BLOG WRITER EXPLAINS TRAFFIC BUMP

This blog writer never stops to ask, ‘Why bother,’ when it comes to writing anything.

Whether I draw one reader in, or four thousand, the work is the same:

Find something worth writing about, then do it in a way worth reading.

Some days come in hot.

What drew four thousand readers to a low-key blog?

I wrote about a wedding out on Portland’s 82nd Avenue.

The post got the sort of traction I saw on a piece picked up by Reddit about the statue of David’s junk.

The response was more about Reddit than anything I did.

But, not this time.

For whatever reason people responded to the wedding on 82nd.

What most bloggers do it credit themselves for being such sharp writers that they can’t imagine why more people don’t read their stuff.

I credit newsbreak.com.

How popular is NewsBreak?

Founded in Silicon Valley in 2015, News Break now boasts 23 million monthly users with a growing network of more than 10,000 content providers. Sensor Tower estimated the app has more than 50 million installs globally across iOS and Android devices, among which more than 99% are from the U.S.

Four thousand News Break readers found their way to BoomerPdx. Out of 23 million. It’s a drop in the traffic bucket on some sites, but a windfall of traffic here.

Blog Writer Dreams Big Dreams

I’m not running a news site, but I do pay attention.

If I had jumped on the 82nd Ave traffic and worked to pull more readers it would have pulled the wrong readers.

My ideal reader is not a click and scroll type, but a stop and read type.

They don’t want the latest outrage, but a better way of understanding things.

With one hundred and seventy posts tagged with ‘understanding’ I ought to rename my site.

I like to take readers along while I try to understand things, too.

Together, reader and writer can make new discoveries.

One discovery is how to respond to a blog traffic surge.

Here’s what another guy did.

Everyone with a website or social media profile dreams of going viral and becoming famous, but most people don’t have a strategy to make it happen, nor do they know what to expect, or what to do if it does happen.

If it makes you feel any better, I was in that position before. I’ve had some pretty impressive successes online over the years, but last summer was my first real viral post. I learned a lot from that experience and now I’m going to share it with you.

A viral post only means that something you said resonated with people.

You’re still just a normal person who struggles through life, just like everyone else. You have good days and bad days, make good and poor choices, experience confidence and insecurity, and make intelligent and stupid comments.

It’s not a measure of your importance, character, or intellect.

Be grateful for it, maybe even pat yourself on the back a little, but then get back to the grind because success isn’t one event, it’s a culmination of all of the small things you do over a long period of time.

What’s The News On 82nd?

Jordan hits it with this:

As someone whos lived on king rd and se 82nd the traffic is heavy, there’s drug addiction, crime, and broken glass. 82nd is the avenue of broken hearts and drugs.

A more enterprising blogger might have dressed down and cruised 82nd for more inspiration.

But I didn’t ask myself, ‘What would Charles Bukowski do?’

Besides, nothing will duplicate my last night in New York before I quit the city.

I spent it walking around Times Square as it was in the late 70’s to early 80’s. It was a no-man’s land that’s stayed with me.

Do I feel the need to do urban undercover? Not so much. Unless my kid is getting married, then I’d go to the gates of hell.

By the way, 82nd isn’t the gates of hell, at least not the main one.

Instead, this blog writer keeps it close.

So should you.

How close?

Leave a comment and I’ll tell you if it’s close enough.

Family Marriages To Compare And Contrast

First there’s my wife’s parents on their wedding day.

Then my son, his wife, and the blog writer looking for a scoop:

And my parents on their wedding day:

These are the stories for this blog writer.

Will this one find a reader, two readers, four thousand readers?

Did anyone else’s father play a short set of songs at their wedding?

Was it regrettable, or a celebration?

Either way, if you’re still married, you can’t blame the old man.

Which is why readers leave here for the better.

Re-post this link for full effect.