The failed blogchallenge and the growing blog
Some time ago I started a blogchallenge. My challenge was to grow my blog by 1600% in three months, which ment the following
- OR I have more than 500 pageviews a day for 7 consecutive days.
- OR I have more than 300 subscribers to my RSS feed
This challenge is the reason why I’ve been writing those weekly updates you’ve come to expect every saturday. The deadline for the challenge was last monday and as expected, just extrapolate the numbers in the weekly updates and it was very clear. I didn’t reach either number. Things went slow and even backwards a times. Maybe I hexed myself by choosing the snail theme for all the updates. (You did notice didn’t you?).
Subscriber number is hovering around 60 and pageviewnumbers are a roller coaster between 100 and 450 a day (rough estimates)
So, am I now a failure? I’ll leave that to you to decide. I’ve learned so much these months and have been reaching more people every week. A few have been around since I started and have been commenting on a regular basis either through twitter or on this blog.
The challenge is over, although I still want to reach those goals. I was planning on transferring this blog to it’s own domain but someone bought it, this was what actually started the challenge, he would give it to me for free is I made it. There is one huge problem however, the guy who bought it seems to have dropped off the face of the planet so I can’t get the domain I wanted. Although this does suck a bit it’s not the end of the world. I will reach those numbers, and beyond.
I’m currently on vacation but when I get back home next week I’ll start working on several things:
- Getting this blog on it’s own domain
- Writing more posts (of course)
- Project Mojave, I’ve been slacking A LOT
- The blog side-project with CN & LP
- Buying a new computer (A desktop windows system)
- Picking up the guitar
- Something I haven’t done in 10 years: go fishing
- Prepare for university
- Writing guestposts for several blogs and hopefully receiving some as well (hint!)
- Finishing that “bucket list” I talked about a while back
I’ve got a lot to do and as always so little time to do it in, good thing I have a “black belt” in productivity and am a master of the upside down swan. So if I seem busy I’m actually not, or am I truly busy and not to be disturbed…
I would like to thank everyone who has helped me to get this far. Thanks for all the diggs, retweets, linkbacks, comments, stumbles and what not. This blog wouldn’t be the same without you!
I know its nice to keep Goals and Challenge as you say . But I refuse to believe that you have lost this challenge .Now why ?
1] Your post are well read and the quality that your post have is important at this stage of your life rather than any things.We all know that your post have a gr8 quality to itself .
2] Why this numbers …you cannot predict the follow of people to any post … But its about educating others what you believe and know . I think so you do a gr8 Job . Know- how of Zen has been gr8 for me since you I started reading your blog .
So please my friend .. this is just a hitch take this defeat and get ready for bigger goals and continue writing and I am sure many friends would agree on it and want you to write more and more without this challenge in mind .
You may have not reached the numbers, but for me you are not a failure, keep up the good work, enjoy your holidays and come back strong, I will be there to read :)
Christiaan – let me know if you want to do a guest post! Found your blog a few weeks ago and have been enjoying your updates. I’d really like to hear more about Project Mojave, as I almost jumped on the bandwagon.
Thanks for taking us along on your blog challenge (which I can’t see as a failure). That’s too bad about the domain name, hope .net isn’t taken too.
Enjoy your vacation and working on your list. Can’t wait to hear more about the side blog.
NOT failure!
(I just recently found your blog and I am getting quite a bit out of it)
DON’T FORGET; It’s SUMMER!
People’s schedules aren’t what they are the rest of the year, vacations, gardening, enjoying outdoor activities and all the extra events that happen, kids are home froms school…. too many things to list keeping people from the computer.
(BTW I did notice the snails — great pictures too)
No failure here. . . more like ‘quality’ over ‘quantity.’ Keep offering excellent writing; the readers will come. I knew you were the real deal at ‘100 things,’ a concept I learned 31 years ago.
Be well,
Jean