Starting up a music blog...

[Jillyfish924]

Hey guys. Longtime DMB fan here who hasn't posted here in a while. I'm starting up a new music blog... mainly as an effort to post a song every once in a while and introduce my friends/family/random strangers to some artists/bands they might not be familiar with.

You can check it out here if you're interested...
http://squishsongs.blogspot.com/

I'm curious, too, if any of you write blogs and if you have any pointers/tricks of the trade you could share with me. Things like making it more aesthetically pleasing, allowing people to subscribe to new posts, increasing viewership, etc.

Thanks guys!

[zajDmB1]

I've been at it for like a year and 9 months now, though not particularly trying to make it a main aspect of my life per se, and I have like 100 followers. Which I have no idea if that's good or bad for 1 of probably a million random music tumblrs .

I don't really get much in the way of feedback so I'm not 100% sure what truly works, but I think the main things are:

1) Have a voice. Don't be afraid to make your subjectivity and personal feelings known. I purposely only post about stuff I like since I find no point to negative reviews, but I still take random jabs here and there. Just try not to make it too dry. add personality.

2) Always add tags so people can come across your blog. Add like 15 at least, too.

3) Post timely stuff so people are actually searching said tags. Obviously not every artist you want to talk about will have something going on, but don't make a post about an artist 2 weeks before an album drops unless you wanna post about them twice. More people will theoretically be searching the web for info on that person when the news is fresh.

4) Understand that very, very few people will ever care what you have to say. Write because you enjoy writing, not to gauge your self-worth by web traffic.

[Jillyfish924]

Originally Posted by zajDmB1

I've been at it for like a year and 9 months now, though not particularly trying to make it a main aspect of my life per se, and I have like 100 followers. Which I have no idea if that's good or bad for 1 of probably a million random music tumblrs .

I don't really get much in the way of feedback so I'm not 100% sure what truly works, but I think the main things are:

1) Have a voice. Don't be afraid to make your subjectivity and personal feelings known. I purposely only post about stuff I like since I find no point to negative reviews, but I still take random jabs here and there. Just try not to make it too dry. add personality.

2) Always add tags so people can come across your blog. Add like 15 at least, too.

3) Post timely stuff so people are actually searching said tags. Obviously not every artist you want to talk about will have something going on, but don't make a post about an artist 2 weeks before an album drops unless you wanna post about them twice. More people will theoretically be searching the web for info on that person when the news is fresh.

4) Understand that very, very few people will ever care what you have to say. Write because you enjoy writing, not to gauge your self-worth by web traffic.

thanks for the response... i'll definitely try to remember to tag, i get so excited about just writing my post that i forget to label it at the end.

i checked out your blog and loved the format. easy to read and succinct. reminded me of a bunch of songs i need to return to (i.e. alice in chains) and a nice mix of old & new. i'll keep it bookmarked!

[Ryo Vie]

I wrote a blog for three years (rockandrollguru.blogspot.com) and I learned 3 very important things along the way:

1. CONTENT is King. As the previous poster mentioned, SHOW YOUR VOICE. Do not be afraid to let the real you shine through. All of the blogs that I read on a regular basis are because I really like the person writing it. I like their wit and humor and their style.

2. A regular schedule helps a lot. If people don't know when to expect a post, they will stop visiting. There are a few GREAT blogs (DMB and others) that I rarely visit, because I don't know when they are posting. Even if it's just once a week, pick a schedule and stick to it!

3. Know your niche and market to it. This is what killed my blog. I wanted to write about all types of music because I love all types of music. It lead to a lot of one time only visitors. It was all over the place. A niche is the best way to go, because the audience will know what to expect and if it's their thing, they will keep coming back for more. If I decide to get back into blogging (and I have been giving it some serious thought) I would totally pick a niche and never stray from it.

Hope that helps at least a little. BEST OF LUCK!

[zajDmB1]

Originally Posted by Jillyfish924

thanks for the response... i'll definitely try to remember to tag, i get so excited about just writing my post that i forget to label it at the end.

i checked out your blog and loved the format. easy to read and succinct. reminded me of a bunch of songs i need to return to (i.e. alice in chains) and a nice mix of old & new. i'll keep it bookmarked!

No prob and thanks!

Originally Posted by Ryo Vie

I wrote a blog for three years (rockandrollguru.blogspot.com) and I learned 3 very important things along the way:

1. CONTENT is King. As the previous poster mentioned, SHOW YOUR VOICE. Do not be afraid to let the real you shine through. All of the blogs that I read on a regular basis are because I really like the person writing it. I like their wit and humor and their style.

2. A regular schedule helps a lot. If people don't know when to expect a post, they will stop visiting. There are a few GREAT blogs (DMB and others) that I rarely visit, because I don't know when they are posting. Even if it's just once a week, pick a schedule and stick to it!

3. Know your niche and market to it. This is what killed my blog. I wanted to write about all types of music because I love all types of music. It lead to a lot of one time only visitors. It was all over the place. A niche is the best way to go, because the audience will know what to expect and if it's their thing, they will keep coming back for more. If I decide to get back into blogging (and I have been giving it some serious thought) I would totally pick a niche and never stray from it.

Hope that helps at least a little. BEST OF LUCK!

Yea, number 3 is definitely true. I get a shitload of one time visitors (because of tagging) because people find my blog because of a post of like an Anthony Jeselnik stand-up CD or Getz/Gilberto or something super niche-y, then see a bunch of rock or pop. Or just see a post about a band they like and move on.

But for me, the "niche" I'm going for is that I will review old albums so it's not just new stuff that I might not even be into that much. I've thought about focusing on certain genres before but it just seems so boring. I'd rather have a week of new pop music I really enjoy then a week of jazz or rock I really enjoy instead of some pop music I'm lukewarm about. Though, having said that, I guarantee it is what is hurting repeat visits, at least short-term. Theoretically, the personality/subjective taste behind it is more important than genre but in practice that probably won't be true for a while.

[1yankeesfan]

My biggest piece of advice is to post often so people have a reason to keep coming back. It's easy to forget your blog for a few days and if you forget your readers will do the same. Good luck!