By Darren Gilbert
This, however, couldn’t be further from the truth. Success does not, in fact, begin with tons of traffic.
Where does this myth come from?
There is a misperception that having a large audience means you’re an automatic success. For Tanya Kovarsky, who runs the award-winning parenting blog,
Rattle & Mum, it’s easy to understand why.
“Just like with magazines and newspapers, we often judge ‘success’ or decide on whether to advertise on a platform based on numbers,” she says.
Matthew Arnold, owner and features writer at
PixelVulture agrees; “The assumption is that sites with bigger audiences and more reach are better to advertise with. [However] the problem is that this is a very one dimensional view and misses the initial reason for using blogs – reaching a passionate and engaged niche audience.”
Of course, that doesn’t mean numbers aren’t important. Both Kovarsky and Arnold will admit that. However, as Kovarsky points out, they don’t often tell the full story. “‘Tons of traffic’ doesn’t always tell a comprehensive story, much like a magazine with a spike in circulation one month.”
“There could be a giveaway or a viral article that causes an increase, which might look good on Analytics, but probably needs to be weighed against other months, or the amount of engagement and time spent on the site,” she adds.
What is the reality?
The reality is thus good for anyone who blogs; you don’t actually need a huge audience to be a success. In fact, you can have a very small audience and still make a big difference.
“Most of the brands I’ve worked with, and most of those who I started out with, weren’t interested in numbers at all,” says Kovarksy, “and, in fact, I’m seldom asked for them. Perhaps this is because they are drawn to something else, or their reports and results aren’t targeted towards big reach with high numbers on paper, but rather ‘good’ reach.”
For example, a great blogger might have more influence and can drive better change to an audience of 20 than a blogger with an audience in excess of 2000, she adds.
Arnold agrees. The size of your audience is not as important as is how well they engage with you. “If an advertiser is trying to reach a niche audience then your blog can be very successful.” And while this can be very difficult to measure, it can make a difference when you look at the actual influence of the blog based on their trust or expertise, he adds.
“Tons of traffic helps, but if you run a blog, you don’t want one-time visitors,” says Henno Kruger, founder of local music blog,
Running Wolf’s Rant. “You aim should be to get returning visitors so you have to be clever with the content that you push out.”
How can this myth be dispelled?
The best way to dispel this myth is to approach blogging just as another career, believes Kruger. While blogging might have been viewed as a past time a few years ago, today, there are possibilities to turn your blog into a thriving business.
“Are you an expert horse rider the first time you get onto a horse? Probably not,” he says. “Practice makes perfect.”
As for Arnold, it comes down to a change in thinking from both advertisers as well as the ways that blogs portray themselves. “Focus on your audience, who they are, what they love. The passion of your readers is what sets blogs apart from standard websites.”
If you can match the right advertisers to your audience, you will be well on your way.
What are your thoughts on this myth? Do you agree or disagree with it? Have your say in the comments below.