Today marks my 3rd anniversary in the political blogosphere - the first year and a half or so started out as a bit of a bumpy ride, but it’s smoothed out a lot in the last year and a half.
Here’s the post I wrote on my 2nd blogiversary, which explains why I started blogging, how I started out, what my first post was, and what I had done up to that point to increase readership.
Since I wrote that post, my readership has increased greatly - in fact, as I noted back in June when my Sitemeter ticked over 300,000, most of those visits had come within the last year (from June 2005-June 2006). That’s something I’m very proud of, and I have you guys and gals - along with the support of a few bloggers who gave me some great advice last year (most noteably, the fearless La Shawn Barber, to whom I am very grateful) - to thank for it.
Blogging is hard work, and it’s rare you have a blogger out there who is successful right off the bat. Unless you already have an established name prior to blogging, it’s more than likely going to be years before you see the kind of readership you really want. And unless you’re someone who gets routinely (almost daily) linked to by the bigs, you’re going to have to have to work even harder to gain readership. It’s tough, and it may seem unfair sometimes, but that’s just how it is. You can write what you feel is the post of the year on any given issue, track it back to several blogs, and not get one link back. But the blogger who gets frequently linked writes a two-liner on the same issue, and gets a link from the bigs. It’s frustrating (and it’s happened to almost all of us), but blogging is like most endeavors in that you really have to work at it in order to succeed - and like those other endeavors, success rarely happens overnight. Do your best to not let the minor setbacks frustrate you.
I wrote this in my last blogiversary post and it still holds true today:
It wasn’t until June of this year that I finally decided that this [blogging] was something I wanted to continue to do, because whether I had 20 readers or 20,000, I was blogging about what I felt was important and if only 20 people found it important, that was ok too. That’s one of the things you learn over time when you blog: if you blog based only on what you think others want to read rather than what you think is important, you might as well get out of it.
If you’re a blogger, please always, always remember that.
I don’t get the hundreds of thousands of hits that Instapundit or Malkin get daily, but I’m happy with the traffic I get everyday, and hope it grows. But if it doesn’t, I’ll still be here regardless, blogging about what I’m passionate about. I love doing this, and can see myself doing this for a very long time to come. Maybe one day, I can do something like this from home full time, so I can make the blog even better.
Thanks to everyone who has made this blog a daily visit in their travels around the blogosphere. Your support means a lot to me - more than my usually wordy self can express 
BTW, congrats are in order to Captain Ed, who is also celebrating his 3rd blogiversary and also to the Anchoress, who has just passed the 2 million visit mark on her blog.
very well said.
I get a fraction of your traffic, yet whenever I check my stats, I see some strange cross link. A post on flag burning ended up in the facebook communities for example.
I also see a lot of search engine results, and it is hunmbling that somehow my blogs are being seen not by the handle of faithful friends who support me, but by a complete stranger somewhere far away.
I, like you resolved that I would continue for my own benefit regardless.
Happy day Sister!
Comment by Karl @ 10/3/2006 - 10:25 am
ST–
Happy Blogiversary! I’m coming up on my third on Columbus Day Weekend and I completely agree. It can be frustrating at times, but it’s well worth the effort.
I enjoy stopping by whenever I get the chance. Thanks for being out there…
~WS~
Comment by William Smith @ 10/3/2006 - 10:26 am
Congratulations, ST, from another Carolina blogger
Comment by William Teach @ 10/3/2006 - 10:50 am
Happy 3rd. May your hit rate be massive.
Now, if I can escape my 50th birthday without black baloons and without the Packers losing too badly.
Comment by PCD @ 10/3/2006 - 11:35 am
Congrats on the milestone. Best wishes for your future blogging!
Comment by lawhawk @ 10/3/2006 - 11:36 am
Congrats & Happy 3rd as well a Long, Happy & Healthy Blogging future.
A Frequent Reader and Fan!
Comment by Tom @ 10/3/2006 - 12:17 pm
Happy 3rd!
Comment by Ryan @ 10/3/2006 - 12:51 pm
Happy 3rd Anniversary Dear….. Actually I long to say that in another context tho…
This is a milestone and I am so happy that you have decided to stay in this for the long run. Always - Lorica
Comment by Lorica @ 10/3/2006 - 1:02 pm
- Happy happy 3rd ST - Exemplory writing as usual.
- Off topic - If you havn’t caught wind of the exclusive interview a Gitmo army nurse is giving to Patterico, it’s riviting. The true story of “inside Gitmo”, where this psyche-Op relates some of his experiences dealing directly with the terrorists. Invaluable insights into the way these people think, without the usual Liberal spin. Link here…..
- Bang
Comment by Big Bang Hunter @ 10/3/2006 - 1:05 pm
Out of the terrible two’s !
Happy Blogiversary!
Comment by Baklava @ 10/3/2006 - 1:58 pm
Happy Blogiversary ST! Woo Hoo!
Comment by Severian @ 10/3/2006 - 2:47 pm
Yeah!!! Congratulations, ST…happy blogiversary and many many more to come!!
Comment by Great White Rat @ 10/3/2006 - 2:51 pm
Wishing you the best on this 3rd blogiversary. The advice you give is excellent. It can be hard and very frustrating. You slave over one post and nobody comments. You throw something up that takes a few minutes, and everybody’s talking. No rhyme or reason. One day TTLB loves you, the next day you get smacked down. Again, no apparent rhyme or reason.
You are a roll model. Thanks.
Comment by Debbie @ 10/3/2006 - 3:23 pm
I blog, therefore I am? Congratulations!
Comment by Sissy Willis @ 10/3/2006 - 3:32 pm
Three years in the books, 97 to go! A century of ST is what I say! Keep up the good work!
Comment by Mwalimu Daudi @ 10/3/2006 - 5:41 pm
Happy Blogiversary ST!
Comment by Chuck @ 10/3/2006 - 6:30 pm
I only visit cuz your a babe…..
A babe with a brain!
I join with the others in sincere congratulations. You write with passion and great insight and I consider myself lucky to have found you. You also have some really sharp people posting great comments and I think it is too intimidating for the nutjobs to spend too much time here. Between you and your core visiters, I often find it difficult to add to the discussion. Keep up the great work and I hope you’re around for a great while.
…cuz you’re a babe.
OK, I said it! I’m not sorry! It’s true!
Comment by Marshall Art @ 10/4/2006 - 12:16 am
So it’s true. You chose an excellent day to undertake this site, if I do say so myself. Happy anniversary to you ST!
And most of what Marshall said……
Comment by forest hunter @ 10/4/2006 - 1:45 am
Wow! That’s staying power!
Comment by benning @ 10/4/2006 - 11:31 am