I haven’t found an anime to review on Sundays for this season so I’m going to take advantage of this little respite and thank my readers just for being here. It means so much, now more than ever.
I’m writing this on Thursday. I hit 2k overnight on Wednesday. Hopefully by the time this post goes public I won’t have lost enough followers to go back under. If I do, then please be nice to me, I’ll be mildly depressed.
I get asked a lot about how to gain followers or how to built a “successful” blog. A lot being a relative term, maybe once a week. But the truth is, I don’t know. I have no clue how I got here. When I started I figured I would be lucky to get even 10 people to read my stuff let alone anyone to follow this blog. It’s all rather surreal and I am awed and humbled and grateful.
I know it sounds cliché. Everyone says that. I never would have imagined… But it’s the truth. And I think it might be the truth for everyone. One thing I have come to realize is that although it is possible to have some type of spectacular overnight success in the blogging community, it’s extremely rare. Possibly even more uncommon than in other online mediums because let’s face it, the audience for non sexy written word is limited when compared to video or even audio. For the large majority of us, the only real way to amass an audience is with consistency and patience. It just takes a long time.
I figure that people that start out a blog thinking they’ll soon turn into an online celebrity and anime authority will probably get impatient and figure out quickly that it’s not the best means to their ends. As for those that are hoping to turn a profit, oh boy is that a rough road to to go down. At the end of the day, those that have stuck around for years are usually people who can find satisfaction in just writing the blog itself and never really thought about anything beyond that.
At least that’s the impression that I get. Maybe I’m completely wrong though. Feel free to let me know!
It is the reality for me. The popularity of this blog goes up and down and if that was my only reason for writing it, I would have given up. Luckily I still needed a depository for my screen caps and anime gif collection so it gave me a reason to keep going. I figured I would throw a few words in there just to break up the pictures… You know, it’s easier on the eyes.
I feel bad for the people that ask me for advice in this particular category. I’m really dreadfully unhelpful. I guess the only real thing I have noticed is that consistency works. The more you post the more your blog will tend to grow and the more frequently you post the faster it will grow. Mind you, it can also make you loose some followers. Some people don’t like to have their feeds flooded by any one specific blog so there are some serious diminishing returns on the frequency part.
As you might know, I post every day. I have posted every day since I started this blog and I find that it works for me. I know blogs that post multiple times a day but there’s no point in taking up a schedule that can’t be sustained. Readers are much more likely to return to a blog that posts less frequently but more consistently than one that goes MIA. At least from what I could observe.
Two thousand people is both not much and almost inconceivably huge. I’m not sure I’ve spoken one on one to two thousand people in my life. I know that there are tons of online celebrities with 100x that and more. In the grand scheme of things it may not be that much at all. But it seems enormous to me. And for reasons I can’t completely explain, it makes me really happy.
With people stuck at home and probably really bored, I’ve seen a good uptick in visitors and views as well. I understand that it’s not a momentum I’ll be able to keep up with in the long run but it’s still nice. I’ve been isolating for almost a month now. And it feels just a little bit less lonely to be able to communicate with people all over the world through this little blog.
And actually that’s it, that’s the only thing I really wanted to say. You guys are making me a little less lonely right now and for that, I really want to thank you. I sincerely hope that you all also have a safe outlet to socialize a little and aren’t feeling to secluded or trapped. We’re going through a very difficult time right now and we’re still in it for a while. But as hard as it may be to remember, since we have to stay away from each other, we are going through it together. And when we get through it, it will be together as well.
This is a comforting thought for me. And it’s something that I was vividly reminded of when I saw my little counter tick to a round number. Silly, I know. But I’ll take all the silly optimism I can get.
So once again, for anyone that has passed through this blog, whether you decided to follow or not, thank you for sharing a little moment with me. These little moments are precious. I hope we can continue to share them.
Stay safe out there,
Irina
Congratulations
Congrats on your milestone!! Although I haven’t fully explored your blog, I like reading your essays. And your writing inspires me, to put it in a way. Hope you could stick around for a long, long time!
Stay safe and healthy, Irina!
Same to you Aina and thank you so much! This sweet comment made my day
Hi! I just want to express my Congratulations to you Irina. You deserve it and I am glad that I am able to connect with you!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate it
Hey, just wanted to put in my late congratulations. It’s a big milestone, and you deserve it.
Thank you so much! I appreciate it
Congratulations Irina 🎉, Just followed your blog
wow Thank you so much!
Last time I checked you were at 2007. Today you are at 2010. I think you’re safe.
All your essays are fabulous, regardless of whether anime is even involved. Back when newspapers existed, you’d have made a great columnist, maybe another Erma Bombeck.
Congratulations! Now on to 3K.
Now that is a truly bush worthy compliment! Thank you!
Congrats!!
Thanks!
Congratulations. 2000 followers is amazing.
It really is! Thank you so much Crow!
Congrats 4 the 2k followers.
-K (rogueotakugamer)
Thank you
Congratulations! I am not surprised. You are astoundingly consistent with posting, and somehow also manage to post insightful, amusing, interesting posts that draw me in every time. The only ones I don’t read are the episodic ones of anime I am not watching (yet) because I’m afraid of spoilers. And I love the screen caps so keep ’em coming 😀 Consider that while we are all home and scouring the ‘net for interesting things – many people have time now to do the things we wished we could do, blah blah blah – and now they have found you…well a daily commitment to read a post (or in my case, catch up every few days) really isn’t that much time when you’re enjoying them and getting useful things from them (like a never ending watchlist). What I’m trying to say is yes, you may have an uptick because of the lockdowns, but I think the vast majority of the new people are going to stay. Because you’re just that good 😉
Blessedbe. Be Safe. Be Well.
You know Foovay you’re one of these readers that remind me that I would be just as happy with 3 actual bog friends and how lucky I am to have found some regardless the follower number
Maybe it’s because I have no blog and have no sense of proportion, but 2000 followers sounds amazing. I’d be surprised to get a hundred, of which I’d expect around 10 to read regularly, and that’d be optimistic.
2000 followers is amazing, and clueless or not, I’ll stand by that.
Congrats!
t sounds amazing and slightly though to believe to me too. Thank you!
That’s wonderful, congratulations!
Thank you Atemis!
Congrats again! Keep at it!
Thank you so much! I will!
Amazing achievement and I am happy you reached it! I hope you maintain it as well. You are my greatest example when it comes to blogging just because you have that style down I am kind of aiming for. I am not as wise in anime as you are.. but I am more widely spread. Still your posts make me smile a lot. From your jokes which clearly you have had fun writing.. to the way you comment on yourself if you ramble! There is a great joy for what you do in your writing and with that virtual smile I think good things will keep happening to you and this blog!
Congrats Rini Senpai!
Thank you Pinkie. I was a huge newb when I started mind you (I’m still a newb but not as much), my readers had to teach me about anime with very post and that’s probably where I earned the most
Congrats! Also, happy Easter! Wishing you well–wishing everyone well!–as we muddle through this current situation.
Happy late Easter to you and your family as well!
Congrats! 2k is awesome!
Thank you Matt!
Congratulations!
Thanks!
That’s a really long title for a post yet it didn’t exactly sound like a light novel title. Nowadays when I think lightnovels I think “That time I got ” so I guess to be a light novel title it’d have to be something like “That time I got 2k followers and wanted to share my experience and gratitude” or something.
Sorry, that was really random. Kinda like your tag “Thank you; Random milestones; I’m as baffled as you”. I laughed a little inside.
Anyways, should probably have said this part first but congrats on 2k! Fortunately, it’s still at 2k at the time I’ve viewing this post at least 🙂
Tank you! Believe it or not this is probably not in my top ten longest post titles…
Hey, that’s an idea for a post! XD
Well deserved badass here. You know you’re awesome Miss Irina and I see you as a blog senpai hehe
I’m not ready, Lita is still my blogging goals, I can’t take the pressure…
I’m your blogging goals.. oh no I’m a terrible example
phshaw… you’re one of my first followers and you always look like you’re having fun with your blog which is infectious for your readers. I would call that goals
>\\\\\\\< awhhh same here in your blog and posts. Personality is why people love your blog Irina I think that is obvious!! I always hope people have fun reading my randomness. I can see you do!!
Congrats on 2k followers Irina it’s well deserved.
Thank you so much!