- 01.8.10
- Filed Under: Blogging, SMP
- 32 Comments
So, there are a handful of blogs that I stalk. Design*Sponge obviously. I also really love Desire to Inspire, Smitten Kitchen (although this one usually makes me fat), Apartment Therapy, Young House Love and now…Little Green Notebook. I used to have this entire blog obsessing routine where I would wait until I had a nice cup of coffee, a cozy spot on the couch and Bravo playing in the background (makes no sense, I know) where I would devour every inch of them. But times have changed.
Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been noticing some serious slacking on my part. I kind of rarely read the text around the images, scrolling through really quickly, pausing only on those photographs that catch my eye. When I realized how completely lazy that is, it got me thinking. I wonder if that is how people read OUR blog. Do they only quickly skim the pictures? Do they skip right past the text and only pause when they see something that catches their eye?
So I looked at our stats. The average reader spends a little more than 4 minutes browsing Style Me Pretty. That number was lower over the holidays, obviously, and has been climbing steadily since January 2nd. So what can you do in four minutes? Do you read it? Do you just look at the pretty pictures and read only when something resonates?
I remember when Daily Candy launched and I read EVERY. SINGLE. ISSUE. Well, my inbox actually now has over 3000 unread Daily Candy’s. Although I chalk it up to being busy, perhaps I am just not as addicted anymore. Perhaps there is so much content out there, I have become a lazy reader.
So the question is…how do we ensure that readers not only stop by, but that they stick around for a while and really enjoy what we are doing? That the words I obsess over before I click “publish” actually get read. It’s a new challenge for us SMP-ers but I would love to hear any ideas that you guys have.
I have 85 subscriptions in my google reader (which is completely ridiculous, I know) so there is something new every time I look at my computer. And there are certain blogs that I’ve noticed publish 10 or 15 times a day. Sometimes they publish the same things twice, which I can only assume is an attempt to get more hits from readers who might have missed something the first time around. They get a cursory glance. I scroll through the pictures and that’s that. Because I can’t imagine that they are investing much thought in the accompanying text when they post that many times a day. So why should I invest my time in reading it?
But blogs that publish more edited content and that obviously take their time with each feature, those are the ones I read. It’s a trade-off, I think. If you are mindful of your purpose when writing I will be respectful enough to read it. If you dash things off just for the sake of being able to say that you post a million times a day, I feel a sense of disrespect for me as a reader and I don’t make any extra effort.
The same goes for Twitter. I know it’s the latest greatest social media marketing tool, at least according to all the gurus out there, but if you can’t reign yourself in I will totally unfollow. I don’t need to see the same face taking up an entire page of new tweets. You know what they say – the people who talk the most tend to say the least.
By the way, I was using the universal “you” when I wrote my comment. I think it’s pretty obvious which side of that situation SMP is on.
I read blogs the same was I read a magazine. skim through first, look at the pictures that catch my eye, read the articles, or text, that accompany that picture, then go through the whole thing fronto to back, beginning to end. Not all in one sitting. I have my favorite blogs, constantly adding to the list, but if I don’t look at it for a couple weeks, it’s off the list. SMP is not one of these.
I skim through and look at all the pictures first, if they catch my eye, I go back and read the text.
I tend to skim alot in my google reader in the morning (it difficult to read everything when you have over 300 things unread!) and look at the pictures first. if something catches my eye (image wise) i will bookmark it and go back and read it throughly later. i have my favourite blogs that i always stop and read every.single.word but most im afraid i dont. I will also always bookmark and properly read posts about blogging and business etc like your backstage posts.
4 minutes is great, actually!!
i actually just read a post at problogger about the rules of writing/reading/styling a blog post that is very relevant to the questions you’re asking: http://www.problogger.net/archives/2010/01/04/the-blah-blah-blah-blogging-rules-f-it/
as for my blog, i used to keep every post very short & image based. then, i noticed that the posts i put more time & story into were going viral much more often. so i’ve adjusted my course to include at least 1 short post and 1 long-form, story post everyday. i try to keep in mind the principles in the article above to allow skimmers the chance to enjoy the longer posts, too!
as for reading, i’m definitely a skimmer. but headings & great 1st paragraphs often get me reading much more deeply. so i think it has a lot to do with the skill of the blogger to pull me into their post.
I have TONS of blogs that I subscribe to in my google reader and I am embarrassed to say I haven’t read one of them in about 6 months
When I do look at a blog the first thing I go to is the pictures, but if something (like this post) catches my eye I will read the whole thing through, forwards and backwards 
Don’t get me wrong, I like to read blogs, but they need to catch my attention..short and sweet is probably the best way to go…great post BTW!
I’ve become a lazy reader …. I have to admit.
So I need to have pretty looking posts. With not too much text.
But then again, I might not be a good reference, because my posts aren’t a combo of that necessarily. Well I think.
I divide into buckets to save time.
1) Only read when I need inspiration or to get my creative juices flowing. (ex. dieline)
2) Read headlines only and click on what catches my eye. (ex. all my google alrerts, news feeds and business based blogs)
3) Everything else I skim the pictures and the text. I tend to read more in depth when the writers uses sub headers and bullet point lists with bold headings. When using reader that type of structure makes it easier for me to organize my thoughts and thus read faster/ process more info. (ex. all wedding blogs)
Every now and then I take my laptop to the couch and curl up with a cup of coffee. Then I read everything- b/c its for just fun and not fun work.
I feel like anyone can post a pretty picture, but its the story behind the photos that make good blogs more than just eye candy.
On my Blogger reader, for me to actually make the jump to the blog and read the story, I look for a title to catch my eye as well as a good visual, and an introduction that intrigues/excites me enough to make me want to read on.
Abby- I’ll admit that I don’t typically read. I skim over to see if I there’s something that’s different and I don’t recognize or if there is something amazing I’ll check to see who did it. Otherwise, I’m a bad lazy reader as well. Don’t take it personally or think your content is lacking (it’s definitely not) the problem is the ever growing time deficit that we all have.
Warmly, Lauren
My style is similar to Kat’s & Marjorie’s. I skim to see if photos or any sentences/phrases jump out at me. If time I will read it then and there, if not I will bookmark in appropriate folder to revisit later in day or week. I always like to take a peek to see what everyone is up to and I definitely have favorites that keep on top of. Great question.
I have to say that I, too, fall on the side of being a lazy reader far more often than I like. I recently went through my subscriptions and “cut back” to around 250, to attempt to make it more manageable so I can actually get back to that time when I’d snuggle up with a cup of coffee and my Macbook and read for hours, waiting impatiently for the next post. I’ve also organized my Google Reader into categories, some of which I leave entirely for the evening or the weekend when I can really devour every word.
The blogs I stop and read word for word are the ones with writing that is rich with personality and makes me feel connected to the blogger and inspired to try something new, to make something new, and to get out from in front of a computer screen and do something exciting. Current favorites include Joy the Baker, Snippet & Ink which has been a favorite for years, honey & jam, decor8, design*sponge and I, too, am a huge Young House Love fan. I really love getting a sense for who a blogger is, because that’s what sets a blog apart from traditional print media – you get to connect and interact with the person behind all the pretty. If I don’t feel connected or if the blogger has a style that seems more formal or closed off, I’m probably only going to skim the post.
Great post, Abby!
There are certain blogs I visit religiously, and always make a point to read in full. This is due to two static factors: beautiful pictures, and written content with which I can identify. I can’t get enough of those bloggers out there who infuse their lives and personalities into their writing, unadulterated. It’s a unique feeling when I find I have something in common with another person and, for some reason, the feeling is very rewarding.
Obsessing over every word? Bravo in the background, providing ambient sound? I do that, and I’ve been there. That previously unknown common ground makes me feel connected with you… and want to come back to read about what else we may share the next time you post. Of course, this is SMP, so it’s far more than just identifying with the author that guarantees a return visit. But still.
Interesting post, and thought provoking. I think that I have to agree with the first comment, Jenni Bailey. I notice that some authors do post a lot of content, seemingly all at once. I tend to have a greater connection to blogs that post a little less, with more substance. I compare everything to food, but seriously… it’s like eating a bunch of empty calories that don’t stimulate or energize {only waste time}. When I feel like I’ve read something or viewed images that inspire me and skip the fluff, I feel so much more satisfied.
Abby – have you considered it’s possible that you have readers who spend 4 minutes because they check your blog multiple times a day? How many unique hits spend only 4 minutes?
I probably spend less than 5 mins on you blog, but I also check it multiple times a day. (By multiple I mean whenever I’m not sending an email or talking to a client at work)
Also, I don’t read every single word on SMP – unless a subject or picture interests me. Part of this, I think, is because I know you are talking about how beautiful the wedding is. However, I read every single word and MOST comments on Backstage because you are generally always talking about something new. And your “voice” over here sounds fresher and more… interesting?
I TOTALLY agree with Jenni at the top of the comments! There are several people who’s blog I read EVERY TIME and usually there are three different factors:
1) They actually post good content on their blog. Take the time to write something meaningful and worth reading. The people who blog way too much or refer to the people following as “stalkers” (there’s just something about that which makes me feel like the person writing the blog has an inflated ego) I get irritated at and take off my google reader.
2) Good photos. I will always read more with good photos.
3) Helpful DIY info (as you have) that I can either use myself or pass onto brides that I am photographing.
I’m with Jenni in that I have tons of blogs in my reader – just checked: over 500 unread articles. That said, I organize my reader by subject and do regularly read some subjects more than others. Some blogs, especially the larger more profitable ones, I only look at the pictures. I really don’t care what they say b/c I know they didn’t take the picture or create something – they’re just regurgitating someone else’s creativity for their own gain. I personally highly value the blogs that show me how to do something or share their own photos/creations/finds. Those are the ones I take more time to read. I’ve been purging bloggers lately…getting rid of ones that don’t seem to progress or who have gotten away from the reason I liked them in the first place. I’ve tried to also get rid of the wedding blogs since I’m married now…and yet, here I am…on Style Me Pretty! hahahaahah Some blogs just “stick!”
Ithe writing is good, I will read through it. For example, I read Decor8 every day, and I read every word because Holly is a great writer. I love her photos too, but it’s her writing that really shines for me.
I read every word of Back Stage (which I check every day). I visit SMP probably once a week or so when I see on Twitter that you’ve blogged on a topic that I’m particulary fond of (Inspiration to Reality, for example) – and then I read every word.
I guess as a reader, I like to be discerning. I read fewer blogs more carefully. I don’t use Google Reader – I visit blogs directly because I want to appreciate the whole look, feel and experience of the blog.
I think I do a bit of both, depending on the blog and/or the post. I have a ton of stuff in my Google reader, and I’ve been trying to come to terms with the fact that I don’t actually have to try and clear it out each time I go in there! But, there are a number of blogs that I subscribe to purely for the pictures! Like someone else was saying, I use them for inspiration and to see what is out there, and because I trust the design bloggers eye and that they will bring me lovely things to look at, ha.
If someone mixes it up (and doesn’t post millions of posts a day) like Tara was saying, then I am much more likely to stop and read the more story oriented posts.
I am a guilty skimmer. With 272 subscriptions I feel like I have to be. There are a few where I dote on every word no matter what. I recently pulled those blogs into their own folder (lovingly named “devour”) and do just that each evening after my little one goes to bed.
The rest I am beyond guilty of looking at beautiful pictures, starring those I want to read later (a lot like how I handle my magazine subscriptions) then going back and reading the starred posts. Un-starring them if the text makes me lose interest.
Blogs that I do read even in my skimming are the brief, right to the point posts. Blogs I devour speak with their own voice and I have fallen for them because of it (Joy the Baker, Becoming Sarah). Yet if we are being perfectly honest, I don’t remember the last time I actually read a Decor8 or Design*Sponge post, I skim them for stunning pictures that inspire me.
Oh, last but not least, SMP is the most “posts per day”, besides SwissMiss, on my list. Anything more and I’m over loaded and I unsubscribe. Sadly that was the reason I had to unsubscribe from WeddingBee and ffffound.
While I read every word in this post because that is what it was about – I really only “read” blogs for the images. If the images are not good, I don’t even bother visiting a second time.
However, I find I get the most comments, RT’s and page views on my blog when I am sharing personal tid-bits about my life, telling a personal story or asking thought provoking questions. Certainly, I make every effort to include beautiful “eye candy” to go along with those posts – so… long story short, I don’t know what the answer is!
wow a LOT of comments on this one! i have 212 subscriptions according to google reader, 79 of which are wedding related. i’m very accustomed to the 1000+ unread status of my google reader, much to my detriment.
most of the wedding blogs i subscribe to are skimmed through- using the “expanded” view function to skim through more quickly. if i love something about the venue or flowers or a diy project or something, i’ll star or “mark unread” it or post about it on my blog. style me pretty, design sponge, and many of my subscriptions fall into this category. i usually don’t even click through from my google reader, which means you unfortunately can’t track everything! i wonder if it would be more valuable to post each wedding feature in 1 post (instead of breaking them up into parts I, II, III, IV, etc) but use a “click to get more” since so many people are using third party readers.
there are a few blogs that i LOVE and will actually read through all the text- backstage being one of them. smitten kitchen’s another favorite, and i even have to click through to read everything!!
love, love all the strategic thinking you guys are doing out there and best of luck with making changes!
note- i think one of the reasons it’s hard to keep wedding-blog-content fresh is because so often the text is very similar from post-to-post. i mean, it must be SO challenging to come up with new ways of saying “i love this wedding!” “her dress is gorgeous!” and “these vintage twine invitations are so unique!”.
anna’s comment above mentions that back stage content feels more fresh, and that’s probably because it is! a lot of wedding blog readers are brides-to-be, which means they’re only probably reading a specific blog for anywhere from 6 months – 2 years while they prepare for their wedding. unfortunately for some of us who aren’t necessarily “short-term” subscribers, seeing dozens of weddings and DIY projects can sadly lose it’s “fresh” appeal.
apologizes for being such a downer in my tone, but i really think there is hope! and if anyone can come up with a creative, business-minded solution, i’m sure you guys are it!
I LOVE Backstage. But it is definitely contributing to my poor time management skills (as bemoaned on Elaine’s Backstage post yesterday)! Today, for example, I kept trying to write my posts for the Little Black Book Blog. Between my irritating PC ‘issues’ and reading Abby’s SMP posts and these comments, it took FOREVER to finish. But the insight that I gained ~ about how y’all read (or not) and why was super-helpful. I kept going back to the post-in-progress to tweak it. That being said, I still love Backstage.
I read just about every word of Backstage, but it is more text based than photo based too:). I read SMP but mainly skim first then read the ones that are most interesting to me.
Like most everyone else I have many blogs in my reader that go unread (until I have time to read them …and then its the same thing…skim first, read the most interesting content).
hmmm…I guess I read every word of Backstage but have to admit that I haven’t really read much of the text of SMP…but i think that’s because the content on Backstage is truly original and so insightful. And the tone of writing on Backstage is refreshingly honest. I think SMP is gorgeous and inspirational, but there are also tons of other wedding blogs that offer up gushing text with pictures that are just as beautiful.
I have to admit I don’t always read SMP but I do look at all the pictures. I think I would read more of certain posts if you had headings within the post so I could pick out certain themes of interest. I almost always read what you write but I don’t always look at what the brides have written.
I ALWAYS read Backstage because the themes are clear and the subject is more focused (not that SMP posts aren’t, they’re just more about one wedding and all its details, you know?).
p.s. I’m loving Backstage. Thanks for writing here!
Hi everyone, I really wanted to comment on this post because it accurately described my browsing style on SMP. but it seems that everyone has pretty much said it all.
One thing I have done though, is be honest about what i’m reading on my reader and delete a lot of blogs that have been boring me lately. I subscribed to quite a few wedding blogs but started unsubscribing them when I realized that they weren’t fulfilling their intended purpose, which was to inspire or challenge me to create interesting features for my own blog.
I have read every post on Backstage, and sometimes come back to an article that I found particularly useful, but let’s face it, this blog is about the business, but the business itself is SMP.
As for SMP. I especially enjoy reading the bride’s comments, since they contain the most details about the inspirations, the details, the vendors and all the hard work. I spend very little time on the site possibly because there is too much to look at, and I don’t have time go over every wedding, and to tell the truth, after a while they all start to look the same.
When something stands out to me as particularly unique or beautiful, only then do I take the time to read over the text. Some weddings that stand out from recent entries are the Bali Wedding, the Kentucky Wedding with Vintage charm, and the Kenwood Wedding. A wedding that inspired me on my own blog was the Vintage Wedding by Justin and Mary.
Good question! I think every reader will be different. For me, it’s about mood — am I looking to be inspired? educated? entertained? The three elements that span all my moods are excellent photographs, good writing and fresh content. Without these I lose interest quickly.
Hi Abby!
I think it depends on the day – just like other people have said – sometimes i want details, sometimes i just want to look at pretty pictures. haha
That being said, i recently noticed on my own blog that the posts that get more comments are way more simple, short, and have pictures.
But as for the Daily Candy thing – SAME HERE!!! I havent read a daily candy email all the way through in probably 6 months.
I think I’m a lazy reader too. I usually just skim and sometimes a word or picture catches my eye and then I slow down to read. This somehow caught my eye. I have not even been here to your blog before. I was clicking on some new ones in the google reader. I have about 5 blogs that are my top ones that I usually read every word and the rest are usually skimmed. One that I definately stop and usually read the entire post is Decor8 and I have been trying to figure out why I do that myself. I think it is because number one, I like most all of the pictures she posts and number two, her writing is personalized and engaging the reader to interact. A lot of times her writing seems like she is talking just to you personally and not to an audience of readers. She writes like she is sitting down and talking to her best friend. I think this is what makes me read most of the words she is writing.
My theory is that it all boils down to how new the reader is to your blog. At first, the reader scours all content to get a feel for your writing style, sense of humor, surprises, etc that may otherwise not be apparent in pictures. Then, as they know (after many repeated visits) how you write, content becomes less fresh to them (even though it’s hot off the press!) and it becomes more visually-oriented, rather than content-oriented. I am by no means an expert in the subject, since on average readers spend less than 1 minute *cough* on my pages, but that could be because (1) my entries aren’t very long on purpose, (2) my entries are less about writing and more about curation and selection, or (3) I don’t keep a whole lot of posts on the index pages, to improve load times (I am going to tinker with this as soon as I hit “submit comment”!)