What brings readers to your blog?

/ Laura Lee Carter

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Ever since I started writing on “Midlife Crisis Queen” back in 2007, I have wondered who comes to read my writing and why. My readers have certainly not been the people I expected. I originally expected a few family members and friends, but few of them ever came.

barbara-weibelInstead I started making virtual friends all over the world. I got so close to one woman in Australia, I mailed her a copy of my new book free of charge! I met fellow blogger Barbara Weibel (left), who was just starting her travel blog. If you have any interest in world travel and incredible photography you should certainly check out: Hole in the Donut. 

Most of all I connected with kindred spirits, those searching for something else after living a fairly conventional life up until age 40 or 50. All of my readers have been in search of adventure and transformation. All have enriched my life in some small way.

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When I created this blog in October 2014, I expected to attract a very different crowd. I figured my midlife crisis days were behind me as Mike and I slowly settled into retirement in southern Colorado. And, sure enough, I have attracted some great virtual friends who can relate to these post-employment years, even if we are all still writing and publishing. One big surprise, how many readers from all over the world find moving to the Colorado outback country interesting!

What I have always found most astounding is how loyal certain virtual friends can be, and how hesitant my family and long-term friends have been to come here to read a blog post or two. I would think these folks would be most curious about my life, but apparently not. Certain virtual friends seem much more curious and loyal.

I have tried, but I cannot fathom why that is. Perhaps my family and old friends think they know me, but they don’t. We are all ever-changing beings, at least that is what I choose to believe!

Please follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/midlifequeen

16 thoughts on “What brings readers to your blog?”

  1. If you find out the answer to that, I’d love to hear it. This has also confused me. A few of my closest friends have probably only seen my blog once or twice. The only thing I can figure is that they’re just not blog savvy and don’t want to take the time to understand the concept. However, I do agree that the virtual connections are wonderful and, quite frankly, I probably wouldn’t have continued writing if it weren’t for the inspiration of these mutual writers and bloggers. It’s opened up a whole new world.

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  3. I started my blog to have a place to share my pictures with my fellow Senior Trailblazers. It morphed into a three-times-a-week blog, and I feel like many of my followers are old friends. I don’t know what keeps them coming back, but I always visit their blogs and comment. That makes the biggest difference, I think: mutual interests. 🙂

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  4. Blogging has opened up a whole new world for me, too. An in law mocked my blogging once and I don’t speak to her about it any more. Let her think what she wants. It makes me happy and I have no obligation to please her. On the other hand, I have found support online I never dream existed.

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  5. This is SO true! I have met some fabulous women since I started blogging a couple of years ago. The connections are amazing and distance doesn’t even come into it. My closest friends never seem to read any of my stuff – I guess they don’t “get” the whole blogging thing. What I don’t understand is why you wouldn’t want to get a deeper insight into a friend’s life? So many questions and so few answers!

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  6. Hi Laura,
    I completely agree. My friends and family seem to have no interest and don’t read my blog posts. Like you, I’d think they’d be interested in my life away from them, but I was wrong. I don’t think people understand. My own mother asked me if I ever write anything “profound”. I think profound to her is Shakespeare.
    Janice

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  7. I’m also finding that friends and family have absolutely no curiosity about what I write. It was disappointing at first, but it’s slowly become freeing and is allowing me to speak more honestly. It was something that really shocked me but I’m finding virtual friends who are such a wonderful addition to my life and I’m so grateful for them.

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  9. I think family and friends wonder why I started my blog two years ago. I’ve had some beautiful comments from women the world over all wanting to enjoy this wonderful time of life. I’ve also made many friends through blogging and it is great to have such a supportive network.

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  10. Pingback: Are blogs a new form of vanity press? | Adventures of the NEW Old Farts

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