How to Get Just the Right Number of Blog Views

I've been seeing a lot of how-to's lately about posting blogs, tweets, and Facebook statuses so that they'll get a lot of reads. There's info about the length, the frequency, the content, and more.

And I haven't applied any of it. Here's why. I blog to process things I've been thinking about. Yes, I enjoy when people post comments, and I watch my stats to see what's getting the most views, but that doesn't mean I'm going to change the way I blog to get more views. Then blogging wouldn't be fun anymore. I post on Facebook to express myself and what's important to me. If you don't care about my dogs, then don't read my status updates. That's fine. I like to post the cute things they do because it's important to me.

So, if you blog, tweet, or Facebook for the simple joy of having a place to be YOU, here's MY how-to article: How to get just the right number of blog views. As in...whatever number it happens to be...1 or 1,000. Even if that 1 is you.

Write about what you want to write about. It's your blog/Twitter/Facebook page. Do what you want to do.

Don't make apologies. Or do. It's your space, you can post to it however you want. Don't feel the need to start off your blog with an apology if you haven't written in a week or two. It's really OK. You know why? Because it's YOUR BLOG. Then again, you can apologize if you want to. If that floats your boat, do it. It's your blog. Don't let me tell you what not to write.

Don't worry about what other people think. I wouldn't go around insulting people or whining about your place of employment (they may just see it), but short of that, let go of trying to impress people. if you're posting for your own fulfillment, express yourself, your opinions, and your life however you want. So what if people disagree? It's not their blog.

Know the purpose of your blog. Is it just random musings like mine? A chronicle of your child's development? A record of different recipes or craft ideas you've tried? A mix of all of the above, and anything else that's in your head? As long as the purpose isn't to market a business or make money, keep on doing what you're doing. (And if it is for marketing or money-making, then read one of the many other how-to articles I don't care about.)

Don't follow the rules. Want to post 10 blogs in one day? Go for it. A blog every month? Up to you. Want to post 20 Facebook statuses in a row that are all different nicknames you call your dog? That's fine. You might not earn a lot of likes or comments, but who cares? If you've shared something you want to share, that's great!

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think personal social media needs to be about marketing yourself. I think it's about expressing yourself in a way you might not be able to do in real life settings. Because in real life you need to have conversations, let others have input, and maybe not list 20 nicknames for your dog. But online, you can just proclaim who you are. So do it.