Measuring Your Success On Stats Alone

As I’m sure you’ve gathered, I’m back at this after like an 8 month hiatus and how the world has changed. There was a time where I could write a blog post and guarantee it would have 100s of views… when blogging was THE thing… but I get this sense that if you haven’t made it by now, you’re too late to the game.

It makes coming back after time off, when I’m lucky (at the moment) to hit that three figure mark, a tough one; things get less likes, fewer comments, and growth is slowed. You have this impression that when you come back after a long time off you can just go straight back into it, everything will just come flooding back and you can continue on as if nothing has happened.

And I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was a bit shit.

And I know what you’ll all say, it’ll come back, it’ll just take time for people to realise you’re back for the long haul… blah blah blah. But, if I waited for that moment, it would only be a week or so before I gave up. Again.

I’ve got to remember this is a hobby, it’s always been a hobby, and I’ve never really wanted for it to be more than a hobby.

Many people out there start a blog with the intention for it to be a full time job. Some surveys out there say something stupid like 70% of girls in secondary school want to be an influencer… like what even is that, what happened to doctors, or chefs, or accountants (do people really plan to be accountants? who knows…). But I love my job, as in my day job. And I’m lucky that it does kind of pay the bills. And so it doesn’t need this space on the internet be a raving success, just something to help fill the time and give evenings some sense of direction.

And in that sense I’m killing it.

It reminds me I can still remember how to change the aperture on my camera, or adjust lighting on a cheap knock-off photo shop, or string some words together. It’s still something I enjoy planning, and putting together and, let’s face it, it gives my excessive amount of makeup a bit of a purpose too.

And, yes, while I stare at the stats on WordPress, antagonising over the fact they don’t seem to be going up at any pace, it’s done exactly what I need it to. And I need to remind myself to take solace in that.

We can’t all be at the top…

Katie x