For a long time I struggled with where this blog was going. How do I attract readers? Siriusly. It seems no matter what I do, I can’t grow beyond 100 subscribers.
One of my biggest character flaws is I don’t know how to accept no for an answer. Which basically means I don’t know when to give up. If I do it just one more time….maybe I’ll get a different outcome. What if the NEXT time I do that, it works?
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. ~ Albert Einstein
Who can argue with Einstein? Maybe Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory, but certainly not Jodi from Heart Like a Dog.
Some people would say it’s time to let the blog go.
But I can’t do that. I love this blog and I love all of you who read and comment. You bring me up when I’m feeling down, you celebrate with me when something good happens, and you rally around one another like family, friends and neighbors should do when one of our own needs it.
Dammit! You people are awesome!
One could argue that I’m still finding my way and learning what works and doesn’t work on this blog. Or that I’m too stubborn and refuse to do it any way but mine.
Either one of those statements would probably be right.
So I keep trying new things to see what folks like. I really want this blog to be a place where people come to laugh and feel good, even when they’re dealing with something frustrating, like a training issue. Can I share a struggle I had, and inject a little humor in there and help someone else feel better?
I’d like to think so.
I tell you all of this because I’m trying something new. I’m not going to sit here with panties full of piss and whine because I’m wet. I’m making some changes!
Image courtesy of AJ from I Still Want More Puppies.
This is my little avatar/cartoon me that my friend and soul sister AJ, from I Still Want More Puppies made for me. It’s for the times I feel like going on a rant.
Can I tackle a tough subject and make it funny? I’d like to try. SO, you may be seeing my little cartoon coming out on the blog now and then when something gets me riled up and I feel like climbing up on my soapbox.
But first you have to tell me, do you think the little cartoon me should be serious like the above photo or smiling like this one?
This cartoon is also courtesy of the amazing Aj, from I Still Want More Puppies.
Switching topics, we’ve had an awful lot of snow in the last couple of weeks and I happened to notice this snowman in front of a house around the corner from where I live. It is the biggest snowman I’ve ever seen.
Sorry for the crappy quality, I took it with my phone. Why do they tell me the phone has an awesome camera? I think it sucks.
Can you tell from the photo that it’s at least six or seven feet tall? Do you think the folks that live in the house would think it weird if I stopped and asked if I could have my picture taken with the snowman?
This is Thursday’s Barks and Bytes, hosted by 2 Brown Dawgs and Heart Like a Dog. Grab a badge and join the fun!
Wow – that is like a Jabba the Snowman!
I mean… I’m not a nerd…
Anyway… I think I like the smiling avatar better, but the other one definitely has uses! I could see it with a ranty caption like “pull your head out of your ass”.
That’s a cute snowman. Just take the picture and get out of there 😀
OMD that snowman is HUGE. Love the idea of the toons and no worries we are all learning and forever changing. Have a tremendous Thursday.
Best wishes Molly
I felt panic when I saw you were thinking of giving up your blog – you can’t do that to me!! Glad to read that someone who seems so together also panics and worries about blog related things, and can’t help but get stuck up on silly things like subscribers etc!
I love the cartoons, I think the stern face is more appropriate for the rant and you should so have your photo taken with the snowman! Why would someone build a big snowman if they didn’t want the world to enjoy it?!
Crack on with the blog! There are many things you can do to expand your audience but they do involve a lot of time.
Grand snowman. We don’t get enough snow in a year to make such a thing.
Hi Y’all!
Love both cartoon “yous”. Keep ’em both! Use the serious one when you’re rantin’ and the smiley face “when you’re ravin'”? (If I do say so myself, that is a pathetic attempt at rhyming.) You get my point though, don’t you?
As I recall the rules of your blog are…”my blog, my rules”…
As for the spam in yesterday’s post (yes, as usual I’m playin’ catch up) yes to the wand innuendo. Once my Human turned off anonymous comments the spam stopped comin’. I still get everybody else’s comments.
Keep on barkin’ at us!
Hawk aka BrownDog
Definitely the smiling head. Better results with honey than vinegar and all that. Snowman-wise. I can’t help visualizing Sampson and Delilah jumping up on it and ripping it to shreds. Now THAT’S a picture!
LOL I was thinking that the snowman looked gigantic! Guess that is one thing to do with snow. 🙂
I like both cartoons. I think if I were picking just one for an avatar, I would pick the smiling one. But couldn’t you use both, say in a post. One of you are being serious or ticked and the other if you are being funny? Not all the time, but now and again. LOL I guess Hawk wrote the same.
And you know that I love your blog and would miss it if it went away.
Yikes! It is 5:30am and you scared the fur off of me! So many bloggers seem to be quitting and we panicked at the thought of losing you and your blog! Glad you aren’t quitting as we love your blog and your humor…not to mention the hilarious cartoons of you today! Mom thinks a lot of people are just frustrated by winter and it carries over into their creativity on their blogs. Lots of folks are totally frustrated with winter life, maybe that is part of your problem at the moment. Mom worries about my numbers sometimes, but really, the blog is about having a good time writing and those that “are lucky enough” to have found and follow me get to enjoy what my paws type for them. Slow and steady is our motto. Don’t panic, don’t pass go, and don’t collect the $200. Take it at the speed you want and enjoy what you are doing.
I’m with Emma….you scared me for a minute there! I’m so glad you are not leaving, but just trying some new stuff. Follow your bliss, right? Don’t worry too much about the numbers, I try not to, and when I look at them often wish I hadn’t. It just gets me thinking in directions that I don’t want to think (like no one likes me….now there’s a good whine! lol)
I love your rants and think your serious faced avatar would work better for that. But as others said, I think you could use the smiling one at other times.
Also, if you haven’t seen my replies to your comments on my blog….please know that I appreciate your caring and support SO MUCH. It is really helping me through this tough time.
If you ever feel like you’re not accomplishing enough in this world, be proud of yourself for getting two AJ cartoons out in the world. Because she’s been talking about doing cartooning for a while. See how important you are?
And yes, I agree with having a different avatar depending on your mood. Great idea from your readers.
As for blogging, I have one question: is Heart Like a Dog your art or is it your work? Because the answer will determine what you do with your blog and how you feel about it.
I suspect that it’s your art. And if that’s true, stop comparing yourself to anyone else. Be thrilled that 100 people want to get every word you write in their inbox. That’s amazing! And don’t dis those of us who never miss a word but hate getting stuff by email so we keep up with you by feed reader. 🙂
If you want to make it your work, you probably will have to go in a new direction. But I wonder if you’d like that. Really.
Jodi’s kind of a Pup Fan whisperer.
Better not introduce her to Mr. Pup Fan. 🙂
Love your new cartoon. Also love your blog Jodi. I’m glad you’re not giving up on it. I can’t speak for everyone, but I know I’ve questioned my own blog from time to time. You’re definitely not alone.
Seems like we all have the same insecurity donna
I think you should blog because you think it is funny to do. I havn’t a lot of readers to my blog either, but I blog and make cartoon drawings because its amuse me. Sometimes I have photos and sometimes i use the drawings on my blog. I have so much fun with it. And for you I think you should use the avatar which suits your mood. Maybe make some drawing yourself, it’s fun and it don’t have to be elegant. I read this blog in Denmark with funny drawings: http://livefralolland.dk and that blog have about 10000-15000 readers pr. month. So you see, it’s not about how elegant the drawings are.
For the second day in a row you made me piss my pants with something you said so you caught my attention. You know I am bad I don’t even look at how many followers I have. I get a email notice when I get one but I can tell you honestly I have no idea how many I have. It doesn’t matter to me, yes I want tons of followers and want to make a difference to people but in the end I am doing this for me and so I have something back to look on with my dogs and that makes a difference to me. I have found that I have to interact with twitter and pinterest as well as facebook to get more people. The blogpaws influential group has been great too. I like the serious cartoon character. I also think that snowman picture turned out great, I like the way it looks. You should just march up and get your picture taken with it.
First of all…..i love the smiley face you…just like below…that is how i picture you.
Second…i love your blog
As you know…i have my own group..and i cannot attract readers either…and have avout the same number. I also have struggled to give it up or not but…and this is a big but….like you…our small group is like family…they are there for me and i for them…just like you. I also have met…via group…amazing people…..and look forward to their remarks and i put…as you do…….
So honestly….i wouldn’t change a thing…..a small group is much more intimate…..you have met amazing people and friends …and like mine…talk about other things than dogs…like your ginormous snowman!!!!
So…all in All…be happy what we have and remember we would never have met our new friends without it….like you and me
I love your blog Jodi and am glad you aren’t giving up! I understand your frustrations and with the google slap that I got, it makes me want to give up and spend my time doing something else. But I’ve made so many friends through my blog that I would hate to lose touch! That snowman is awesome. Wish we had all that snow so we could have built a snowman like that!
Glad you decided to just shift gears and not quit…we would all miss you so. Too many folks are getting frustrated and I think we should all stop judging ourselves to our numbers. If you love it, keep doing it. I like both cartoons – I guess if the soap box you are getting on is serious, I’d use the serious one, if it’s silly, the smiley one – how about that – use both!
WE blog beclaws we LOVE it…. as fur the number of followers… QUALITY vs QUANTITY… It took FUREVER fur US to get triple digit Followers… NOW we have one fur every day of the year… butt it took a LONG LONG time… We TRY to Always be Respectful and not to say anythingy… controversial or offensive… TRY not to… AND we Try to have FUN thingys to post about… it seems that folks like blogs that are FUN… And that have FUN thingys to see… and they also like to learn about stuffs in our local world…. LIKE your HUGE neighborhood SnowFreak…
We are distressed by the number of our furends who have stopped Blogging for a variety of reasons… We miss them ALL. Don’t give UP on Blogville…
I like the smiling cartoon better personally. You guys did a great job on both though!
it is a tiny bit hard to tell how big it is, and I would love nothing more then to see your pic taken with the snowman!!! That would be so cool! And plus it would show the true size of it, standing beside you!
And, meh, who cares if they think it weird! haha!
I love your blog! But you know that!
I have read it every time you post for a few months now, and you always make us laugh!!!
((husky hugz))
Frum our pack at love is being owned by a husky
Obviously I don’t think you should give it up but I am selfish like that. I think maybe you just need to figure out why you are blogging and determine what your goals are, then decide if you need to change to meet those goals or if you are getting enough out of it as is. We all write for different reasons and no one reason is better than another. That what is so great!
No comparison games are allowed. Besides, you have a ton of engagement and that is often way more important than numbers. You have created a community and should be proud!
Also, that image is fantastic. 🙂
I have to pop in and agree with you on what you said about no comparison games allowed and the fact that engagement is so much more meaningful, more important than numbers. That is spot on! Numbers are just numbers but comments and give and take are human and social and the fabric of a community.
I personally like the smiling you best. It’s tough thus blog stuff. I think of quitting every day. I keep it for the people I have met though. That makes it worth it.
I think the first comic works best with the saying. But I love that you have two images and can add whatever saying you like to them. 🙂
Have Delilah take a photo of you next to the snowman. Dammit! I keep forgetting. Dogs don’t have thumbs and can’t use the phone. 🙁
I don’t know why you can’t keep the blog the way it is. It works, You get something from it. We get something from it. It’s a good community. Why does it have to be different or bigger? That’s not necessarily better.
Nope, nope, nope – you can’t give up blogging – it brings you joy and happiness and it brings so many others joy and happiness. I don’t comment all the time, heck sometimes I miss weeks at a time due to the crazy in my life right now, but I know that when I come here I am not too far away from a funny story or picture of Delilah that makes me belly laugh.
As long as you are still enjoying blogging, then keep at it. You are one of the very first bloggers I made a connection with, almost three years ago, and I think you are the longest of my blog readers. The blogging world would simply not be the same without you.
Now on to the avatar – I rather like the more serious one. And as for the snowman, I see no problem with tiptoeing up to it, having someone take a picture and then tiptoeing away.
First, I’m honored that you liked the cartoons enough to actually use them on your blog. 🙂
Second, I hope you stick with the blogging thing. I love reading your rants, your happy thoughts, your stories… all of it. I know that it’s hard not to compare your blog to others, but I have to second what Pamela said regarding art vs. work (and add myself to the list of loyal readers who don’t subscribe by email to anything). What do you want this space to be? Whatever that may be, follow your bliss.
Third, you have an amazing and engaged community of readers, and that’s a pretty high indicator of success in my book. Whatever you’re doing, it’s bringing people back for more and inspiring them to participate. That’s a pretty awesome thing.
I like the serious picture better. But maybe switch out the smiling one from time to time, depending on the topic. I think the photo with the snowman looks great! It has an artistic feel to the photo that makes it more than just a standard photo of a snowman. Yes, the people might think it is weird if you ask if you can take a photo with the snowman, but who cares! If I built a snowman that big, I’d love it if people took their photos with it. 🙂
We are still figuring out our blog too. Right now, there is no rhyme or reason, we just post about day to day stuff, or what interests us. Whatever you post, we enjoy your blog. 🙂
And no, it’s not odd, go ahead and ask about the picture! But better do it soon, this tropical weather we are having (40 degress!) will soon have him melting!
Just look at all of the people that comment on your blog! There are people out there that call themselves “social media experts” and sell their services, and when I read their blog, there are zero comments (hello people, it’s called “social” for a reason!!) It’s because they aren’t engaging and no one cares to comment – you, my friend, are hella engaging, which is why we all visit, and comment – you rock!
I think you’ll have occasions to use both of the comics – why choose one?? 🙂
Ditto to what everyone else has already said!
The cartoon “yous” are adorable. I like both and agree with Hawk that you could use them both. Maybe you should have a “Rant & Rave” day on your blog…you can rant and use the serious cartoon you and then rave about something great and use the happy cartoon you?!? That would be fun…and with your sense of humor, funny…to read.
In regard to blogging, I a glad you are sticking with it. Bigger is not always better (unless I guess if you are from Texas)…I don’t have a ton of followers but the ones I have are amazing! They are loyal and engaged and we have fun sharing with each other. Isn’t that what it is all about? I think so. I hate “the numbers” – just because someone’s “numbers” are bigger doesn’t mean those numbers are as engaged as mine (or yours…etc).
And…I cannot even imagine how someone built that gigantic snowman! How many ladders did they need? How did they get the snow up so high? I think you should definitely take your photo with it…now and as it starts melting. How fun!
Happy Thursday,
Oz
I’ve lost so many blogging buddies through the years that I have made a rule that no one can stop blogging without my permission in writing. 🙂
Seriously, er…siriusly, if you continue to enjoy writing the blog, why do you care if you don’t have thousands of subscribers? If so many of us come back to enjoy your big exuberant funny dogs and the love you have for them, why do you care about increasing circulation.
I look at my little cerebral dogs and ask them why they aren’t as funny as Jody’s dogs are.
I love your blog!
That snowman is out of this world!
Terry Cramer from Matildasjourney.com
You always make me laugh! Thank you!
If you enjoy being a blogger, you should keep blogging! You have a lot of people who comment on your blog. Plus, you don’t always know who is following your blog – people are probably bookmarking your website and checking in when the can – there’s no way to keep track of that.
I like the cartoon idea, and I think you should use the one that suits your mood for the day, hour or minute.
That is the biggest snowman that I have ever seen!