Attracting blog traffic

[Captain Blood]

I think there's quite a difference between TMP and here (well, many differences, but let's not get into that).
From what I see of TMP, it doesn't hold that much of its own content - it consists a lot of links out to other stuff, sites, blogs. (The infamous Tango01 being the prime exponent). It provides a kind of clearing station for content held elsewhere, as well as a forum for, um.. discussion.

This forum on the other hand, has always been 'content-rich'. Many of the most active members here don't run separate blogs or sites - this is where we showcase our creative work, projects, games, ideas.
This probably accounts (in part, at least) for why this forum is still generally thriving. Because enough people still populate the place with meaningful content that other people want to see / enjoy.
This perhaps explains (quite apart from sheer scale - TMP having a much larger membership) why this site tends to generate less traffic to blogs than TMP.

I personally don't mind people just using this site to link out to their own blogs - it's inevitable TBH. But it's worth bearing in mind that if everybody did that, and nobody contributed content that actually lived here on the forum, then gradually LAF would become an empty vessel, people would stop coming, and the cycle of decline sets in.
At present, most of the time, it feels like a reasonable compromise between original content, discussion, and links offsite.
(That's not how this forum started, but it's where its got to these days. Nothing ever stays the same. C'est la vie )
 

[mcfonz]

There were as many, or more, people that didn't go to TMP as did. There were already a lot of other forums that existed in blissful ignorance of TMP :-)

When I first got into historical gaming post GW, it was the first hit on my internet search. I started there and lasted less than a day before I gave up. That was in the early 2000's. It wasn't a positive experience and from what I have seen over the years has only got worse. There is a toxicity to the place unfortunately.

It really doesn't have the content as others have said. And it can take a fair amount of work to sort through the noise and find what you need.

I avoid it like the plague.

[pixelgeek]

There were and there are now, but none of those other forums generate anywhere near the volume of traffic to a blog that TMP did and to be honest still does.

I am not arguing that they don't generate a lot of outbound traffic. Just that the impact of it shedding users isn't necessarily as big as you think. It has always been a divisive site. Not only because of the message board there but also because of its focus.

What TMP, and LAF, has is a longstanding and loyal audience that have let it ride out the impact of Facebook.

I am not sure what other people's local online communities were like but every single non-Facebook group that existed here four years ago is gone and has moved to Facebook. So, in my locality at least, trying to maintain a blog and bring traffic involves having to engage with people on Facebook.

[Yarkshire Gamer]

I am not arguing that they don't generate a lot of outbound traffic. Just that the impact of it shedding users isn't necessarily as big as you think. It has always been a divisive site. Not only because of the message board there but also because of its focus.

What TMP, and LAF, has is a longstanding and loyal audience that have let it ride out the impact of Facebook.

I am not sure what other people's local online communities were like but every single non-Facebook group that existed here four years ago is gone and has moved to Facebook. So, in my locality at least, trying to maintain a blog and bring traffic involves having to engage with people on Facebook.

I can only talk about what I know, a great deal of my gaming friends have left TMP some by choice,  others have been shall we say, helped out. I also know a good deal of people who deliberately don't go there for a number of reasons.

I know that the numbers of visits to Yarkshire Gamer from TMP has reduced and I know people who visit YG either direct or via other forums used to via TMP because they told me.

As I said in my first post it's one of a number of reasons why I think (getting back to the point of the thread) that blog visits are down. I was trying to avoid a TMP debate, I failed 

As for Captain Bloods point, I suppose I am guilty of that, most of my posts link back to a blog post. But I don't see LAF as the place to put a comprehensive post on say a Scenario AAR post, they can be pretty long with 25 - 30 photos, army lists, set ups etc.

I use a post on here and other forums as a taster, if you like and want to see more visit the blog, I think that's the best way. It's a free scenario at the end of the day !

I hope blogs stay around for many years to come.

Regards Ken
The Yarkshire Gamer

[robh]

I am another of those that rarely (almost never) click on a blog link in a forum post and certainly not if it is the only thing in the post.
"I am just starting a new project...click here to read more"......
That kind of "clickbait" post really annoys me and I fully support the attempts of other forums to stop people posting them by making a minimum number of images and explanation a requirement.

The only exceptions I make are to a very few known expert sources on the subject, be it a specific ruleset, campaign or era of warfare, but these I tend to already know and have saved as bookmarks.  I look on blogs as a technical resource not an entertainment.

[Eric the Shed]

Having 'blogged' for the best part of 8 years it has for me been a great journey. Indeed a personal diary of my wargaming adventures, projects, events and builds.

I recognise most of the comments posted here and, I also know that I am guilty of leading with a post and then stating read all about it on the blog.

Its for the reader to judge whether that extra click is worth it. Take for example my recent post on the Battle of Newbury - the blog posts surrounding this event were several weeks of research and a few hours to compile this into some meaningful posts. Ultimately when I did post on the LAF it was all about the battle report. Links in that blog post would take you to those earlier planning posts. I doubt if these posts would have been of interest to the bulk of the LAF audience.

I love the way the LAF is a dynamic community - as has been said it is content rich, positive and enthusiastic. Long may it continue

[Norm]

I blog.

I 'advertise' each blog post I make on various forums which are appropriate to the content of the post (I figure game and boardgame). this is done by a link - bait or otherwise. I just see it as sharing free content, but understand anyone who with a load of other stuff to read, may not want to click. I blog for my own ppleasure, but do work to try and make the post attractive and enjoyable to the visitor and I believe that a lot of inspiration and ideas does come from the world of blogs. 

My blog posts tend to be article based so can easily sit in the 3000 - 5000 words band. Each post is labelled, so a reader can search easily for similar subject matter within the blog.

So for me, the blog allows long posts, inter-related searchable material and in one place there are now several hundred lengthy posts of a style that if you like them, the blog is a useful place to visit and hunt around (if you don't like them, then you will doubtless avoid my blog).

The work that goes into a long post is done over several days, so I am loathe to 'only' and fully post in a  single forum / FB space that within two hours I am off the front page, but with the blog, it just sits there until I next post and you can drop by when you are in the mood. I am quite wordy and I doubt FB suits that sort of thing.

I don't think that Facebook would give me that sort of scope for long articles or an archive. Forums do give an archive, but I support several forums, so just posting material to one of them doesn't really work for me.

I think bloggers build a reputation with regard to their material and in a short number of postings, you know whether you like the bloggers work and whether it is worth your time to visit and read etc.

If I were to reduce my efforts, it would because I think I spend too much time looking at a screen, when really, being productive, gaming a reading should in my world have a higher priority. I have already taken steps to drop around 30 - 40 minutes screen time a day and that has made an impact on my painting output.

As an aside, I also pay for some webspace and run a small wargame site on it. It is snippet based, advert free and I suppose I just lilke a bit of space that I can personalise and it complements the bog. I don't keep stats on it, so I have no idea whether it gets visited much or at all!

 

[dampfpanzerwagon]

The original post led me to think very hard about what I want from my own Blog. I even posted a Blog article/post linking to this thread. You can find it here;

http://dampfpanzerwagon.blogspot.com/2020/01/blogging.html

I would like more traffic. I would like more comments. I would like to know that my Blog (it is over ten years old) is safe.

I'm not sure I'll get a satisfactory answer to any of these questions, but I will keep Blogging.

KEEP ON BLOGGING - If you don't use it/them you may loose them

Tony

[pixelgeek]

"I am just starting a new project...click here to read more"......
That kind of "clickbait" post really annoys me and I fully support the attempts of other forums to stop people posting them by making a minimum number of images and explanation a requirement.

Maybe the authors of these types of posts don't want to retype 200-1000 words for people that are too lazy to open another browser window?

And you have a very odd idea of what 'clickbait' is.

[TWD]

Seven turn of amazing Warhammer!
You won't believe what happens in turn four!

Wargames clickbait.

[FionaWhite]

Maybe the authors of these types of posts don't want to retype 200-1000 words for people that are too lazy to open another browser window?

Err, at the risk of sounding like a smart-ass (which, for the record, I am not trying to do), a simple ctrl-c & ctrl-v should generally sort the retyping issue out.

[pixelgeek]

Err, at the risk of sounding like a smart-ass (which, for the record, I am not trying to do), a simple ctrl-c & ctrl-v should generally sort the retyping issue out.

It does sorta defeat the purpose of the blog though :-)

Besides, a blog post can have photo galleries and formatting that the message board won't support. I often post one photo here and my blog might have fice or 6 photos often in a gallery.

[Codsticker]

Seven turn of amazing Warhammer!
You won't believe what happens in turn four!

Wargames clickbait.

-Where's the goddamn link!!!1

 

Maybe the authors of these types of posts don't want to retype 200-1000 words for people that are too lazy to open another browser window?

And you have a very odd idea of what 'clickbait' is.

Pretty much.
I have to say that I blog mostly to keep track  of my hobby doings and I share that info on forums because I appreciate it when other hobbyists do the same. Typing out the whole entry on a half a dozen forums though is a bit beyond what I want to do, so  link to my blog is provided.

[TWD]

Err, at the risk of sounding like a smart-ass (which, for the record, I am not trying to do), a simple ctrl-c & ctrl-v should generally sort the retyping issue out.

The issues this can cause with formatting on many fora, plus the need (on most) for images to be hosted elsewhere means is isn't quite *that* simple in my experience.

This, together with the fact that some forums where I first shared my hobby activity have now closed down with the consequent tragic loss to the hobby of my fascinating insights ( ) mean I'd rather just post once in a place I can be reasonably certain it'll all be there for some time to come.

[Dan]

Timely discussion about Blogs and sharing links etc.

Just before Christmas I decided that I would leave TMP for various reasons. It was the only Forum that I would normally post links to my Blog so knew that I would lose some traffic. I do share links here but would like to have a topic that I can add to rather, than keep posting bits about various items I have completed as I randomly complete something for my many projects. I feel that that is the purpose of my Blog. The other reason is time as I just don't have time to post on Various forums to keep my Blog alive. I started it as a record of my Hobby and often refer back to it as reference.

I have joined a number of Facebook groups and find that the same questions are asked over and over again as there is no way of searching Facebook that I can see. This week I shared a post from 2016 about TAG's M113's I had assembled and painted to a Vietnam Facebook Group. There was a question as to whether a 3d printed M113 was based on the GW Rhino. (The knowledge and skills on Forums like LA are really high in comparison). I never seem to pick up any new followers when I post links and people don't seem to look through the Blog to see if there is anything else that is relevant.