Does the Blog Math Matter?

           I'm not here to argue the importance of having a good basic knowledge of mathematics.  Most of us would agree that learning basic math skills is pretty important to anyone trying to get by and that the subject of mathematics is an essential course for all students in school.   Today I want to look at the more specific math as it applies to our blogging activity--that is the quantitative mathematics of amassing followers. My question is this:

Does the math of amassing more followers to your blog really matter?

        This is a topic that has been addressed in one way or another on many other blogs and has been one that I too have explored.  It is something that remains of interest to me and indeed was the catalyst the sparked the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge, which if you are not aware is to celebrate this blog having reached 200 followers by April 1.  Many blogs commonly make some kind of hoopla over reaching some milestone number of followers.  Why does it matter?

           Some bloggers will argue that they don't really care how many followers they have. They might insist that they blog for themselves and they doubt whether anybody else really cares about their blog.  This doesn't make sense to me.  If nobody is going to read a blog, or the writer claims that they don't really want anybody to read it, then what is the point of writing it?  I think this a blogger in denial trying to make an excuse for not taking the time to acquire a following.

           I don't care what anyone says, whether they write it in a notebook or blog it in a blog, they want someone to read their thoughts, otherwise why not just keep them in one's head?  Blogging or writing takes an effort and almost anyone wants their efforts to be recognized.

          Based on the premise that bloggers want to be read, one would have to come to the conclusion that one would have to have followers, whether they be visible or invisible.  To think that if you blog it, they will come is unrealistic.  This was my approach when I first started posting the mostly unread pieces in my first month or so of blogging.  I soon realized that I had to make an effort to create an awareness that I existed so readers would come. I had to work to increase my followers so I would have increased odds of having a reader now and then.
     
         Most of you understand the premise and especially after this experience of the A to Z Challenge it is that much more evident.  Receiving recognition in other blogs helps, but you probably are not going to get that very often.  The key factor is to have readers who follow your site on a regular basis.  The more followers you have, then the more potential readers you will have for each post --the numbers are important, the math does matter.  Agree or disagree?

M also as in Middle:

         We have reached the halfway point of the A to Z Challenge--my congratulations to all who have kept up.  See, it wasn't that bad, was it?  Now we're on the downhill side and it should only get easier from here.  So hang in there!  You will finish now.

          On Monday May 3 I will be recapping the Challenge with my observations and some of the things I learned during this month.  I will talk about what this has meant to me and how it helped me.  I hope that the rest of you will also share your thoughts, reflections, opinions, or anything else you have to say about this challenge on this day.  The cumulative posts could be a treasure trove of information for all of us as participants and very helpful to the other folks who did not participate.  Will you join me on May 3?  I would really like to know about your blogging experience during April and how it affected you and your blog.  I will be posting more about this over the next couple weeks.  Perhaps you can spread the word as well for those who miss my posts.   Thanks to all of you brilliant bloggers!

And speaking of brilliant bloggers, make sure you check these:

Country Girl -- Jessica Tate is a student who on top of working a job is also working on two novels.  I don't guess she's all that busy.

Dragon's Muse -- Writer Christina Weigand's thoughts about whatever is on her mind.  She is currently working on two fantasy novels when not blogging and doing all the other things she's doing.

Ella's Edge -- Coming to us from North Carolina for now, Ellie is a wife, mother, and woman of many varied skills-- she has a lot to write about.

Kath Ink -- Don't get confused by what you see in the sidebar.  Kathleen has mixed it up a little and made alphabet soup.

Life Lessons -- Jan is a doll maker-- check out some of her beautiful work on her blog.  She also is a fine blogger.

This Journey Called Life -- Tori Cooper has probably already visited your blog so you have probably visited hers.  If you haven't, you should.  She writes beautifully.

Symphony--  Leo is the name on this blog.  This wordsmith offers poetry and other word pictures that are like beautiful music.

Author Blog --  Cheri Chesley is an author.  Her blog is called Author Blog because it's about her books, her writing, and her general work as an author.  I guess that makes sense.

Hope you will pay these bloggers a visit and leave them a comment.  And go ahead and become a follower while you're there.  Let's tend to the blog math.