We hear it all the time: "Blogging shouldn't be about the numbers!"
You're probably constantly being told that you should only blog for the love of blogging and not worry about the numbers that come along with it such as page views, subscribers and likes. It's true that you should blog primarily for yourself and you should definitely love what you do, otherwise what's the point?
Unfortunately though, if you want to turn your blog into a business or even monetise your site a little bit, sometimes it has to be about the numbers. While you're blogging as a hobby it's fine to ignore your stats, but if you want to start working with brands and PRs you're going to have to give them some numbers. The more followers, views, likes and retweets you have, the more likely a brand is to want to work with you. A media kit is basically just a list of numbers - follower count, unique monthly users, DA, etc.
The problem arises when we start getting obsessed with the numbers and not just measuring our success by them, but also our self worth. You're no less of a blogger (or person) if your latest post doesn't receive as many hits as you would've wanted. When you start chasing the likes, you generally stop putting out your best work and start producing content that you think your readers want to see, rather than what you're passionate about. That almost never ends well.
The other problem caused by being obsessed with numbers is people artificially inflating their stats by buying followers and likes. This is a terribly immoral practice, but unfortunately some companies don't realise what's going on and these dishonest bloggers get more opportunities than people who work really hard to grow their following organically.
It's good to have goals. I see a lot of people talk about monthly goals such as reaching a certain number of followers on Instagram or views on their blog. Personally I enjoy seeing how many people read my newest post and I appreciate every new follower on social media. But you have to realise that every single person who follows you, who likes your tweet or comments on your blog - that's a real person. Another human has related to what you put out there and wants to connect with you. Don't dismiss that because not 'enough' people are interacting with you. Bloggers who constantly beg for likes, RTs, comments, subscribers and play the follow/unfollow game just to grow their own blog and never support back generally get on people's nerves.
In conclusion, if you want to earn money from your blog (and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that), then you're going to have to have an idea of your stats. That's how business works. But please don't lose yourself and your authenticity in pursuit of higher and higher numbers.
What are your thoughts on this? Is blogging about the numbers for you?
You might also enjoy: Why is Blogging for Money So Controversial?
If you enjoyed this post, you'll love my blogging ebook The Blogger's Survival Guide: My Tips and Advice from Over 12 Years of Blogging full of industry knowledge and strategies for both new and seasoned bloggers.
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