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I was wondering if other bloggers here have a hard time getting new followers via Facebook and Twitter. I get a decent amount of people that like my posts on my blog, The Mainland but I've only got 3 Facebook fans and 5 Twitter followers, and virtually nobody retweets my posts. I'm sure it just takes time, but was wondering if others have had more success.
The blog I need help with is themainland.net.
What's the name of that baseball film with the mantra "build it and they will come . . . "?
Keep blogging, visit other blogs, good luck and have fun!
I think not everyone has a facebook or twitter, or the time to consistenly check theirs. Also, out of the many facebook or twitter friends one has they usually only communicate with a percentage of them. So the more followers you get the more facebook/ twitter fans you'll have. I think it just takes time. :) Good luck!
I find that a conversation sometimes gets started on Facebook, when I'd rather they come over to the blog and comment there!
I don't bother Facebook ....for a variety of reasons. One of them, is lack of time. Yes, get them over to the blog to comment. ....:)
But I comment on other people's blogs --selectively. Only well-written stuff. I rarely revisit photography blogs. What's the point of using my free time like that??
I agree that the idea is to get them to read your blog. That is my point. I was thinking that using social media would be a good way to get more visitors. Don't get me wrong, I read other blogs and comment all the time. There isn't anything better than actually communicating with another writer. I'm just trying to use as many tools as I can to attract more readers.
Sometimes I think Twitter and Facebook cater to different social needs and perspectives than a blog. They are more scattershot and frenetic than a blog, I think. At least sometimes. So the people who are attracted to Twitter and Facebook may be less likely to check out a blog, which by its nature is slower in process and development.
I get some traffic from Twitter and FB. But the crossover isn't large, and again I can't help but wonder if it's not due to a personal preference barrier than content? I dunno, but I see it, too.
I rarely use Facebook any more - my plan was to transfer to Google+ but I really do not like it much - I have so many people in Circles that I do not know and who never interact.
Twitter I get the odd referral from and not many RTs at all, so I can't say it drives traffic, although I have 187 followers or something like that.
I tend to think Kenneth may be on to something, actually.
Dare I say it but Twitter can be good fun at times - will look out for you! As for FB, I keep forgetting about the page I have there . . .
I only use my Facebook for talking to friends, as for Twitter, I barely even use it, I have a couple of people from here on there and a few friends that don't use it either haha.
Up to 39 on Facebook. Twitter is harder, as I don't post enough. Although I do have Boris Johnson, the mayor of London following me!
Feel free to follow: http://twitter.com/TLTCL
I have 0 followers on facebook. lol.
I don't have a Facebook page for my blog, but I do sometimes link to my favorite posts through my personal Facebook.
I did start a Twitter account for my blog though that automatically links to my new posts, and I've slowly gained a following with it (about 10% of my subscribers also follow me on Twitter). I think it's important to have tweets that aren't just links to your blog posts because if people already subscribe through WordPress what's the added benefit of also following you on Twitter, unless they get something more than just blog links.
I don't really expect people to retweet my posts, although I've gotten a couple and am just happy to get a mention. The basic answer is, it takes time to gain a following, and while it can be frustrating, hang in there.
I always make clever tweets with different hash tags about my posts in addition to the standard tweet that gets sent from WP. Occasionally I may actually get a visitor or 2 that clicked the link from Twitter. I'm also trying to submit my blog to numerous blog directories and wikizines. I work a full time job and then need to have family time before I do any writing starting at around 8:30pm. So I don't have a lot of time to write and publicize my blog. I do spend a good amount of time reading and commenting on other blogs to establish relationships but it's a slow process...which I guess it's designed to be that way. I just figured social media would be more of an effective tool to bring in new readers.
Just in case you haven't read this yet > The Long and Short of It
Twitter takes time to drive traffic to your blog. I'm talking months of steady tweeting and joining in conversations. Not all day and 1000s of tweets, but engagement is necessary to see any results.
I started using Twitter a few months ago and have 750 followers. Twitter is now my 2nd biggest referrer and I do get subscribers from it. It's like anything else. You get out of it what you put in. My FB page is virtually dead because I don't post to it, other than new posts. A tumbleweed blew across my page the other day.
Good luck!
@momfog has hit the nail. I do not have her numbers nor her engagement but for info in real time and for the reading of so many interesting and varied pieces on the go it is the next best thing to being there. And all coming in under 140 characters. Make your point and lead me there!
Talking about yourself is fascinating to yourself and your mother, and NOBODY ELSE.
Twitter is the perfect example of what I always say about the internet as a whole: what you get out of it depends on what you put into it.
I spend about an hour a day dedicated to Twitter and I have 9300+ followers at the moment.
I don't even have time to post on my blog once a week at the moment!
Then lower your expectations.
as usual there is a strong relationship between how much you put into a community and how much you get out
obviously you need to work on your blog as well qualitywise and trying to create content that interests other people ...
and you need to continuously do that - only a few days are not enough to expect results in my experience :)
Good luck to you!
"Sometimes I think Twitter and Facebook cater to different social needs and perspectives than a blog. They are more scattershot and frenetic than a blog, I think. At least sometimes. So the people who are attracted to Twitter and Facebook may be less likely to check out a blog, which by its nature is slower in process and development."
Agree.
But there is the hard reality that I can't expect people to look at FB, Twitter and Blogs daily or even several times per week.
Even without these social media tools, some people have busy lives. For certain on FB and Twitter, not to waste other people's time about tracking trivial daily things on such tools.
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