Today is a Thinking Day and I'm coming to you, my readers, for advice.
Last weekend, as I published the 100th post of this blog, I also decided to make some adjustments to my profile and my blog title.
These changes are the direct result of asking myself this central question:
How do I expand my blog into non-perfume areas, and continue to attract new readers, without alienating my core audience?
My life - like everyone's - is full of interesting, frustrating, life-changing moments, and I want to write about those, too.
Maintaining more than one blog is not an option. Plus, I like the idea of everything coming together under one umbrella.
My lust for smelling life (and perfume) will continue for as long as I breathe. At the same time, I'm interested in broadening the dialogue among us and allowing this blog, and its content, to expand.
Most of you have been blogging much longer than I, so perhaps you have asked yourself this question at one time or another and come to conclusions of your own.
Therefore, I invite you to openly share your thoughts, opinions and advice.
Picture from wordpress.com
Hi Josephine,
ReplyDeleteI have tried writing a response to your post several times now..I give up!
I'll just say it simply: I enjoy your writing, perfume or not. Your posts about your family and friends are always touching and I admire your ability to articulate your emotions.
If you want to stretch outside the perfume box, I say go for it!
Josephine, I've had similar throughts since my blog is not exclusively perfume-oriented. But that's why I didn't call it in any such fashion (like yours is called Notes...). It's a bit tricky because you might get more different readers, but again you might lose some because they don't want to read about other things.
ReplyDeleteI say, go with what you feel is right for you.
I like when you post about ALL sorts of things!
ReplyDeleteIf you can't write about what's in your heart, what's the point? Don't write to please others. My only suggestion might be to give your posts categories in the title, like "Perfume review:" or "My life:" or whatever, so that readers who just scan their RSS feeds will know.
ReplyDeleteI love that you asked this question. This is the one thing that has kept me from starting a blog myself is that there is so much I want to talk about I can't imagine what I would name it besides something like "Random Rants from my Head" and then I figure, and who the hell would read that? However, the flip side of that is that I too love reading your personal stories and experiences and you have this truly gifted way of presenting your life in a way that makes us all want to be you at times. I agree with following your heart and the readers will follow - your honest and candid writing, perfume related or not, is a delight to read.
ReplyDeleteMuch luv as always!
Baby sis
Yes, I agree that you are well placed to branch out with a name like "Notes", which neatly straddles the perfume aspects and your life in a wider sense. I would have more difficulty stretching the title of my blog, except by a process of extrapolation perhaps: "Bonkers about Perfume....and in fact bonkers generally."
ReplyDeleteThere are numerous blogs that combine the two and your title enables you to make the change seamlessly, I'd say, so I agree that you should write about whatever moves you!
Thank you all so very much for your support and advice - I knew I could count on you for honest feedback!
ReplyDeleteI will go forth and write what I feel. We'll see what happens. Thanks again.
Love you, Baby sis.
(Tried commenting yesterday but couldn't get a comment box... Blogger does this from time to time on my puters, which is why I moved to Wordpress... not that I recommend everyone do that.)
ReplyDeleteYes, write what you want. I tend to think that we perfume fans are interested in all kinds of things - I don't think you'll lose many readers, if at all.
The blog is for you. Everything else is extra.
Muse is spot on - I had a chat with a musician friend of Mr B's whose day job is a "Google Ranking Optimiser" - okay, that may not be his exact title, but he tweaks people's behind-the-arras "codes" so they pop up high in google searches. He told me all sorts of tricks of the trade about how to attract links, and popular words to put in blog titles to increase my traffic and general status in the blogosphere. However, a cursory glance at my archives will tell you that I have completely flouted his advice and written about the random stuff that pops into my head, most of which has a connection with perfume, albeit ever more tenuous... : - )
ReplyDeleteYes, the blog is for you, as Muse says. If people like it - as I am sure they will continue to do - that is a bonus.