Following Followers

~ beetleypete

Most of us bloggers have a core group of followers. Those that we can count on to be around, leave likes and comments on our posts, and to interact with others who do the same. Over the years, I have always treasured those ‘silent’ followers too. Those who rarely comment, if at all, but never fail to appear with a ‘Like’. I follow around ninety other blogs, and do my best to keep up with them, engage on their posts, and interact with their own communities. I would love to be able to follow more than I do, but it is not manageable in terms of time.

It is the habit of some new followers to actually ask us to follow back. I can see why they do this, but perhaps they are unaware of just how much time is involved in following a blog ‘properly’. Having a huge number of followers may seem attractive to a new blogger, as they happily follow scores of blogs themselves. But they will eventually discover that receiving so many email notifications of posts and comments can be overwhelming, and they will hopefully set themselves a sensible limit on how many blogs they follow.

But the point of this post is to salute some people who have loyally followed my own blog. Some for a very long time, others for a lot less. I have previously been unable to follow them back, as my self-imposed limit was reached some time ago. However, I have recently ‘lost’ three or four blogs that I follow, as those bloggers have either given up, or decided to take a long break. So, after all this time, I am pleased that I will now be able to follow these bloggers. I thank them for sticking with me, and for all the ‘Likes’ and the comments they may have made. I am adding links, so that you can see their sites too.

https://themarckoguy.wordpress.com/
https://rachelmankowitz.wordpress.com/
https://touchmyspinebookreviews.com/
https://marysmith57.wordpress.com/

As and when I can, I will follow some more of you. In the meantime, I once again send my thanks and best wishes to everyone who follows my blogs. Pete.

How to delete followers, courtesy of Jude.

Click on My Sites on the top left of your blog / post and scroll to Stats then on the right next to Days, Months, Years you can see Followers. Click on that and you have a list of followers that you can look through. You can remove straight away or if you are interested in seeing who/what is following you, click on the name which will take you to their blog. I always right click and open the link in a new window so I can quickly return to the list.

90 thoughts on “Following Followers”

  1. Hi Pete. Funny this as I wondered how you do it. It’s the same deal on Twitter though there’s no escaping it there.

    Anyway, I had been reading your blog a while ago and dropped you a comment, or at least thought so. Today I saw in my messages that while it was your post I was commenting on, it wasn’t your blog – it had been reblogged by one of your followers. I can only blame the peculiarity of the WP app which I haven’t used for two years so I’m rusty.

    Enough of my waffle. I’m following you now for something interesting to read – no need to refollow. Cheers, happy new year.

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  8. Brilliantly said, and very accurate, sir. It is nearly impossible to “seriously” follow ALL the blogs that are out there, and a need to filter definitely presents itself. Came across your blog after seeing you a couple times on Kim’s blog, and also after having one of your posts being reblogged on her blog. Pretty amazing that you’ve been blogging for quite some time. Will be checking out what you’re sharing now. 🙂 Nice to meet ya, Pete.

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    1. Thanks for your kind comment, Lashaan. I am happy that Kim’s excellent blog brought you here, and very pleased that you liked the post.
      I have been blogging for five years, since 2012, around the same time that most of my ‘blogging circle’ began.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  9. This is a lovely post and a lovely way to honor people in your community. You are quite right, those of us who blog consistently find a core group, a community of bloggers who read what we post and leave a comment. My ‘scientific’ approach is to try to read the blogs of people who visit mine before I go through my reader. I’m glad I was able to visit today.

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    1. Thanks, Robert. Community is the word, exactly. Over the years, I have made many genuine ‘friends’ who I will almost certainly never meet. I have grown to care about them and their lives, correspond outside of blogging, and worry when they are not around. That’s what real following can generate, and many bloggers just don’t get it. (Or want it)
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  11. There’s something frustrating about a “follow me back” comment after someone follows me. We’re similar in that we self limit and choose who to follow as it quickly becomes time consuming. I try to read all the blogs I follow, but time permitting, I rarely get through the entire list of email notifications. The phrase “easier said than done” comes to mind. I personally was never really concerned with the number of followers I had and didn’t start blogging to obtain followers. It’s awesome that you got to add some loyal followers to your following list.

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    1. Thanks, Andrew. I appreciate that because I am retired, I get the chance to engage more than others. Those who have to work, look after children, and deal with more aspects of everyday life than I have to. Even so, I cannot possibly follow more than 90 active blogs, and wonder how others manage to do so.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  12. No one can visit every site as often as they’d like and everyone has to be selective in their own way. I’m far too disorganised to consciously limit sites I follow or tackle this in a scientific way. I do limit myself to responding to comments a) if the person hasn’t commented before b) in response to a direct question c) if I feel an additional remark will be helpful or amusing. Frankly, it amazes me to see how frequently some people manage to post something and how widely some manage to comment. I like to think that people follow A Bit About Britain because it is of interest – it sinks or swims based on merit.

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    1. We all tackle blogging differently, and get different things from it. There is no ‘right’ way to be a blogger, though I think there are quite a few ‘wrong’ ways. Your blog is specific, and always informative. If that is working well for you, that’s great. Thanks for adding your own thoughts to this post. I always appreciate anyone taking time to comment.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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      1. I know I did! I am still working and thought, since I love to write, I would have pursue blogging asa hobby-wow! I still love it, but had no idea it would be such work-I want to do things properly and respond and comment, but like now, stay behind on that! Thank you! Michele

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  15. And, I have to agree with you on new bloggers who want you to read their blog. We all learn. My first blog post was reblogged. Not only was I shocked, I did not know how to properly give thanks. Yes, if all my followers read and commented, my thank you notes would take me the whole day to write. I dearly love those who read and like. Not every post needs a comment. Apologies for going on and on. As I said, really nice, Pete!

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  16. I don’t leave a like, unless I have viewed the post. There are rare times when I can’t think of a good reply. Rather than just post for the heck of it, some inane reply. I click like to let them know I was at least there.

    Playing the numbers game is not fun, you can burn yourself out doing that. Like you Pete, and many others here, I like to keep the number of sites I loyally follow to a decent number. When it becomes more of a chore, then it ceases to be enjoyable.

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  20. Hello Pete. I have been away for some time, a week or so perhaps as you know of my current health. It’s always overwhelming to return and find myself warped with playing ‘catch up’ with some posts. So the likes are not justified personally for you so i do apologise but i feel you understand as I have been too unwell with my illness.

    Having said that I agree and once mentioned myself about some people following for the sake of ‘self promoting’ or a number of followers meaning very little when they do a vanishing trick. Sometimes in certain circumstances a like may need to suffice but it doesn’t belittle taking the time to read a post once in a while.

    It has been enjoyable to have been reading your earlier posts today, upon my return which is scarce at present but each post is always entertaining and I am trying my best with writing.

    Sincerely Sonea

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    1. Thanks, Sonea. I am aware of the issues that take you away from blogging, so doubly pleased when you take time to visit my humble blog. It is much appreciated, as I am sure you know.

      Best wishes as always, Pete. x

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  21. The truth is 90% of Followers never read a post, I’m often disappointed when I link to a new follower and realise they’re selling something. Oh well such is life.

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  22. I know exactly what you mean 😀 I have a dayjob that keeps me busy for most of the day. I usually (not counting the weekends of course) have about 2 or 3 hours a day to work on my blog, reading posts from other blogs, replying to comments etc. The other hours of free time I like to spent by watching tv shows/movies/anime, or reading books. But I have always have way too little time on my hands.
    As much as I like to follow everyone that is following me, I just can not do that, as it simply would not be fair either. Just to give a like but reading a post feels like cheating and not being respectful either.
    I always have to really laugh out loud at people that leave a lot of likes in the space of 1 minute (recently I had someone leave almost 20 likes in the space of 20 seconds). I don’t really know what those people expect, but I really have to laugh at that 😂😂
    But yes I know exactly what yo mean. As much as I want to, I just can’t follow everyone 😊
    Great post!

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  23. I think you will really enjoy Rachel’s blog on a weekly basis. Here she posts on Saturday evening and always mentions her dog and her life. She was one of my very first followers, and following her back has been a gift.

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      1. It is very easy. Click on My Sites on the top left of your blog / post and scroll to Stats then on the right next to Days, Months, Years you can see Followers. Click on that and you have a list of followers that you can look through. You can remove straight away or if you are interested in seeing who/what is following you, click on the name which will take you to their blog. I always right click and open the link in a new window so I can quickly return to the list.

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    2. There is a setting where you can control that you can get different notifications for different things! Like I don’t get something everytime a follower post a post but I get one everytime for the one’s I specifically subscribe to. I found it very helpful. I cut down on a lot of my things so only I get emails from my closest followers! The other ones what I do when I check WordPress periodically if they comment or like I try to do it back when I can. This way my emails are in control and I still interact with my followers. The followers that comment every once in awhile I will go through the reader section and go through the feed and show random ones some love when I can. It has shown to be very effective and I am still interacting with all of my followers!😁💯😗😊

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  27. My ‘numbers’ look good, but when it gets right down to it, only a tiny fraction of those followers ever come and read anything. I don’t expect everyone to comment every day… I can’t myself on the blogs I do follow (because I want to, not because they told me to…grr…). I would struggle to answer many more comments than I already get… I do have a full time, seven day a week job as well as writing, blogging and working with the Silent Eye. I always try and leave a ‘like’ as a footprint and I share what I can too and am extremely grateful when readers do so on my blog. Without those readers, our words don’t come to life.

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    1. Thanks for your thoughts, Sue. I agree that it is hard to follow every post, every day. Luckily for me, I am retired! This was mainly about those followers who I have previously been unable to follow, and a salute to those loyal yet silent followers, who are always there.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  28. I recently discovered that you can now remove your followers, so I have been and purged all those who I’m not particularly keen on followed by. In doing this I am looking at each blog in case there is one that I might be attracted to (like you I limit the blogs I follow so that I can interact properly) and it is amazing how many are not blogs at all, just the default home page. Why do that? I can’t follow them and these people never comment on my posts so what is the point? There are many advertising sites or sales promotions and all of these have been removed. I know it is probably not important in the long run as who follows me, but I feel that I have more control over my blog now.
    Jude xx

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    1. Thanks, Jude. I have dozens of those ‘non-blog’ followers, those with just a home page. When I have mentioned this in the past, It was suggested that they create an online presence so that they can follow other blogs they want to read. The other side of that mystery is that they are just collecting ‘data’ on bloggers, like email addresses, and details of other followers.
      I didn’t realise that you can remove followers, but as you say, that gives more control over your blogging experience. I was mainly thinking here of those bloggers who follow loyally, even when we cannot (or choose not to) follow back. I follow a lot of bloggers who do not follow mine. If I like their stuff, I don’t care whether they follow this blog or not.
      Best wishes, Pete. x

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      1. I often check in with bloggers that I like a lot, but don’t follow. I don’t expect anyone to follow me just because I follow them, but you (or I) seem to build up a small group of like-minded bloggers. I was a little disturbed by one follower who had a blog roll on their ‘site’ which consisted mainly of people I do follow and who comment regularly on my blogs. Creepy how they got that information – most likely from comments or likes I suppose, but it indicates what you said about collecting data.

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  29. I completely agree with you. I’m sure you’ve seen me comment and apologize to people that i just don’t have the time to comment on every post. I feel bad that I need to speed-read so many of them. Besides I really don’t like being told who or what blog i should follow. If someone tells me to follow, I’ll check out their site, but odds are they are just in it for the numbers game….

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    1. That’s very true, Jack. If my list of followers meant anything, I should have well over 2000 views a day!
      But I am happy enough with what I do get, and being able to manage the comments I receive.
      Best wishes, Pete.

      Liked by 1 person

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