Found.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
I am oddly fascinated by the ways that people find my blog. Unlike blogs that fall squarely within a defined genre - wedding blogs, fashion blogs, cute-quirky-crafty blogs - I don't tend to attract a lot of readers through random search engine hits. Well, I do, but they're all looking for fake ponytails or, more recently, high-heeled flippers and dolphin sex. No, I don't want to know either.
These people are not likely to stick around once they realise A Safe Mooring is not, in fact, a wig/shoe/dolphin porn shop (what a shop that would be; the mind boggles). I'm still waiting for someone to land here from a search for "brilliant Scottish writer", or "hilarious female blogger" - even "cute greyhound" would do - but alas, it hasn't happened yet.
So where, then, have you come from? Not you, you dolphin-sex-loving weirdo - I'm talking about the proper readers, the ones who comment and subscribe and follow me on twitter and send me presents and invite me to parties and restore my faith in the internet. The answer, if you're anything like me, is that you followed a trail of breadcrumbs from one blog to the next, nibbling here and there to see what tasted good.
There are some blogs in my reader that I've been following for so long I can't remember how on earth I ever ended up reading them. Others, I can remember exactly the moment I first found them and the path I followed to get there. Like the time I stumbled upon A Practical Wedding via Peonies and Polaroids and, after spending roughly eight hours avidly reading through the archives, sent heartfelt messages to Meg and Cara thanking them both for salvaging what was left of my pre-wedding sanity.
After that, it was only fitting that Cara and Meg should both have helped me find my own little readership here; and they're not the only ones. I've been lucky enough to have a whole crew of bright, funny, stylish ladies referred here from all sorts of places, and fortunately some of them were so bowled over by my sparkling wit and general brilliance that they decided to stay. At least I like to think that's how it happened.
But what does any of this have to do with anything? Well, a guest post I wrote is up on Florence Finds today, so I'm expecting a gaggle of Florence Findettes to turn up at my door any minute now. Rebecca's on holiday in California and has asked a selection of her blogging buddies to keep the ship afloat in her absence. I was only too happy to contribute - you might remember me doing exactly the same thing myself, back when I had to blog every day or the universe would spontaneously implode. Ah, those were the days.
I've mentioned Florence Finds before, when I accused Rebecca of being behind the times (I WAS KIDDING REBECCA YOU'RE AWESOME DON'T HATE ME), so those of you who nibbled on that particular crumb will already be familiar with its fun mix of fashion and interiors, travel and beauty, food for tummies and food for thought. If you haven't visited, now's the perfect time to head on over and read my deeply thoughtful and provocative post on dressing up like lawyers off the telly. There may even be some pictures of Ally McBeal.
Do you remember how you first found my ramblings? How do you normally go about finding new blogs to read? (P.S. I am aware that another Blog Love post is long overdue, but in the meantime, I've refreshed the Blog Love page with some of my current faves - enjoy!)
Bloom Town shoot styled by Giovanna Battaglia and shot by Sharif Hamza for W Magazine March 2012 via Fashion Gone Rogue
21 boats moored
I found you (that sounds very dramatic!) from APW, which I suspect is a haven for bloggers-seeking-bloggers. It made me incredibly happy that you were from Scotland, just round the corner from me so to speak, and it made me want to stick around. Then that was made easy through the lovely writing and pictures of cute greyhounds. So there you go!
ReplyDeleteAw, and I'm incredibly happy that you stayed! Yes, the APW community is amazing for connecting people, and I love it too when I find someone else there who's Scottish or lives in Scotland, it always feels a bit special.
DeleteCute greyhound vomited all over the floor this morning, so she's slightly less cute than usual today...
I bimbled over from AOW and stuck around when I realised that you had a wee personal influence on my w-day :)
ReplyDeleteCute greyhounds and Scottishness are definite bonuses!
Plus it's pretty, and that always helps.
So I suppose I came from RMW too when you think about it...
DeleteI have to confess I found everyone via RMW. Which when you consider I wasn't getting married at the time might make me sound like a bit of a stalker (Obviously it was essential business research *cough*). I do definitely credit AOW and twitter for my getting to know people though.
DeleteI heard about you via Lisa-Marie/APW/Conversation Pieces/Another Scottish blogger(?) and then blurked for ages as you just seemed too cool. I still think you are cool but am now less intimidated. And I found Florence Finds through the post you link to up here (and also blurked as everyone there seems too cool (I think I have a problem - but then my blog is just silly!)
ReplyDeleteI can't remember! Possibly AOW - or I might have found them through you? Oooh, it's the chicken/egg question updates for the 21st Century!
ReplyDeleteWell, there's a whole bunch of acronyms I don't recognise! I found you via Conversation Pieces and was mighty pleased to not have a blogroll full of Americans, and find someone a little closer to home (though not much, as I live on the Isle of Wight) Thanks for your charming slice of reality. Will definitely be sticking around!
ReplyDeleteHa ha! APW = A Practical Wedding, RMW = Rock My Wedding, AOW = Any Other Woman (formerly Any Other Wedding). Hmm, seems like I've really cornered the market in siphoning readers from random wedding blogs...
DeleteThanks for sticking around!
I came via AOW (and stayed for teh awesomes). I found AOW via RMW (which I can no longer read because it gives me palpitations along the lines of "oh holy jesus it's a fortnight to go and my wedding is not going to look anything like as pretty as any of these weddings.... WAAAH")
ReplyDeleteThrough you I have found APW, which is helpful in avoiding the palpitations. Long may that last!
K x
I honestly cannot remember how I found you; but I do remember that it was a post about the royal wedding.
ReplyDeleteAnd, WOW you pick some great photos. Those floral backdrops! Gah!
Gorgeous, aren't they? They don't really have much to do with anything in the post, but I thought we could all use a break from my dodgy photoshopping.
DeleteI'm pretty sure I found you through APW, and two years post-wedding, I'm really glad to have so many non-wedding, cool/funny/warm/kind people blogs in my reading list. Yay!
ReplyDeleteI suppose this is as good a time as any to de-lurk and let you know I found your blog through APW, but only very recently, so maybe you commented and I clicked through? I'm always on the hunt for new blogs and you've got a great take on things!
ReplyDeleteI turned up via the urban boheme... which was in turn found via Rock My Wedding and the lovely Jenny O doing my big day face. Love to check in for your fashion and sense of humour... and have since discovered via twitter that we have a mutual love of hounds of all shapes and sizes :) xx
ReplyDeleteThink it might have been via RMW or AOW or perhaps even APW or maybe I found APW through you? ... I'm a 'blurker' though most of the time. :) I also love all the maxi skirts you put on pinterest and think you need to do a post on the best BRIGHT pink pleated maxi skirts around! (you've made me desperately want a pink maxi, to team with a white vest and cropped demin jacket for the 1/2 day that the sun shines this year )
ReplyDeleteI've been meaning to write a post about pink maxi skirts! I actually need some advice from you lot, so watch this space...
DeleteI found you via a trail of breadcrumbs, although I'm not sure of the exact route - possibly through Peacock Feathers and Diamond Rings?
ReplyDeleteI love the random ways I find blogs. The thing that started me off on knowing about the wonderful world of blogging was needing a new hairstyle in 2008, Googling something like "assymmetric bob" and finding a picture of Holly from Nothing But Bonfires. I found her site, started reading, and the rest is history!
I have just come across your blog and I love this post, the photos are so amazingly colourful :)I hope you will follow my blog :)
ReplyDeleteleopardinleather.blogspot.com
xx
loving all the colours
ReplyDeleteVery late to the party but my work computer is a dick and won't let me comment on your blog :( Just doesn't show the post a comment button?!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I found you through your RMW post so another wedding blog reader/convert!