The RPG Blogger’s Network: Are We Just Entertaining Each Other?
A little off topic from RPGs directly, but I’ve found (as I’m sure many have) that most comments I get here at Dice Monkey are primarily from other members of the RPG Blogger’s Network.
Now, this isn’t to say it’s a bad thing. At this point, the RPGBN has, what, about 200 different blogs fed through it? And some of those blogs have multiple writers, so you’re looking at a fairly substantial audience.
Still, if our only traffic is through one another, it would make this whole network a bit more of a Social Networking site than a group of blogs.
In other words, are we just writing to entertain each other?
Again, that’s not a bad thing. I love writing and talking with you guys, and have made some great friendships and connections. It’s been amazing for both my gaming and social networking life.
But how many readers out there read the RPG Bloggers Network and aren’t bloggers themselves? Or do many see the network, and say “I can do that too,” and start up their own blogs because of the RPGBN? I know I did.
Any feedback is much appreciated.
I generally only get comments from other RPGBN members (if at all,) but Google Analytics tells me that there is a good percentage of people that hit my site from outside sources. I think that we (“we” being bloggers) have a proclivity to want to say things, and thus are more likely to leave comments. Take the fact that we are all members of RPGBN, and thus feel some sort of connection (however tenuous,) and you can see how we are our own biggest fans and contributors.
.-= DeadGod´s last blog ..Burning Brightly Part 2: Setting Detail =-.
I’m not a blogger. But I am a publisher, which is probably almost as bad.
Well, RPG bloggers (of which I am one) are certainly more likely to respond to other RPG bloggers. Do unto others, and all that. I’m sure there are plenty of hits coming from other sources (my own Google Analytics tells me the Network only plays a very small part actually). Bloggers are a more vocal bunch (after all, they publish their own opinions), and the more casual reader perhaps doesn’t.
I guess the point is that the Network is only one tool for getting your message out, and you shouldn’t stop there. Posting about popular subjects and making that clear in your post titles (for search engines), posting pithy comments on other blogs (drawing that blog’s readers to your space), etc. are still recommended.
And let’s not forget role-playing is a niche. I get far fewer comments on RPG articles than I do on less arcane subjects.
.-= Siskoid´s last blog ..The Four Folded Faces of Kid-Flash =-.
@DeadGod: Agreed. I can definitely see that.
@Swordgleam: You’re one of those rare exceptions: a non-blogger who comments more than most bloggers do.
I don’t know if that’s necessarily true in my case, although yes, quite a bit of my traffic comes from the RPGBN, but not all of it.
I do get a lot of comments with no links from the author to a blog, but then again, I’ve been good in making my blog visible on my different forum signatures and what not, which helps get outside traffic tremendously.
.-= newbiedm´s last blog ..Win all 3 sets of PHH: Divine Heroes D&D Minis =-.
I have a blog, but it doesn’t have much to do with gaming and isn’t part of the RPGN. I skim the feed daily for interesting content, although I’m really not much of a “commenter”. If I find particularly good stuff regularly from a blog, I tend to subscribe directly to the feed, so I don’t miss anything while ripping through the RPGN feed.
So, in the case of Dice Monkey, Critical Hits, Sly Flourish and others, I discovered the blog via the RPGN and then subscribed directly via my blog reader. In these cases, I feel like the RPGN is doing just what it needs to be doing.
I do have a blog dedicated to tabletop rpgs (two, in fact), but I am not a member of the RPGBN. Still, as a gamer and a blogger, I certainly follow many blogs that are part of the network.
The RPGBN is something of a feeder spiral – being a member gains you exposure both from within (through other blog members) and without (via search hits, links and higher exposure). The more active you are in the Network (through commenting on other blogs
), the more activity you gain in turn, and so it continues. It’s a win-win all round.
Not being a member would mean far fewer hits, both from inside the RPGBN and beyond, for sure.
But of course, this is all incidental (but fun to talk about); the RPGBN is much more than a means of generating hits
.-= greywulf´s last blog ..Feeding the birds =-.
I’m not a blogger nor a publisher and I use the RPGBN via my reader all the time.
OK, maybe not all the time.
Nice theory, now allow me to shoot it down.
I read the RPGBN every day. I am a gamer, but I am neither a publisher nor an rpg blogger. I have occasionally posted comments on various RPGBN blogs and I derive great value from the RPGNB as a whole. I believe that most non-bloggers are less likely to comment than fellow bloggers, but their lack of responses should not be taken as a lack of presence. Or in other words, “We’re out there, and we’re watching you…” LOL!
Well I’m not a member of the RPG bloggers network(though I would like to be) and I have found all kinds of great websites through the network. I think the bloggers in your network are the most active thus you get more feedback from them as a whole, but it might just be true that most readers are not that interactive and don’t comment. I’m sure you are entertaining more than just other bloggers.
.-= Thadeous´s last blog ..DM Tips in 140 characters or so. 4-26-10 =-.
I got into RPG blogging by being inspired by this and many of the blogs on the network. Even if we’re just entertaining each other, it’s a great crowd and worthy pastime.
.-= Mike Katz´s last blog ..When you can’t talk it out =-.
No RPG blogger here
I would also like to add that I read from RPG Bloggers often, but I do not blog myself.
I follow the RPGBloggers feed and find new blogs to follow almost daily. I don’t post as much because thats just not me. If I did I would be updating my own blog like I should.
So you do have an audience, but maybe most are like me and don’t post on every blog they follow or hit.
Thanks for blogging and please keep it up!
Wayne
Hi, regular old non-blogging reader. I visit the site every week or two but rarely comment. We do exist!
Wow, lots of comments! Thanks, everyone! Glad to know you all are out there!