This blog introduces you to my special brand of BIKE. I show you how to find your Best self, access your Inner strength, tune in to your Killer instincts, and use your Expressive voice. It's inspiring, spiritual, quirky, and it's all in your head. It's about ATTITUDE, not exercise, though that might be a side benefit.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Are you motivated by visuals?

If you're the type who, like me, is motivated by visuals, then you will appreciate this post. On the Google listserv, some bloggers participating in this year's Blogathon were discussing how many hits their posts or blogs are getting. One of us was so excited that a controversial post she wrote netted 1,000 hits in a single day. That's so amazing! I would be thrilled as well. One thousand hits for a single post! Need to spark some controversy, don't I? LOL.

No, seriously. I'm happy to get my 230, more or less, hits per day here. It's consistent, and consistently growing, as you can see from the graphic above. My readership (or at least site hits) has grown considerably since May of 2008, the year the WordCount Blogathon challenge began. The graphic shows me I am capable of taking nothing and turning it into something. The picture shows me what success looks like, and I like that. It motivates me to keep at it.

But are you also motivated by visuals? Would it help for you to see your stats in picture form? Do you use graphics to chart your success? In the early days of my blog, which I started in 2007, when I wasn't posting regularly, I wasn't tracking anything, either. I didn't understand how to add the analytics. It's only something I started maybe two years ago or less. But it's something I learned how to do because of the Blogathon. When I embedded the plug-in for analytics, the total number of hits for all-time here was recorded at 0. That number, which is calculating as we speak on my home page, said 75,000 when I started typing today's post. I'm finishing up with this post, and the calculator has already recorded 12 more clicks. That's exciting! The amped up activity that surrounds the Blogathon is exciting.

I hope you're feeling it just as much as I am, because we're in Week 2 now. If you're in need of motivation to keep going, to keep posting your daily thoughts and pictures, think about what that might be and pull those tools out. If it's a graphic, consider posting one from your stats. If it's participating more in the listserv, by all means, ask your questions. If it's spending more time than you have been updating your social media with links to your blog updates, do that as well. Whatever you need to push yourself through this next week, I hope you'll do it. If you do, post a comment here. Let us know how it's working for you.

9 comments:

Anjuli said...

Definitely love visuals- love to have a sense of where I'm heading and what is going on. It is amazing how the blogathon increases the flow of traffic.

Unknown said...

What are you doing to stay motivated?

Marijke Vroomen-Durning said...

I'm pathetically intrigued by visual motivations like the chart you have. "yes!! someone is reading my blog!! wow!!"

I have seen a lovely rise in my readership but not only people stopping by, people returning. We'll have to see if that keeps up after the end of the month. The blogathon has renewed my enjoyment of blogging on this particular blog. I'm having fun. And, a side benefit. I'm tweeting and using LinkedIn much more, not only for me, but for my Sepsis Alliance client.

Carrie Anne Schmeck said...

I'm loving the Google Analytics which I just started using for this Blogathon.

Have you used Strava? It has the same effect on my cycling activities. I'm really not a competitive person but I find that when I know I am on a "segment," I pedal just a bit harder. If nothing else, I can watch my own performance improve!

Unknown said...

That's exactly what the blogathon does for me, Marijke -- it provides that necessary shot in the arm we all need periodically.

Carrie, I'm not familiar with Strava. I'll have to look that up. I don't ride every day. I did that for a long time, and my body got used to it, and it stopped working for me physically. I didn't ramp mileage up, either, though. But now I mix things up with biking, hiking, working out at the gym, jumping rope...I like the variety. But I'll see that Strava is all about.

Jan said...

Hi Jackie,

I love visuals: charts, pictures or graphs.

When I start losing motivation to eat well, I look at my Weight Watchers graph and see how far I've come. :)

Anonymous said...

Wow, and here I was excited about my 44 views yesterday! LOL..I have only just started with this blogathon though :) Nice work!

Babette said...

While I was THRILLED for Jen, I went and checked my stats..ooh, not so impressive. I like the visuals, though, and blogathon DOES boost the views...

I really like it, no matter what...but man, 1000 views? That would be so awesome.

b

patti said...

I really love good visuals too! It's fun to actually see the changes.
Patti