I taught myself, too. Back when I joined those classes weren’t being offered.
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Great post and I think your stats are rather impressive. I don’t blog as often as I should, in 2 years, I’ve only published 175 posts, generating 33,000 views and around 750 followers and for some reason, most of my views, 75%, come via google search. I seem to spend more time communicating on other blogs than working on my own. Nice that you’re getting the hang of it, it is a slow learning process
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It’s the quality of the connections that count, Cat. Your writing has clearly reached a lot of people and that’s wonderful. I imagine the friendships you’ve formed through your blog and the information you share is helpful to others. Hopefully you get as much in return ❤ Hugs.
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That’s pretty terrific, Cat. I’d love to know your secret for getting so much Google traffic! I have avid (rabid?) fans, but don’t seem to gain much traction from Google searches. And I’m pretty tech-minded (though still a bit “clueless” as to some things, obviously). But, no, really — I’d love if you dropped by my blog and connected (email in the sidebar). Share your secret with me (pretty please)?
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Do you really think that’s good? I was only mentioning my stats over a two year period because I didn’t think they were all that great. I also thought everyone had just as much search engine traffic. I just checked my stats again. This year it was 50% of new traffic came from search engines like google, Bing, etc Last year was a little more but less than my original 75% estimation. I have no idea what the secret is, although I did come across a blog post the other day on how to improve google traffic, but I won’t leave the link here, I’ll email it to you. Good luck
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Your stats are amazing, but what’s most impressive is what that means – people are finding something valuable on your pages and in your journey. ❤
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Thanks 🙂
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Thanks, Cat. (And, yes, I really think that’s good!)
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Those stats are pretty impressive to me!
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Thanks! They were to me too, but only as a measure of how far I’ve come in my journey from cluelessness. In general, I barely look at them – just numbers.
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You’ve really found an audience and should be proud. What do you have planned for your blog moving forward?
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Oh…I’m supposed to have a plan? Ha ha. Jo, I have no idea – it’s that mindful living in the moment with gratitude stuff. I’ll keep writing books and sharing here…perhaps the next step will make itself evident with time. ❤
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I love your response here. To laugh at plans and live in the moment all the while finding your voice and being successful. That may just be my new plan.
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It surely beats stressing 😀
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Just like John Lennon said, life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans.
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Thank you
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I’m happy to be part of your recent growth spurt 🙂
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Ha ha. Likewise! A great connection. 🙂
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Great piece, Diana. I’d worked on computer programs before, but blogging is different. My daughter helped me set my blog up also. My kids are so good at computers you’d think they teethed on them. I’d also never written stories for others to read before. That was new. I don’t pay much attention to my stats. They stay pretty much the same. I’m gradually adding followers. I also had to learn about social media bit by bit. I’m still hindered a bit by not having a camera, but maybe later. 🙂
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Thank goodness for those computer-savvy kids! Everything changes so quickly, its hard to keep up. I rarely look at my stats, and certainly don’t obsess about them. It’s the friendships that matter to me, not the numbers. But it was fun, with a few milestones coming up, to go back and look at the start of this journey. As always, thanks for stopping by, Suzanne. ❤
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We can all relate. Just for fun, I went back to 2012 stats for myself. I did 19 posts, had 31 views, 1 like, 0 comments. I left the blog and didn’t really return in serious until late August 2014. I guess few of us had a clue when we started. Nice share, Diana, so glad you got that clue, no matter when it came. ☺
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LOL. Well, now you know you weren’t the worst! I’m glad you returned. I’m a fan 🙂
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Thanks, Diana. Maybe we just weren’t ready for the exposure ??? ☺ So glad you came back as well. It was like a practice run. 💕
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Such a sweet post – and I love the photos 😀
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You were the light bulb, Nicholas. See what you started! 😀
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And so, the student becomes the master. Thank you 😀
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I wouldn’t go that far! Ha ha. But I’m getting better at it 🙂
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No doubt about it – the best thing about blogging is connecting to people across the globe. Glad to hear the blogging bug has bitten you, too!
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It’s bit a big chunk out of my day! But all worth it. I have fun and I’ve learned a ton from my peers about the publishing industry, which I couldn’t have learned any other way. Happy Blogging 🙂
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What a great post, Diana! Funny, witty and heartfelt; I loved it.
And I have to admit I relate a bit, I also just started blogging for the fun of it without thinking of stats and was intimidated by some features – still am.
But, live and learn! The people make everything worth it 🙂
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Hi Ana. Getting the hang of this does seem to involve a learning curve for a lot of us. Yes, the people make it worth it. See, I know someone now who lives in Portugal! How cool is that!
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Ahah, true enough! I am still amazed when I look at my Stats page and see people from all over the globe.
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great post , m’Lady, Diana:)
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Thank you, Seumas. I’ve learned a thing or two from you too. Luv yeez!
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11 posts and 7 visitors? Oh my!
Yes, blogging can be tricky. For me, the only interest I ever had in blogging was sharing my story and get feedback from others, try to connect. Since my bog is hidden to search engines (for reasons to do with a #/&$ ex), commenting on other’s blogs was key to my own limited success.
But I didn’t comment to gain success. To me, the true success is to find ways to sort my thoughts and feelings. That was achieved through reading and commenting as much as through writing my own posts.
Like you, I am truly happy with all the connections I made through blogging.
What a joy!
Congrats on your well-deserved success. 300 followers, that leaves me slightly jealous 😉
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Thanks for the comment, Dawn. Stats are really just numbers and I rarely check them. Now and then WordPress pops up and tells me how I’m doing. You are so right that the connections are what’s important. That’s the part I love and learn from. ❤
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You’re definitely not alone. I went for two years with views in single figures and I was down to blogging under duress around once a month when Freshly Pressed came along and gave my blog the kiss of life. You’ve done well!
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Thanks, Julie. I guess I wasn’t the only one that struggled in the beginning. I’m thankful I didn’t even know there was a stats page! Even now, I rarely look at it. It’s the connections that have me hooked. 😀
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I think : just do whatever you want in your blog . It is what it is , and it will progress . is there a competition ? As long as you love to do it , okay.
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I agree, Dan. I’m just me on this thing. What I’ve received for my effort is the opposite of competition. In addition to the friendship of other writers and bloggers, I’ve gotten huge amounts of support. It’s been worth the struggle to learn and reach out. But I didn’t realize that until after I tried. A leap of faith in a way 🙂
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Diana, congrats on your stats! Loved this post! You’ve got lots of company. Clueless was me one year & 3 months ago! Still learning.and trying new things. The best part is making world-wide blogger friends! Christine
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I’m sensing a theme here! Did we all start out clueless? And yes, the world has gotten a lot smaller. I love it. 🙂
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Great post. I’m a brand new blogger (about a month) and keep finding I’ve messed something up. I hope I learn in as fast as six months.
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Hi Diana, don’t worry about messing up. I’ve messed up untold times and folks in blogland are very forgiving. Not long ago, I wiped out all my images and had to go back and add them all back in. That was one of my more clueless activities. If I can do this, anyone can. Thanks for the visit and comment 😀
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Thanks. Some things I want to do just don’t seem possible, then a few days later I see a really easy way to do it. I’m learning. The wordpress help screens haven’t been much help to me, so I bought I book. I would rather read fiction, though.
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I agree on the WordPress help screens. They assume you already know the basics. I needed help screens to understand the help screens!
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That’s me, too. Or they tell me how to do something without clearly saying how to get to the window they show to do it.
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Ha ha. Sounds too familiar!
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Congrats on the 100 posts! I agree–blogging opens our world to many new friends and lots of wonderful new info. But it does take time to build things up. My first blog was a public health blog, and it was a very lonely place. 🙂
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I didn’t even know I was lonely, Carrie 😉 I find I spend a lot of time blogging now that I used to spend writing, but it’s been worth every hour. ❤
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Wonderful article!! My same story! Thank you!!
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I would have sworn I was the only one! Ha ha. Thanks for letting me know I’m not alone 🙂
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Well, I think we all believe that. Now thanks to your blog we all wil realise we are not. Thank you!!
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I’ll have to go back and read the post you refer to tomorrow after I get some sleep. But this is HILARIOUS! I love it. Trust me, you are (were) in good company 🙂
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Oh gosh. I was so bad at this and had no idea at all. I’m glad it made you laugh! 😀
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