It is interesting that many of the blogs that I have been following for years have petered out ... and I am guilty of this as well. Is it a bad thing? No, I don't think so. I find it so fascinating how some blogs seem to take off, getting hundreds of visitors a day, while others just seem to lanquish with their handful of followers. It has nothing to do with the subject matter or the quality of writing either. In fact, I would almost say that in my experience, the better writers have the least amount of visitors. And I think it's because they don't put the time in to promote themselves.
I think you are either born having the ability to spin gold (make money) or you're not. By that I mean it is so important that whatever one does computes to a paycheck that they figure out how to make that happen. When I first started blogging I researched it, as is my way, and started out by putting ads and labels and key words so that I would come up on search engines, etc. At that time, everyone within certain communities (those that followed each other's blogs) would make sure that they would click on the ads on each other's blogs. I did that for a few months, and then I decided it wasn't for me. Yes, I understand that pennies add up, but I wasn't really interested in counting my pennies. Then I put the URL for my blog into my emails, and that is when I got into trouble with Charlie's school, as they intimated that they would use my written words against me. And that made me think for a little while. Did I really want my written word "out there?"
Ultimately I don't really care who reads my blog, my words, my thoughts and opinions. I have journals, and they are the old-fashioned kind that hold my true, deep, dark secrets ... and thoughts and opinions that I don't want to share. For me, this is a bit of a time capsule and it is fun to go back and read old posts. I think I will ultimately pull out the ones I like best and make a book out of them. Someday! But for now, I will write when I feel like, never feel beholden to it, and let it be organic ... write what comes to mind.
It has been very interesting to watch social media develop over the years -- especially because I don't have a stake in it. If I was into self-promotion, I have a pretty good idea how to go about it -- not from my own trial and error; but from watching others. My favorite blogs are still the ones who are like me -- just putting it out there because. The ones that have become commercial (selling things that once they posted for free) I no longer go to. It's not that I think that people don't deserve to be paid for their skills. It's just that they found them on the internet too -- and they happen to be the ones born to self-promote and spin gold. And then they truly do believe that they "invented" whatever they are selling.
I was given a book by a Dr. Mark Hyman a few years ago, that discussed nutrition and the diet that was going to change your life. I thumbed through it, but it was pretty repetitive of many, many, many, many, many other books I had already read. Then Dr. Christiane Northrup, who keeps a daily presence in Facebook started talking about his latest book, The Sugar Solution or some such thing, that addresses the epidemic of "diabesity," a term that Dr. Hyman claims he founded, but after a little quick research I discovered that really isn't so. I downloaded the first chapter of his book for free via Kindle, and was thrown a lot of research and science and how this is the first generation of children who will not live as long as their parents, and I was a bit aghast. This was not new information. Not a bit of it. And you were constantly told to visit his website. Which I did, because it is so easy now, just click and away you are go, right from the book. I couldn't even peek around without signing up (I hate that) and once I was confirmed with a user name and password, I was at last allowed to access the quizzes that would let me know if I was prone to any of the 20 diseases this particular diet he was touting would solve. Just for fun, I answered NO to everything, and of course it told me I was prone to all of those diseases and that I should order various jumpstart kits before starting the diet.
Seriously?
The website has bits and pieces of information, but you are constantly being directed to purchase this or that -- all of which would solve all of your problems by Tuesday.
The book that Dr. Hyman wrote before this latest one also had a website, which directed its readers to follow. But once he came out with his new book; he dumped that website. I stumbled upon message boards with people who had purchased that book wondering what was going on. He came out with yet another regurgitated book on the same subject that is not a new subject, but he is an expert now, and really more money can be made with a new book with a new title. What the hell is that?
Wrong, is what it is, but when the bottom line is about making money, there really is no end to it I suppose. One person who comes to mind is Alissa Cohen. This is a person who promoted herself as a raw food expert -- and her classes were so special, so unique, so fricking amazing, she had to charge a fortune for them. And in addition to that, there was a NO MONEY BACK policy, because of course there were 5 million other people who would have taken the spot in that class and because you took it, you had to pay for it no matter what.
Alissa Cohen did me wrong. And I am going to put her name in my labels today and see what happens. Because you can google her and not find anything negative against her. And I know people that have plenty negative things to say about her, beyond myself, and yet there was a little brainwashing going on during the "class" that talked about how if you were negative, then you would attract that. So I haven't really told my Alissa Cohen tale. Mostly because I was so angry, and doing anything out of anger is never a smart thing to do. But if anyone is interested, let me know. I just might be ready to share.
And I won't charge you for it!!!
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