I've just recently (Nov 1) started doing my own photography Blog. It is fun, and I am hoping it might drive a little traffic to my eBay store and my Site. I'm currious how many other members have their own blogs, and how many actually read them.

Brian

I had building blogs as a child, but haven't played with them in almost 60 years. ;)

Although blogs may have some cathartic value to their authors, I'm a little dubious about their value from a marketing perspective. Then again, that might be a generational thing.

I have a blog which i've been running since September for no other reason than it seemed a good idea at the time. I installed a free site meter counter and that shows an average of 40 visits a day. I could probably get that higher if I really got stuck in. The whole point is to visit other blogs and leave comments. They will then (hopefully) visit you and do the same.
One way I've found to help this along is by joining a couple of blogrings. There is a big one called photoblogs.org with hundreds of sites all linked by random link button.
I have had several referals from people following the link in my signature and i even show up on Google!

The blogring thing is good advice, I think I'll check into it. I actually sold a print this week to someone who came from the blog, so I guess it might be worth it :)

I'm currious how many other members have their own blogs, and how many actually read them.

While I don't have a blog of my own, I do receive Brook Jensen's audio blog from Lenswork via email. I'll check yours out though...

(There you have it, one more visitor)

joe :)

i have a blog and I do read a few others. Mine isnt only about photography, but it is mainly. the link is below my signature if any cares to have a look.

Blog is such a lovely sounding word; if, indeed, it is even a word at all.

But of course!

PhotoRant.Com (http://www.photorant.com)

As one of the very few analog-centric blogs, I suggest that all APUG readers immediately click this link on photoblogs.org (http://www.photoblogs.org/profile/botzilla.com/) (which knows my blog by its MT registry name, "BotzBlog") and then "Add to Favorites" to drag it up from obscurity at #300-some-odd on photoblogs.org's listing..... :)

PhotoRant's Links+Archives page has a number of links that are probably of interest to APUG'rs too. Here's my favorite new addition, from the past couple of days: The Space in Between (http://punctum.typepad.com/the_space_in_between/)

Looking good.

But of course!
What was that URL again? :p

i have a personal blog that is mainly about my personal learning of photo stuff. i use it to keep notes/ideas/thoughts for myself. it also serves to keep some of my family updated on my life. at my work we use a blog to replace status reports and post updates on projects and major tasks. i think they have their place.

http://www.offramp.org/~jss/afaik/

Fort HUnter Liggett! We have to chat!

http://bmacphoto.com/jolon

i have a personal blog that is mainly about my personal learning of photo stuff. i use it to keep notes/ideas/thoughts for myself. it also serves to keep some of my family updated on my life. at my work we use a blog to replace status reports and post updates on projects and major tasks. i think they have their place.

http://www.offramp.org/~jss/afaik/

see? blogs bring people close together! hehe

anyways.. bmac: sure, lets talk. i ended up there quite randomly on a recreational drive on my day off. i hardly have any film shot there.

Blog is such a lovely sounding word; if, indeed, it is even a word at all.
I've got a better one. The other day I read "blogosphere" in a news article

LOL!

Fort HUnter Liggett! We have to chat!

http://bmacphoto.com/jolon

Wow! I haven't heard of, or been to, Hunter Liggett in years. You never know where things are going to pop up.

Interesting article?

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=2707&print=1&PHPSESSID=413fc5dfa3b6dbd59f825b5d1f45270e

Interesting article?

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=2707&print=1&PHPSESSID=413fc5dfa3b6dbd59f825b5d1f45270e

Yes an no -- like many writers originating from the non-blog media, they tend to see blogs merely as smaller versions of mainstream media outlets -- so their acceptable range of subjects conform entirely to the World As Seen By CNN mentality. Foreign-policy blogs, economics blogs.... which are by far just a sliver of the blog ecology. While instapundit and the like may drag-in a lot of hits, for the most part they tend to just ape what's alredy in the media. In fact the election was a vivid illustration of what happens when media covers blog sites as news, even as the bloggers themselves are just repeating random snips of what they heard a few minutes ago on Fox News. Talk about public navel-gazing.

The bulk of blogs are owned by 13-year-old girls who abandon the blog after a month or two. I'm not kidding, something like 70% of all blog addresses are abandoned and originally owned by teen girls. Of active blogs, there are some on politcal issues, with low readership -- one of my neighbors around the corner has a ranting one that goes on every few days about those damned democrats and harry potter and jesus, but as far as I can tell the only readers are his children and his drinking buddies from the VFW. There are a fair number of photobloggers who just noodle around, though they get themselves constrained by the "i have to post a new pic every day" mentality that requires them to use digi's and post a lot of pictures of their feet, their cats sleeping, sunsets and pretty much the entire cliche catalog.

Still, it makes for a big bookstore, and there are a few worthwhile ones. I think.

There are a fair number of photobloggers who just noodle around, though they get themselves constrained by the "i have to post a new pic every day" mentality that requires them to use digi's and post a lot of pictures of their feet, their cats sleeping, sunsets and pretty much the entire cliche catalog.

Still, it makes for a big bookstore, and there are a few worthwhile ones. I think.
oh great, now I have to go change my photo of the day! hehe jk

I've started up a blog, which can be found here (http://www.acanadianplace.com/blog/).

It should prove to be interesting.

My site is a kind of combo blog & gallery. I have a separate section where I write stuff, usually just my darkroom log and reviews. The whole thing isn't updated enough, as I've been lazy lately. :(

Molten Words (http://moltenwords.net)

IAlthough blogs may have some cathartic value to their authors, I'm a little dubious about their value from a marketing perspective. Then again, that might be a generational thing.

I guess it all depends on what you have to say and how well you say it. Personally I don't read blogs.

Blog that are likely to drive sales tend not to be very typically blog-like. Dave Beckerman may be the sole exception, simply because he is the exception.

Noah Gray's multiple blogs are another example that might drive photo sales but really they promote his blog software (GrayMatter) more than sell prints (I prefer Moveable Type, personally).

I've been astounded to sometimes see my blog get as many as 1000 different visitors a day (usually around 3-400 though, not counting web spiders). In all those browsers, only a handful even bother to post a comment, much less buy anything. Heck they won't even add me as a photoblogs.org favorite (http://www.photoblogs.org/profile/botzilla.com/) :) ingrates

Fort HUnter Liggett! We have to chat!

http://bmacphoto.com/jolon

Unfortunately, I've been there as well. I've also spent lots of time at Camp Roberts.

I guess it all depends on what you have to say and how well you say it. Personally I don't read blogs.
Boy Art, and I thought you were an early adopter... :)

I do like some photoblogs -- especially the quirky ones that are done by people that totre around holgas and the like. I just started mine recently, and it's neither quirky nor trying to sell anything...