Bookshelf Battle

If you have the time, you can check and see that every day in the month of January 2015, I made at least one post per day.  I’ve been thinking about challenging myself to making one post per day on this blog in 2015, but wanted to get through one month before committing to the idea.

So, consider me committed.  And frankly, for agreeing to do this, I should be committed.

My theory:  Daily posts = more readers = more site traffic = an overall stronger platform.

Your theory probably = do less posts, idiot, and the posts you do, make them quality.  Quality is better than quantity!

And it is!  I’m not disagreeing.  A great feature of Word Press is that you are allowed to schedule posts in advance.  Many of my short posts are written and scheduled to appear on different days.  I write a bunch in one sitting when I have that most precious of commodities: free time.

MY SELF-IMPOSED RULES

1) 1 post every day now until Jan 1 2016.

2)  These posts do not have to have any level of awesomeness.  In fact, I’m fairly certain there will be busy times where I will simply post something like “I like waffles!”  or “How’s everyone doing today?”

3)  I will try my best not to allow quantity to override quality.  These short posts can be rattle off quickly, so hopefully I’ll make time to post more in-depth material.  This might even lead to more than one post a day, though only one post a day is required.

SUBSIDIARY GOALS

One post per day on this blog for the whole year is all I need to consider myself a success.  However, here are some other goals I’d like to accomplish this year:

1)  Comment on at least one other WordPress blogger’s blog per day.

2)  Tweet one tweet per day.

3)  Said tweets or comments do not have to be Shakespeare but can be short and sweet as time allows.

PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS – GOALS BASED ON THE NUMBERS

Based on figures from last year, I have noticed that when I don’t post for long periods of time, the best I can hope for is around 10 visitors (average) a day.

Last year, during my Halloween daily post-a-thon for the last half of October, I noticed a spike in visitors to around 35-40 (average) daily.  This is when it first popped into my mind to do a 2015 year long post-a-thon.

At the time of this writing, I’m averaging 35-40 site visitors per day.  I believe this is due to daily postings.

I’m also seeing an increase in blog followers.  I had 400 at the start of the year, and about 450 now.

I had 2000 twitter followers at the start of the year, I’m at around 2500 now.

I’m not sure if there is anyway to guarantee this, in fact I’m certain there isn’t – but here is what I am hoping for:

By the end of 2015 – to have 1000 blog followers (i.e. people who click that little follow button on my wordpress blog) and 5000 twitter followers.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q – Could this all blow up in your face?

A – Yes.  Yes it could.

Q – Are you setting yourself up for disappointment?

A – Yes.  Yes I am.

Q-  I can see it now.  You post 364 out of 365 days then on Dec 31, 2015 you get hit by a bus.

A – That bus better have Wi-Fi.

Q –  Shouldn’t it be about quality over quantity?

A-  Yes.

Q – Then why this quest for quantity?

A – Because as wannabe writers, we are all basically pouring our drops into the same water bucket.  There are so many of us and blog readers and twitter followers only have so much time.  If you don’t catch them at the time they’re checking their feeds, then chances are, you won’t catch them.  More content = more chances to attract readers.

Q – That’s rather Machiavellian.

A – (turns around in my swivel chair, petting a white cat) Muah ha ha!  MUAH HA HA!

Q – Who is asking you these questions?

A-  I am.

Q – You’re interviewing yourself?

A-  Yes.

Q-  Takes a big ego do to that, doesn’t it?

A – It does.

Keep me honest folks!  If you see a day where I don’t post, call me out on the carpet and pelt me with verbal tomatoes!

365 Days.  365 Posts.  1 Nerd.  The Bookshelf Battle 2015 All-Year Post-a-thon is officially announced!