1000 Followers: A New Milestone!

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ 1000 Followers! Thank you so much for following this blog! ♥

This was one of my long-term goals which I was hoping to reach by Spring 2021. I can happily say that I reached this goal on July 24, 2021 which is good considering that I seldom post new content on this blog. My only concern about keeping a free blog domain is that I may lose all of these stats if I were to switch to a paid domain. Knowing that I am not committed enough to post on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, I should probably stick to this free domain for now. I hope that you will continue to join me on my blogging journey when the inevitable happens, because one day I will have no choice but to upgrade and buy a domain.

Honestly, I did not expect to gain 1000 wonderful followers, and yet, here we are. I still believe that this blog has a lot of potential and I am already envisioning it reaching 2,000 followers. I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart, for spreading the love and helping to keep this blog alive! ❤

The No. 1 Mistake that Bloggers Make

My No. 1 tip when it comes to gaining followers is to actively engage with the people who bring traffic to your blog. And by this, I mean responding to the comments that you receive, as well as visiting their blogs in return. Without engaging with your readers, you will have to outwork the algorithm by spamming the WP reader and annoying your followers. Please don’t be that person. Without comments from your followers, your blog is practically dead space in the blogging sphere. And I think that is a waste of your precious time and energy. At the end of the day, followers help keep your blog alive, and your blog is nothing without loyal followers. I know this sounds harsh but it is the truth. Somebody needs to say it, so it might as well be me. I do not expect everyone to agree with me, nor do I want everyone to agree with me. All that I ask is that bloggers are kind to one another and understand that everyone is entitled to an opinion. Not everyone thinks the same way as you do, so I stress the importance of keeping an open mind. I also stress the importance of supporting other bloggers, because it is not all about you.

You should be allowed to leave a comment without worrying about being blocked for having a different opinion. You should be allowed to have intellectual conversations without questioning it. You should be allowed to give another blogger constructive criticism/advice without getting snarky, rude replies in exchange. I shouldn’t have to worry about these things, but I feel like I am stepping on eggshells with some bloggers. Even though I still follow some of these bloggers after having some nasty encounters with them, I stopped engaging with them on their blogs. I stopped liking and commenting on their blog posts. And that is something that they should be worried about. They basically lost future business with me, and any entrepreneur would tell you not to make enemies with potential customers.

If you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all!

–Unknown

Another Mistake That Bloggers Make

My No. 2 tip is not to anger your faithful readers and followers by pushing them away. Remember, the spammy genuine comments is the main reason why your blog is alive and well. Like a healthy garden, you need to water it often and trim the weeds 🌱 Also, you need to be able to regulate your emotions so you don’t piss off the blogging community and ultimately drive your loyal followers away. Personally, I love having healthy debates with people who are able to keep things mutual and respectful. Not everyone is going to agree with everything I say, nor should they. I am happy that people feel comfortable commenting in the comments section below 🠓, and that everyone feels welcome here. I am really grateful for the 1000 wonderful followers who chose to follow this blog! 🌻🌻

“Be who you are and say what you feel,

Because those who mind don’t matter,

And those who matter don’t mind.”

–Dr. Seuss

Thanks for stopping by! ❤

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Published by Hilary Tan

I am currently in the process of finding my inner goddess as I search for inner peace, find mental clarity, develop mental toughness, and crush goals. Come join me on this journey so we can live our best lives!

84 thoughts on “1000 Followers: A New Milestone!”

    • Hilary Tan says:

      Thank you, Samantha! It’s honestly worth trying. Your engagement stats might surprise you 🙂 Tbh I write more comments than I write blog posts and the stats did not disappoint.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Ashley L. Peterson says:

    Congrats on the milestone!

    There are a few very specific things that I treat as pretty much an automatic block if they show up in my comments because it’s just not the kind of thing I want appearing on my blog, but differences in opinion keeps things interesting.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Hilary Tan says:

      Thank you, Ashley! It took a bit longer to reach because I haven’t uploaded anything in a while. I noticed that it’s easier to gain traction when I upload more frequently.

      As for blocking, I don’t allow spam on here. If spam happens to make it into the comments section I will delete it. I also don’t allow inflammatory speech (name calling, derogatory comments) and seldom allow it on here. Always open to a debate with readers though! If anything, I’ve had more negative encounters on other people’s blogs than my own.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Reasons to live for says:

    When I started blogging, you were one of my earliest followers and I’m glad we’re connected till date. I love this about blogging, we form this small community

    I have paused blogging as life happened, but I hope to return to it someday

    Liked by 1 person

  7. winteroseca says:

    I am so with you there about commenting and interacting with your followers. I also hate when people are like, “check out my blog!” in my comments. Like, no thanks. You’re not guilt-tripping me!

    Liked by 1 person

  12. ceponatia says:

    Congratulations! You deserve 1000 and more; your blog posts are always so pretty. Content is number one, of course, but when something just LOOKS good, it’s easier to read.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hilary Tan says:

      I tired to reply a couple days ago and WP told me that there was an error. Why does this always seem to happen when I reply to you? Lol 😂

      Thank you for your lovely compliment. It really means a lot that you like the layout, and that my blog posts are easy on the eyes. That was my intention since the beginning of this blogging journey – to write blog posts that were not pretty, but were relatable. It takes a lot of planning and several hours of editing but I think it’s worth it. Considering that this is a free WP blog, I can’t imagine what it will be like once I get my hands on something more customizable with an paid domain one day 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  14. bosssybabe says:

    Ahhh congrats!!! What an accomplishment!! I totally agree about supporting other bloggers and engagement rate! People who are new to blogging don’t realize how much work goes into keeping up a blog but Also how much engagement it requires!!!

    Congrats again!!!! Xoxo
    ~Jen

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hilary Tan says:

      Thank you so much! 😊💕 Although this blog is 5 years old, I didn’t do anything with it until Spring 2019. Even now, I post 1-2 times per month which hardly seems like anything, but so much planning and editing goes into these blog posts. I think a lot of bloggers quit too early. I keep telling myself to keep going even when it’s slow. Engagement is what kept this blog alive and I’m grateful to have discovered this when I did. Even now, I log into WP on a daily basis to read blog posts, reply to comments, and engage with other bloggers. I agree that it’s a lot of work but it’s definitely worth the effort! Thanks for reading! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  18. Ana says:

    Congratulations on the 1000 followers and thank you for the tips. I started my blog almost two years ago as a therapy, but I posted a few entries. Now I want to commit to it more seriously and do it on a weekly basis.💗💗

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hilary Tan says:

      Thanks, friend! Even if you only post on a monthly basis, that is still something. Tbh I struggle to post on a weekly basis. I try to aim for 2-3 blog posts per month. Quality over quantity! 😊

      Like

  20. Pooja G says:

    Congratulations that’s a really big milestone! I so agree with both your tips. Engagement is really key especially if you are trying to grow your blog. I also think some people take criticism very badly. I don’t mean like rude troll comments but like constructive criticism that could actually help better their blog. And yes definitely don’t piss off your followers lol!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hilary Tan says:

      Thank you for pointing this out, Pooja! YES I have experienced this… I leave what I feel is a well thought out, thoughtful (and helpful comment) and the other person does not receive the advice very well. So they lash out at me in a very defensive and rude kinda way. So I totally get what you mean by advice that isn’t well received, as the commenter and/or the receiver. One blogger was particularly snippy with me so I stopped commenting altogether.

      She often complains she gets no engagement… well no $hit lol She probably treated her other followers the same way she treated me! 🤦‍♀️

      Liked by 1 person

      • Pooja G says:

        Lol I’ve had that experienced a few years ago and I just unfollowed the person and stopped giving people feedback unless they specifically ask.

        Honestly, it’s her loss if she was rude to you because listening to your audience is a big part of blogging and is the only way you can get your blog to improve 🤷‍♀️

        Liked by 1 person

      • Hilary Tan says:

        It’s funny how some of the rudest bloggers think that they are so kind and empathetic 🙄 I think that engagement levels really do speak for themselves!

        That’s good advice! I have a hard time unfollowing people. Tbh she asked for feedback so I gave her some, and she didn’t like the feedback I gave even though I was answering the question she asked at the end of her blog post 😓

        Liked by 1 person

      • Pooja G says:

        She asked for the feedback?? I feel like you shouldn’t do that if you’re just going to be defensive when people don’t say what you want them to. Definitely unfollow people you don’t vibe with- it helps clear up your Reader for bloggers you actually like. I used to be scared to unfollow but now if I have a negative experience like that one I just unfollow the person.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Hilary Tan says:

        You are absolutely right! There is no reason why I should still be following her. She was talking badly about me without referencing me directly so I kept some screenshots to dissect in future blog posts. One of these days I will clean up the blogs I follow and unfollow a bunch. I still follow blogs that that haven’t been updated in years because I feel bad unfollowing.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Pooja G says:

        I unfollowed a bunch of the inactive ones a while back and it felt great. I think it really clears up space on your blog and honestly it’s just nice to focus on blogs that are active and that you enjoy. Lol I look forward to that post about her but I would recommend blocking her before you post it. Some people will do anything for drama and views.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Hilary Tan says:

        She doesn’t read my blog or interact with me on my blog. It was always a one-way street so I’m not worried that she’s going to read my content. As for blocking, it doesn’t keep a person away if they are logged out of WP… they can still read your blog. If I do end up sharing the snippets, it will likely be a “what not to do as a blogger” kinda post.

        I don’t follow a lot of blogs and there are some that I feel obligated to follow, especially blogs that I interact with. I noticed that it’s hard to unfollow blogs that post daily because I’m used fo seeing them show up on the reader.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Hilary Tan says:

        I did it. I unfollowed her for the 3rd and last time and won’t be re-following. I have enough screenshots to use so I don’t feel the need to keep “stalking” her blog. Over the last few days I haven’t been online much and had some time to reflect on things.

        Liked by 1 person

  23. AP2 says:

    First, congrats on reaching a 1000 followers. That is an awesome milestone. Second, I echo your thoughts about comment culture on blogging. I look at my blog as part of a web of millions of interconnected blogs. It is nothing without that web. The more connected you are to that web, the more you will find your own blog grows and strengthens. Wishing you every success on your continued journey, AP2 🙏

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hilary Tan says:

      Thank you for your kind words, Karalee! 😊 In order to receive from the universe, first we need to give. One cannot take without giving, and if they only take it is not sustainable long-term. This is what I truly believe 🙏

      Liked by 1 person

    • Hilary Tan says:

      Thank you, Rosie! 😊💕 tbh I haven’t posted anything yet for the month of August and I am so far behind on writing. Thank you for supporting this blog – it means a lot to me! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  31. The Purple Pill says:

    make that 1001. Love the how well organized your posts are. You clearly put time and effort into your work. Congrats on 1000 followers!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hilary Tan says:

      Thank you for following this blog, @ThePurplePill! Organized is what I was going for 🙂 I feel bad for only posting 1-2 times per month. It takes me 2-6 hours to write a blog post, including the editing process. It’s quite extensive! LOL 😂

      Liked by 1 person

  32. Silver Stone says:

    Hey! It’s been a while since I stopped by your blog, so I decided to check out some of the content in here to catch up on what I missed out. I have to say, these posts are really epic, brilliant and insightful!

    Oh, and congrats on 1000+ followers! This is such a great achievement, and here’s to more milestones 😆
    I definitely agree with both pieces of advice: you really don’t want to anger your followers at any cost nor do you wish to push them away. Blogging is a fun activity and it mustn’t be done alone.

    Liked by 1 person

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