I Like To Fish

Name of Blog: I Like To Fish

Name of Blogger: Travis

Blogging since:  June, 2009

Number of followers today: 114

Average number of posts per month: 25

What the Blog is about:

1. Humorous anecdotes from Travis' life. These include the highjinks of his wife, 3 brothers, and/or observations from his job as a high school teacher.

2.  Travis is a Twilight fan. (Squee!)

3.  He participates in Monday Mingle. (vlogging)

4.  Travis has a Linky Memoir Monday which generates many great stories.

5.  He is a hilarious story teller! You'd better go to the bathroom before reading his posts so you don't have an accident.

Does the author respond to comments?  Yes, with a visit to your blog. He also returns follows.

One Step At A Time

Name of Blog: One Step At A Time

Name of Blogger: Lissaloo

Blogging since: November, 2008

Number of followers today: 41

Average number of posts per month: 15

What the Blog is about: Lissaloo is the mother of 4 children, The Brain, The Artist, The Little Mother, & The Baby in Charge. Her husband is a full time College student going for a Bio-Chem degree. Her blog has "a little bit of cookin, a little bit of crafting and a whole lot of Krazy".

Lissaloo's recipes are delicious and not too complicated, either. Many of them are kid-friendly.


Lissaloo has 3 other blogs, too: Krafting With Kids, A Handful Of Herbs,  and One Book At A Time.

 Does the blogger respond to comments: Yes. Lissaloo is a faithful blog follower and commentor!

DIARY OF A MAD BATHROOM

Name of Blog: Diary of a Mad Bathroom

Name of Blogger: DG

Blogging since: January 2009

Number of followers today: 90

Average number of ppm (posts per month): 10-15

What the Blog is about: The blog was initially started to document a bathroom remodel (hence the name) and morphed into a blog about lots of other things, including her family and her passion for cooking. A busy wife and working mother of two, this gal will tickle your funny bone and leave you wanting more.

Does the author respond to comments? Yes, with a visit to your blog and she will also send direct email for your comment (if comment is enabled).

Simple Sweet Inspiration

Name of Blog: Simple Sweet Inspiration

Name of Blogger: Alissa

Blogging since: December 2007

Number of followers today: 57

Average number of ppm (posts per month): 25

What the Blog is about:
1.She is a very funny mama with great stories about her family!
2. She is a helpful mama, she often posts on DIY blogging tips!
3. She posts giveaways, Tipsy Tuesday(which is always hilarious),Wordless Wednesday, and more...much, much more!
4. This chic is witty people, if you want to crack up this is the blog for you!
5. She is a Christian wife and mother keeping you updated on her walk!
(Oh and she started this blog, I thought she needed some props too!)

Does the author respond to comments? YES

MARTINIS OR DIAPER-GENIES

Name of Blog: Martinis or Diaper-Genies

Name of Blogger: Amanda

Blogging since: July 2009

Number of followers today: 220

Average number of ppm (posts per month): 35-40

What the Blog is about: A twenty-something married gal, contemplating a free life or a wee-one life. With lots of other good stuff thrown in. She never fails to deliver with her quirky whimsy and Suri Cruise fetish. A super fun read.

Does the author respond to comments? Yes, with a visit to your blog and she will also send direct email for your comment (if comment is enabled).

Titere Con Bonete

Name of Blog:Titere con Bonete

Name of Blogger:Alicia

Blogging since: May 2008

Number of followers today:66

Average number of ppm (posts per month):24

What the Blog is about:
1. She loves to find great deals....Thrifting!
2. People, her family and friends(she is a great encourager!)
3. Table-scapes, decorating
4. Does anyone love Ann Curry? I became a fan of her blog because she loves Ann Curry as much as me(that's saying a lot)
5.Participates in Sunday Favorites, Mosaic Monday, Iwanna Wednesday, and more.......

Does the author respond to comments?Yes Yes Yes

Tipsy Tuesday - STOLEN BLOG - GO BLOG YOURSELF... from SFTC

This is a post from Speaking from the Crib, and actually the one where I found her.
It was originally titled: GO BLOG YOURSELF, THEN GO BLOG SOME MORE, THEN GO BLOG UNTIL YOUR HAIR FALLS OUT AND YOUR LIPS ARE BLEEDING AND YOU CAN'T FEEL YOUR LOWER EXTREMITIES.

In the short time I have been blogging, I have learned a lot. Many things I wish I had known when I first started, but there's no HOW TO guide to blogging. Well, actually, there probably is, but far be it for me to actually do research. I prefer the school of complete obliviousness mixed in with paranoid tendencies. Doesn't make any sense, does it? Exactly.

Anyschiznit, I'm going to be starting yet ANOTHER series, yet to be named (feel free to make a suggestion), where I will be sharing my tips to blog success, and hopefully you'll share some of your success stories with me and all of my followers. Boring topic? Uh ... absolutely. But I pride myself on being ridiculous AND educational.

First topic: HOW TO INCREASE YOUR FOLLOWING

With the exception of a few bloggers (and I have a difficult time believing them) most of us yearn to increase our following. It is our meth. It is our crack. It is our bucket of fries. Each time we see a new face pop up on the followers widget, it is another hit of our drug of choice. We may all have different reasons for wanting it, but the desire is the same. To have a bunch of followers. In order to do this, we need to do a little blog fishing. What's blog fishing, you ask? Well, let me show you. C'mon. It'll be fun.

The basic concept of blog fishing is you can not sit back and wait for followers to find you. You can not write your heart out and hope that someone will stumble upon your musings. You must go out and find them or as I call it fish for them. They are out there, millions of them, and they want to follow you --- they just don't know it yet. But they're about to ...

There are a variety of different ways to fish.

You can join a support or blog-specific group, such as The Secret is in the Sauce also known as SITS. These types of groups expose you to thousands of different blogs and give you the opportunity to advertise your own blog on a weekly, daily, or hourly basis.

You can peruse the blog roll of your followers. Find a blog name that intrigues you, and failing that, find a title of a blog post that intrigues you...

Hint-hint spend the extra time on the title of your posts. I find the more ridiculous the title, the better. For instance, I could have named this post Blogging 101; but then again sometimes you do attract a few crazies

... and go check out the blog.

Check out the other bloggers who are commenting in the same blogs you are. Chances are, if you are following the same blogs, you'll have the same bloggy niche and make that instant blog connection. Back in two and two.

I'm back. When bloggers give out awards, don't think to yourself, oh geesh, another blog post about awards! Take the time to go check them out. I do this all the time and am actually excited when I see a big list of blogs I've never seen before. Most bloggers do take the time to pick out really good blogs to put up for awards. I am rarely disappointed.

Okay, now that we have found a whole basket of blogs to follow, what's next? How do we transform these new bloggers into followers? Well, there are several different approaches.

You can read the blog, leave a comment, and hope for the best. Most bloggers will come back and give you a courtesy visit, but there is no guarantee that they will follow.

You can read the blog, leave a comment, and ask them out right to follow you, stating that it will be a reciprocated relationship, i.e. you come to my blog and follow me, then I'll come back here and follow you. I personally have no problem whatsoever with this approach. It is direct, it is honest, and for the busy blogger, it saves a lot of headache and hassle down the road. Some bloggers may be offended, and send snarky comments to you, so if you are not thick-skinned or actually give a sh*t, this might not be the best route for you. I recently received an email from a blogger who was offended and this, in part, was my (very well written) response

The reason I state up front that this is a reciprocal relationship, is that I really do my best to read all of my followers blogs, and because I have loyalty to my followers blogs, I just don't have the extra time to read outside blogs. I wish I did, but it is what it is.

Finally, I am a huge believer in saying exactly what I want up front. That may not be proper 'blogger etiquette' but if you have ever read my blog, I'm not a 'proper' kind of gal, and that's okay ... I'm sure it may be more blogger-friendly to spend hours reading endless blogs, leaving in-depth detailed comments, and pussy-footing around the whole follower situation, but it would also make for fewer people being aware of my blog.

Am I proud of the number of followers I have? Absolutely. Do I love getting comments and feedback? You bet I do. Am I afraid to shamelessly promote my blog because I think it is a great blog and I want as many people as possible to know about it? Not for a second. But the goal is not numbers, the goal is to have as many people as possible hear what I have to say.

So while I appreciate and understand what you are saying, it is not in me to sit back and wait for people to stumble upon me. It is in me to go get them.

So take that! Why I never ...

Another strategy, and my current one, is if I find a blog that is either a) harmless or b) highly entertaining, I leave a comment, often I note in the comment that I am a new follower and automatically follow. I refuse to believe there is a blogger out there who doesn't know exactly how many followers they have. I know right now that I have 243. When I check it in the morning, I'm going to know immediately if I have a new follower. Most bloggers will follow you back. But some don't. And I've accepted that. Gone are the days when I am scanning for who is and isn't following me, and un-following people - I simply just don't have the time for that anymore. It isn't hurting me to be one of their followers and so what if they don't follow back? There will be 20 more that do.

And that about wraps that up. Next time we will be discussing how to increase your comment volume.

What can you add to this blogging tutorial on increasing followers? Now, let's see ...

The rest of this post...

Speaking from the Crib

Name of Blog: Speaking from the Crib

Name of Blogger: I think I know... but it's not listed, so I am not telling. Call her SFTC.

Blogging since: It says August 2009... perhaps she can explain. How does one get that many followers in 4 months?!

Number of followers today: 438

Average number of ppm (posts per month):20ish (still confused about the August thing... that is amazing!)

What the Blog is about:
1. She's laugh out loud, milk (wine, margarita, salsa and chips) out of your nose!
2. She's a mommy... a wife, a pet owner and really funny
3. It's about humor. It's a funny funny blog. You want to laugh? READ HER!
4. Just for example... today's post is about pooping in a Wendy's bag. Now you HAVE to read it don't you!
5. She's also a contributor on this blog... but someone had to review her. She's funny. Really funny.

Does the author respond to comments?Yes, it's the best thing about her. She makes you feel like a friend!

Team Kyte

Name of Blog: Team Kyte

Name of Blogger: Caryn

Blogging since: September 2007

Number of followers today: 14

Average number of ppm (posts per month): It varies, and is increasing, 12-14.

What the Blog is about:
1. She is a mommy to 5! It's about her kids!
2. She is a cook to 7! She shares menu planning.
3. She is a twin mom, which is like an exclusive club. I can't get in.
4. She shares about her faith in a weekly post called Monday Morning Message.
5. She's a blog commenter and blog reader!

Does the author respond to comments? Not by email.

Annieology

Name of Blog: Annieology

Name of Blogger: I am guessing Annie... but she's not on a blogger blog... so I don't get to stalk her effectively

Blogging since: April 2007

Number of followers today: Again.. I don't know.  I wanted to follow her, but she's not offering that type of commitment.

Average number of ppm (posts per month): 10-15

What the Blog is about:
1. Her life.  She's funny and direct and a good story teller
2. She's funny.  She also seems to comment... or leave emails too.
3. She's been awarded and plays along... good job! 
4. Did I mention that she's funny?  She is random in a way that makes you want to have coffee with her at 2am to see what she would say!  That's my kind of random!
5. She's a mommy and wife and isn't shy about her faith, parenting, and more.

Does the author respond to comments? Uhmmm I don't know!

Moore Minutes

Name of Blog: Moore Minutes

Name of Blogger: Lisa

Blogging since: February 2009

Number of followers today: 196

Average number of ppm (posts per month): 10-12

What the Blog is about:
1.A little gem of a blog (little? I only have 51 followers - at my OTHER blog and I'm calling her little??) I discovered, and started following, when I first re-started on my blog... but promptly forgot about.  (adult onset ADD)
2.It's a beautiful blog! Well written, great pictures!
3.She's a momma to 3 boys, a lovely mommy who writes about her life and her kids.
4.She also REALLY writes about her amazing decorating/homemaking skills! Full of great ideas!
5.She's a comment leaving, blog love type of blogger. 

Does the author respond to comments?  I don't know... I'll tell you later!

Blue-eyed Blessings

Blog Name:  Blue-eyed Blessings


Blogger Name: Heidi

Blogging Since: February 2008

Number of Followers today: 177

Average number of ppm (posts per month): 15-20ish

What the Blog is about:
1. She is a former teacher and SAH Christian Mommy, with 2 little ones
2. She is a creative, organizing addict
3. She writes about her kids, and about what she's learning
4. A great blog if you are looking for cute craft ideas!
5. Thematic posts! Wordless wednesdays, tackle it tuesdays and more!

Does the author respond to comments? Yes

Braley Mama

Name of Blog: Braley Mama

Name of Blogger: Summur

Blogging since: July 2009

Number of followers today: 21

Average number of ppm (posts per month): 25

What the Blog is about:
1. Her life
2. Great ideas, fun stuff and God
3. She's a mommy, a missionary raising support and wife
4. She's a blog following commenter.  She's good like that!
5. She includes themed posts, Wordless Wednesdays, Growing up Mondays etc.

Does the author respond to comments? YES

Grace Comes by Hearing

Name of Blog: Grace Comes by Hearing

Name of Blogger: Tracey

Blogging since: January 2008

Number of followers today: 74

Average number of ppm (posts per month): 30+

What the Blog is about:
1. She is a funny lady (and teacher!), and posts things that make you smile
2. A mommy to adopted darling little boy, you can see what a blessing he is in her life
3. She has weekly rituals (Prayer lists, Wordless Wednesdays, etc.), makes it fun to read!
4. Her faith is sprinkled liberally throughout the blog,
5. Her blog is so positive and uplifting, she feels like a friend (even if she's not a big comment-replyer).

Does the author respond to comments? No, not often

Social Climbers

Name of Blog: Social Climbers

Name of Blogger: Beth Dunn

Blogging since: March 2009

Number of followers today:  513

Average number of ppm (posts per month) - 9-10 (but the last 2 months there were more)

What the Blog is about: Well, as I perused it, this is what I learned...
1. She's an author of a book by the same name as the Blog.
2. She's well loved, receives blog awards and seems to be blogger who sends blog love...
3. Apparently she's a preppy type woman, and seems proud of it!
4. She's funny... and
5. She's a mummy raising preppy children.

Does the author respond to comments? No