A quick blogging question

[CreamolaFoamFan]

I'm an illustrator with a blog that I update every now and again with news and stuff that I've done. The last couple of posts I've put up have had quite a lot (for me) of likes. I was pleased but, being a suspicious bugger, did wonder if people 'like' your post principally in order to drive up their own stats, or is that overly cynical? Do I have to like some of their stuff back now, just to be polite? I just hope someone out there is more clued up than I am!

I'm an illustrator too! Small world. I have a blog but don't have time to update very often. I don't understand what you mean by 'likes' on a blog post. Do you mean when you send a link to a new post via Facebook? Or do you get lots of comments left on the blog from a certain post?

I tend to link to twitter when I do a new post, as there are mainly people from my industry following me there. The traffic from twitter to the blog only hours after is HUGE. Really worth doing!

As for following/liking people back. I don't always. It depends on their work really or if I know them personally. I don't mind if they think I'm rude. I follow/like people and don't necessarily expect people to reciprocate.

Hi harryhausen (good name!) and thanks. The blog is on Wordpress, so I don't know if it's specifically a Wordpress thingy: It's not comments, or people following your blog, but at the foot of a blog post is a button you can click to 'like' something. The blogger then gets an email saying 'so and so liked your post. Here is some stuff off their blog that you might like', with a couple of links to their posts. I think it's a bit like a facebook like - just a general sense of approval with no comment attached.

I don't update all that often either, am not the world's best self-promoter and haven't got into twitter, which is why I was so surprised when I got lots of likes!

Oh right. Mine is just a blogspot blog. We don't have that function - just the comments thing.

For self promotion twitter is amazing. I don't need to do too much, but even my agent will tweet some news and I get more interest. It's a fast moving, up to date thing. I've definitely upped my profile by meeting authors and illustrators at parties and then engaging on twitter. It keeps your name 'in the air'. It all helps.

Some author/illustrators are hilarious in what they say (nothing personal just observations etc). Really entertaining. I'm not so funny, but try and keep my hand in.

Good luck with it all.

You don't have to like back, but it's a good idea. The thing with blogging is you are usually speaking to other bloggers, so the more interest you show in others' blogs, the more interest (theoretically) will be shown to you. However this may not be of any use to you if you're using your blog to attract a specific, niche, client rather than getting your name out there, IYSWIM. I'm struggling with a blog too and wonder if actually I'd be better with a news page on a static website...

Wilson, that is a good point. It's made me consider who my blog is aimed at. I suppose it's sort of aimed at people who might commission illustration, in that it shows I'm active and doing stuff, but also just me blathering off to all and sundry. So, a bit of both, really.

In any case, it's not going to do any harm to do some likes, is it. I really do overthink this stuff. Harry - I think its still going to be a while before I hit twitter, though!

A 'like' is a like! You may get some from people who are never going to commission you but that doesn't matter. What matters is that when you do get a potential client looking at your blog, they will also see how many people have liked it, which will reassure them that you are indeed worth doing business with.

However, it is certainly worth questioning if your blog is sufficiently targeted. Unless you really enjoy doing it, you're wasting your time 'blathering off to all and sundry'.

What clients do you want to attract and what will they be searching for?

Friendly, thanks for answering. On reflection, I am happy with the tone of the blog as it is. I don't think I'm wanting to show what I'd call hard targets such as sales figures and new equipment (although it would be good to earn a little more!) but it's more to show that I'm active, that I have work being produced and published, and can use a bit of imagination and write a little bit (wannabe picture book writer as well). I have a proper website with a portfolio for the more formal, 'this is my work' side of things, so I think it balances out although I keep it under review.

Overthinking as usual, as I said!

Thanks for all your replies.