All About You: Key Survey Findings
Hundreds of you took the time to fill out our survey (thanks!), and we’ve been combing through the results all weekend. As we’d hoped, we got some really helpful feedback that will allow us to tweak The Daily Post in ways that will make it more useful for you.
Interested in what your fellow bloggers think? Here are some of the key findings:
- The majority of you – 79% – post to your own blogs at least once a week. 15% of you are overachievers who post every day and make the rest of us look bad.*
- About half of you are happy with your current posting schedule, but the other half would like to bump up the frequency. For the latter half, the most common obstacles to posting more often are lack of time and a perceived lack of anything interesting to say. You also worry a lot about boring your readers.
- A quarter of you blog to become better writers and/or photographers, and another quarter like being part of a larger community. Lots of you are also interested in promoting your non-blog writing and making some dough, while some of you just want to make people laugh or create an enduring record of your experiences.
- While you love blogging, many of you find it a bit difficult to attract readers, encourage commenting, and find other like-minded bloggers.
- The vast majority of you want more blogging tips, both beginner and pro. You’re also fans of our new Freshly Pressed series and writing challenges, and want to see some more new features on using social media and marketing your blogs.
- Two-thirds of you have no idea what Plinky is, and of those who do, most of you don’t use it – but lots of you remain interested in daily writing prompts.
We’re going to be taking a closer look at all this data and using it to figure out ways to enhance The Daily Post. In the meantime, leave us a comment here if you’ve got any other feedback or questions about either The Daily Post or the survey results.
Thanks again for sharing your opinions with us!
*We kid because we love.
85 Comments
Trackbacks & Pingbacks
- How to Publish to WordPress From Gmail | Open Knowledge
- All About You: Key Survey Findings | The Daily Post at WordPress.com | WordPress Planet
- Top Posts — WordPress.com
- WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE: FREE SPIRIT | Project 365 Challenge in 2012
- WordPress.com… « reitzgraham
Comments are closed.
This is some neat info; thanks!
I just recently found out about The Daily Post. Thanks for the info. Now I must dash off to find out what Plinky is and also look for the writing challenges.
Thanks for this great post. Just started my blog and i could definitely use all the tips and help offered.
Holding my peace – I missed completing the survey but am glad to read about the results.
Feel free to give us some feedback here: what are you goals as a blogger? What current Daily Post features to you enjoy? What kinds of new features would be helpful?
Hi Michelle, is there any sort of index of bloggers where one could look up like-minded blogs? in subject listings? thanx
Ruth, you should know better.
I *did* complete the survey, and think the findings are pretty interesting (and about what I expected).
I’ve been blogging since 2004 and just realized I *grew up* with WordPress. It’s nice to have this virtual family who cares =) Even if I go on hiatus, I find something interesting and lovable whenever I go back to blogging!
Thanks guys!
Thanks for the summary! (But you still didn’t expand about Plinky!)
I’ve been at this for two years and I still don’t know what half of the wordpress.com jargon means. I’m looking forward to more info in the future. Thanks!
It is interesting to find out what other bloggers are up to. What is Plinky?????
Very interesting results. Glad I’m not the only one who doesnt know about Plinky…
Guess I missed the survey too but definitely related to much of the feedback you provided. I post twice weekly (occasionally three times). It’s enough to keep me out there w/o overloading myself time-wise. The return is currently discouraging, but like Aesop’s crow, pitcher and pebbles (I even wrote a post about it, lol: http://joannaaislinn.wordpress.com/2010/08/13/small-mindshiftpotential-big-changes-over-time-of-course/), I keep posting in good faith.
Writing posts is good exercise for me too and I love to chat about all kinds of topics. Who knows? Maybe one day I’ll make Freshly Pressed–one could hope, right?
Thanks for sharing the results! WordPress rocks!
It’s great you gave this preliminary feedback right away – It’s always nice to know somebody actually read a survey you took time to complete!
I agree – I appreciate hearing some of the high-level feedback in a timely fashion!
Thanks for asking and reporting back. I did miss the survey. Too busy blogging. I have a number of blogs on WP, but only use two with any degree of regularity, but post at least three times a week on each blog, sometimes more. I am an old lady and have a lot to say. I have two published parenting books and some think I am an expert. So one of my blogs is to share knowledge specifically for parents. I love doing that on Word Press.
I can also be a cranky old lady, so I need to say, I am not so happy with how post a day has been handled this year. I liked the old format for reviewing. Also why not just Today’s Posts so people don’t have to feel they failed if they miss the schedule. I loved the post a week photo challenge but just couldn’t keep up. Maybe a weekly theme that could be done in pictures or more standard mosts.
Also I am a very small business owner that tried to do a .org so I could have small store that sold my books and a few associated affiliates that related to my stuff. It was a total flop for me and a wast of time and effort. Support was not helpful. Word Press.com could also beef up its support. I can do some programming, but was way out of my depth on Word Press.org. As I am on a limited income,I could not pay for help. So I am hoping you will figure out a way to let us do more selling here more easily. Maybe a cap on how much you make or a small per cent of sales going to Word Press.
Along that line, I would like to be able to read a clearer post about what I can sell and cannot sell and help putting up a shopping cart, but perhaps I have missed seeing such posts or information.
For those who struggle getting readers, it is really a long slow process. The same with likes, comments, reblogs, and shares. I like and share over and over again. Many recipricate, but lots more don’t. I get down, think I must be a terrible writer, but then someone lets me know through a comment that I have something to say and am appreciated. Makes it all worth while, which is why I have started a tike, comment, share, reblog twitter that I send out once a week.
Perhaps Word Press could do a post on the importance of supporting each other.
I also am beginning to fall be hind in being able to respond on a personal level to all my readers and all I read. So a post on managing that might be useful.
Finally, you are the greatest and I seem to be long winded. Apologies. I am a fan of giving and getting feedback.
Stay strong, at my age I have to work at it but Word Press has been a big help keeping me happy and productive.
Kat aka Grannykat.
Great response Kat!
No need to apologize – we thrive on feedback! Thanks for sharing yours.
really interesting insights – thank you for sharing Kat!
As a newbie, it’s helpful to hear that others share both goals and challenges. Kat, thanks for your insights!
Thank those who thanked me. As always it was my pleasure to share and find I was appreciated.
[.....Perhaps Word Press could do a post on the importance of supporting each other.....]
I think along these lines very much as well. WordPress has such a fantastic community of people and it does take time to build up exposure. If I hadn’t of read WP’s Support article on being ‘Patient’ to keep going in the early days, I’d of given up. But the more we can get encouraged to support each other, will really help us all oldies and newbies.
Hello Granneycat, I guess you could call me PaPaDog. Ijust made that up but I am old to a lot of folks at 73.I have several sites in the works and as you say It’s hard keepng up with it all sometimes.my typing is real bad ’cause I have the”Muchael J. Fox” disease. my fingers just wont go where they used to.I write songs and have several written none published yet. I sent one to a popular girl singer about three weeks ago,making sure I have the copywrights if she does do something with it. KI’ll let you know if you want. I can also get long winded and can’t stop myself untill people tune out and say you’re an old windbag, but I’ll take that as a compliment.Like your blog and will follow you and as for the selling part of the net it has been a long road to get down, but iwould love some pointersq from a professinal like youself!keep Blogging PAPADog
So appreciate the summary! Thanks!
I think we would like to see more writing tips, grammar tips and SEO tips. There is a lot of misguiding info on the net, so we would like to see something from our trusted WP.
I second the SEO tips. Great suggestion!
how about a link to Plinky…
It’s in the post – just click on “Plinky.” The dailiy prompts in the footer also take you there.
Very cool info and just so you know… I don’t think of myself as an overrachiev because I blog everyday. In fact. I thin of myself as underachieving… Which is kind,of scary whemI read that posting,every day is over achieving!
I posted more than once a day on post a day last year. I am lucky to still have some brain left now that I have a bit more time to write which is my life line along with my kids, grandkids and Punky the pup. When I read the skill with which others right, I feel underachiever to. But at my age, such titles have less meaning. Do your thing, when, you can, the best you can, and with the most passion you can. At least that is how I try to live life on my downhill slope.
I have learned so much from your preliminary results. It appears I’m in the majority so that makes me feel good.
Look forward to the rest of the results.
Peace,
Alexandria
Really appreciate the feedback and would like more writing tips…. as others commented. what is pinky? One last comment.. So thankful for WordPress for just being there and caring.
I kept putting off taking the survey, so thanks for a second chance. I post daily as a participant of Project 365. It’s easy some days, and I am dragging my tail on others…but I do it. It is a long process to garner the respect and feedback of other bloggers, but it does come along with time, and I enjoy those who follow me, and those who I follow. I don’t feel badly about not being able to read everyone’s posts I follow all the time. There are other things in my life, and I know that it is true in the reverse, and am not offended if I don’t see someone drop a comment every now and again. I have never liked plinky, the prompts always seem too simplistic to me. I would love more posts on how to maneuver through some of the technical stuff.
Great information and data collecting.
I’m looking forward to your newly inspired posts in the future!
Thanks for making the survey
I am impressed that hundreds filled this out and the results are WONDERFUL, THANKS.
This great blog is what I am looking for my course.thanks then,
Thanks for the update on the survey Michelle! What!!? 2/3 of our blogging folk don’t know about one of my favorites: Plinky ?
I like Plinky because, if nothing else, it helps me generate some of my own fresh ideas by modifying one of the prompts. I read the prompts regularly and sometimes use them for a post.
Anyway, upwards and onwards with all the great stuff you keep giving and giving and giving us. Like the energizer bunny, WP never quits or sleeps.
is plinky is exclusive for blogging or what?
Vashaneish,
Plinky provides a new prompt, daily, (usually a question, or a challenge), and everyone gets a chance to answer it by writing a blog post on the topic… It is a blog topic generating tool. It offers ideas, questions and such. Hope this helped. Click on the Plinky link in my post or on Michelle’s and visit.
Eliz
Amendment: Like the energizer bunny, WP neither quits nor sleeps!
Have a great week ahead everyone!
Eliz
“Two-thirds of you have no idea what Plinky is”, Guilty!
I was not able to take the survey, but you guys really do a good job at encouraging me to write. Just seeing the dailypost banner on my page encourages me. 
Plinky? OK, I’m definitely going to check it out.
This is great. Thanks for sharing. I’m glad I’m not alone in wishing more people would comment. I think sometimes we forget that blogging is a form of social media and is interactive. I love being a part of the blogging community and it definitely improves my writing.
I’m new with my iPad,I’m new with Internet,so I can’t believe I’m here with you to share this page. I’m an old Italian lady,who has being studying English for 50 years or more, and whose aim would be : I can cope with it! I can correspond with my new English-speaking friends! I did a lot of things in my life,I’m a mother of two sons, I live in Milan,Italy, though I spent part of my youth in Latin America. Being new with the blog ,too(I joined only last week) I find everything interesting and I just want to participate…….PS: I sorted out what Plinky is. Thank you for all!
That’s such a wonderful comment, I wish there were more people in my area of your generation with your positive mindset who were able to reach out and connect online. Good for you.
I choose quality than quantity post..
Thanks for the feed back so quickly!
I checked out Plinky but wasn’t all that impressed. I think the best ideas I have found are from other bloggers, in fact all that I have learned have been from reading other blogs. Time consuming, too, but there are some amazing writers out there! Click on the bloggers who “like” a certain post and you will open up a new world!
Plinky. Isn’t that like a Slinky, but you drop it in water?
Really, I am indeed so happy, for your conduct, of the survey @WordPress.com.
I appreciate giving us some hope, on bringing-up improvements, regarding our concerns, wishes, and sometimes, future aspirations.
What I still find difficult is analyzing Just which categories are prospering and why. Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t see anywhere that tracks to total number of views each post receives. This was integrated into MySpace blogs, and was pretty much the only thing I appreciated about it after they tried to out-Facebook Facebook.
Perhaps the answer is to create more than one blog. I think, eventually, I’ll have to do that anyway, once I get a new camera and have travelog and language study categories. At this point, I’ve decided to stay with one to develop some base of support before I branch out. But I’m thinking that this could be working against me, since I’m tending to post out of category a lot.
I’m curiuos if the survey lists gender.
Thanks for the feedback. I did check out Plinky after I completed the survey
I’m glad that going by your results I am not an outlier!
Nice way of making dull statistics interesting..
I think people skip Plinky because some find it difficult to marshall their thoughts to follow Plinky.and an apprehension that the prompts appear to be so mundane as not to attract audience..(self included)
On your observation regarding readership ,likes and reblogs, I can vouch that it takes time and when it comes it comes in torrents.
.I can also share that what I think to be read widely is not read and what I feel may not be interesting attracts traffic.
After all people differ in tastes.
I have this habit of using two languages in the same post..
Surprisingly they have very good readership.
I would like to add that i belong to that group who write for the sheer pleasure of it and the pleasure I get when i get likes and reblogs, is immeasurable.
I do not know whether monetary compensation would ever replace that.
Once gain, thank you for a nice post.
I’m curious since the DP Weekly Photo Challenge seems to be the most popular DP post: 1. Is WP considering replicating that format and forum style in the Grammar and Writing Challenge formats? 2. Will WP ever select for Freshly Pressed, on a weekly or monthly basis, people who participated in the Weekly Photo Challenge for a specific week? I found the findings interesting, informative. Thanks.
I would love it if you feature blogs and freshly pressed posts on social good, justice, change, volunteerism, etc. a lot if going on in this field and by writing about it and using our voice as bloggers, we can make a lot of positive change in the world.
I very much like the tips on how to improve the look of my blog and wonder if its worth paying for the upgrades?
I began a daily blog because there was a lot of encouragement towards the end of 2011 to do so. I chose to make it a photo blog because there wouldn’t be a need for more than a caption, although I sometimes have a lot to say. Originally I thought that each post would feature just one image but since I began I have sometimes linked to other ones taken on the day within the text, though I don’t always make it obvious that the link is there, readers who bother to read the “About/contact” page know they have to mouse over the text to find them. I hoped that having to get out there with a camera every day would mean that my photography improved but it can be a challenge finding something worth posting. Sometimes I come close to missing the midnight deadline, having taken the photo only minutes before posting it, but I have always managed to come up with something so far, despite feeling unwell, tired or lacking in inspiration (which can be worse than feeling unwell or tired). The weather in the UK has been a nuisance – first it was very cold and then it poured with rain – but I have learned to juggle an umbrella while using the camera and I own a very warm coat with big camera sized pockets. In January I despaired because I suddenly realised what a challenge it was going to be. It is now almost September and I wonder how I will get everything I want to mention into the next 126 days.
The theme of my blog is the area I live in. It has changed a lot since I moved to it over 20 years ago and I wanted a snapshot of it. I also wanted to show the other people who live here and complain about it that there it has a positive side, although I haven’t avoided the bad things. Unfortunately I’ve found that there is quite a large older population who do not have internet access and the young aren’t really interested in what’s on the doorstep. “Hyperlocal” means little here. I’ve attracted the interest of a local newspaper and a local one but still get very few comments although the blog sometimes gets hundreds of hits if I mention it in the right place. I’ve found Twitter and Facebook links to it can help but it is usually down to the content of a particular post. I featured the opening of a new store and realised that they had put the wrong map on their site so added a link to the right one on the post. I get hits almost every day because of that.
I love the theme I’m using – Autofocus – which presents some very dull photos beautifully and makes it look as though I know what I’m doing. Best of all is the fact that I have been able to do this for free so far, because things are a bit tight at the moment, but hope to upgrade at some point. Thank you WordPress for this great resource.
Hundreds of you took the time to fill out our survey ., and we have been combing through the results all weekend.Thanks for sharing this information aboutsurvey. This us great job. I really like this post.
_________________________
No complaints, but a few
WordPress needs private messaging really bad. The spammers are using the likes button on just about every blog and that’s a little aggravating. I do not dig how people can “like” blogs on the reader without even reading the entire post. People can like posts all day without reading a full post.
I completed the survey and I’m very grateful that you came back so quickly with the stats.
I enjoy “WordPress World” and have met some very interesting and supportive people through blogging which, if i’m being honest, I never thought I would.
It seems that I was like a lot of others when I started blogging, in that I never thought anyone would really want to read what I was writing. I’m over 60, a grandmother, aspiring story teller, business owner, but how wrong can you be!
It does take time to build up followers but it is such a delight when you find out that there are people who read your posts and take the time to comment.
My thoughts on blogging are these:
Make sure you keep your ABOUT page up to date
If you are lucky enough to get comments on your blog, have the courtesy to reply
Visit the blogs of people who visit yours – you find some wonderful people that way
You will only get out of your blog what you put in to it – corny but true
If you can’t post for while, let your followers know, don’t leave them out on a limb
People love photos so try and include at least one in each post if you can
Don’t get too bogged down in personal stuff – not everyone wants to know about great Uncle Joe’s bad breath!
Having a WordPress blog is like having penpals all over the world, I think it’s a brilliant way of finding out what other people are thinking, what makes them happy or angry or sad.
After my initial doubts, I am thoroughtly enjoying blogging, though I am one of the half who find that there aren’t enough hours in the day.
Dee
Sure,there aren’t enough hours in the day,40again! This is not the only idea I share with you,of course,but it’s so pregnant and so un-avoidable! And then I know that if I’m busy ,it means that I’m well, especially being over 70 as I am. And better to be busy than to be bored,isn’it? Nice to meet you, Dee, see you soon!
I am a new blogger, so I am trying to read everything I can about this hobby of mne. Thanks for the info….
I, personally, would definitely love to become a full-time [paid] blogger. It would be so life-fulfilling to combine my passions with a career.
My blog consists primarily of news [local and global], celebrity gossip, and on the extremely odd occasion, I will throw in my own personal rants about my day-to-day life (note: I make sure to keep it in a completely separate division).
The dilemma I often face is that I would love to be a columnist in two categories; gossip and advice. Everyone I know, even strangers, always seem to turn to me for life/love/career/social advice. Even my own parents (who are currently struggling with martial issues after being together for 35 years) have turned to me to be their “unofficial therapist”. Helping others get through life makes me happier then chocolate (and any woman would agree, that’s a big deal!).
On the other hand, I love having the daily scoop of what’s happening and showing the world that although our role models are celebrities, they are still human beings. I choose to only write about tasteful events (I refuse to write about who’s dating who, if someone’s cheating, etc. I personally feel that those things should remain personal, no matter who you are or what your social status is), and do not overlap into religion, politics, or anything that can cause great friction. To some degree, I consider myself as a “fluff writer” with a profound twist, but at the end of the day, regardless of what people see it as, I’m doing what makes me happy.
And I am extremely thrilled to be able to have a place where I can express myself in such ways, therefore, thank you, WordPress (and everyone who takes part in it). My only suggestion is to have more themes available, especially grid-based themes. All in all, WORDPRESS ROCKS
Well sorry to make you look bad! I post daily so yehey to me! I love all of you at WORDPRESS TEAM!
A Word on “Plinky”. When the Daily Post changed their Blog Theme, I thought Plinky was no more. In the old Theme it was much more obvious. This new Theme layout threw me completely and It was only recently that I ‘finally’ found the link to “Plinky” and this theme has been going a while now.
Thinking more now I remember that we had a “Prompt of the Day” inspired by the day’s Plinky prompt – I lost that too when the new Blog Theme came into existence.
So in a nutshell DP, “Plinky” is not at all easy to find. I also took it off from my Gravatar as a link because I thought you were no longer using them.
“Bring Back Plinky-Please”!!
This whole thing is so new to me! I want to become a better writer and I only hope that people on here will help me grow and learn! God bleas
Thanks! I think the single BEST feature to promote readership of blogs is to change that ”Like” button (and thus importantly differentiate WordPress from facebook – which no blogger seems to enjoy too much) and replace it with ”Recommend” or call it ”Press” – the blogs with the highest number of ”Presses” or ”Recommends” should feature as a part of reader recommended Freshly Pressed – this would benefit ALL parties!
THANKS!
Like the no like button idea. On the other side, however, people don’t like too much change. Maybe the difference could be like or don’t like. Many on Facebook call for that.
That’s interesting. Worth thinking about. Thanks!
would love to have the ability to add at least paypal. and to add widgets like reverbnation widgets.
please address the TERRIBLE customer service of the support forums.
I go to great lengths to find answers on my own before asking for help there. On the few occassions I’ve been unable to figure something out and requested assistance, I’ve been sniped at or received answers that proved the respondent hadn’t actually READ my question.
Useless and waste of time are how I’d describe my forum experiences…and I highly doubt I’m alone in this feeling!
So really, I’m special like everyone else. Good to know.:)
WP is huge ocean within the glass of impersonal audio and vedio gimmicks asking the clienteles to pay without sufficiently friendly in its teaching; guidiance and systematic learning procedures…Hello, the world has 7 billion people many like us struggle for days and hours learning to read, understand and familiarised WP…your teaching guides must be improved and translated to various languages…to openup your usability….I am at lost….struggling to master WORDPRESS b’cos I have 1.4billion Huaren (Chinese); 1.5Billion Hindustan (Indian) and 500M
PAN Asean to affiliate and link on WP…asap. Pls. reach out to me…I am prepared to do anything to master WP ASAP in any place, any time and work with WordPress right now…You
are not serious enough in doing business…there are 3.5billion souls want to use WP now…You fellows are moving like snails b’cos USA is a rich & powerful country…lack global vision. I wish to help you to develop multi linguistic instant translation works…contact me at s_q_m@yahoo.com Now. Sorry Matt, alone your dream remains dream but with us the world over…you can be Bill plus Warren.
I wish to help WP to expand Huaran & Hindustan global market…
I use the babyliss irons hair style
Thank you for any pointers. I will have to learn the ropes here as only started a week ago.
i’m blogging anew to get stuff out of my system, and i haven’t really told anyone i know about it. so when i did find two likes and comments on my posts i was completely surprised and surprisingly touched. so maybe it is nice to have other bloggers read my posts and comment. it’s a new feeling and i think i like it.
I think it would be nice to have the option to choose either category or date display in the URL. I know this is a plugin on self-hosted WP, so it doesn’t seem it would be difficult to do. I suppress the dates on my post and would like to remove it from the URL slug too. It would also help SEO.
Reblogged this on ibuonlinecom and commented:
LOVE IT !
Thank you for sharing this information. I found it very interesting as I have been researching a lot lately on practical issues such as you talk about
___________________________________________________
Melbourne Storage