Yes, I have to admit that it’s cool to build an impressive email list. But WordPress gives you the cold, hard stats: how many people actually open that email, and how many of those people who open it actually bother to click the link?
Because subscriber counts have been an absolute Achilles’ heel for me, I decided to consult with Google Gemini on the matter. At first, I thought the app was just trying to make me feel better, but then it pointed out that subscriber lists on a blog like WordPress are essentially a “vanity statistic.”
I think that today, especially with tablets and smartphones, it’s so much easier for people to just click on the things they want to read. I don’t know that readers necessarily feel the need or the obligation to subscribe to a blog anymore. I think the statistic is becoming less and less relevant.
Personally, I’ve accumulated about 700 subscribers over 14 years. I’m sure that most of those people don’t even use WordPress anymore, or those email addresses are just dumping grounds for spam.
So, I’m not really in a position to talk about how to build a loyal subscriber base. Hell, I don’t even know how to build a mediocre one. When you do the math, 700 subscribers over 14 years averages out to about 50 per year—almost one per week. And admittedly, my numbers have never been that consistent. Occasionally, I’ll see a little spurt, or go through ebbs and flows as I build a network and bloggers start following each other as a courtesy.
The fact of the matter is, with smartphones and tablets, it is so much easier now to simply hop onto an app or go directly to a website than it is to check an email inbox to see if one of your favorite bloggers has posted something new.
This isn’t to say that email is obsolete; it’s just to say that this is an evolutionary pattern in how the internet functions.
Do I wish I had more subscribers? Yes, of course. Am I going to take some steps to increase my subscribers? Sure. If I were to consciously try to build a more loyal base, I think it comes down to a few fundamental habits:
First, I need to make the process as frictionless as possible—simple, conspicuous subscription links or forms so that interested readers don’t have to hunt for a way to stay in the loop.
Second, it’s about consistency. Building a deep, quality library of work—as I’ve spent the last 14 years doing—gives people a reason to stick around once they land on a page.
Third, community is a two-way street. When I do get feedback, I need to ensure I’m responding to comments in a timely manner. And, perhaps most importantly, I have to actually subscribe to and engage with other blogs. I’m seeing more ‘follow for a follow’ trends on social media, where there’s an explicit promise of reciprocity. While I’m not sure how much I love the transactional nature of that, I do think the underlying incentive—the promise of mutual support—is a powerful tool for growth.
But at the end of the day, my subscription list is not the be-all and end-all parameter of my blog’s success. As much as I like getting lots of views, it’s more fulfilling to pen something that I really put my heart and soul into, even if it doesn’t garner massive traffic. As I’ve said before, most of us are here because we need to write in order to breathe.
As I mentioned earlier today, this journey is about more than just the numbers—it’s about finding the path forward, whether that’s through graduation ceremonies or better blogging habits.
Rebuilding a life takes grit, consistency, and a lot of ‘Option C’ thinking. Whether I’m closing in on 1,000 consecutive days of blogging or reflecting on the decade of work that brought me here, the mission remains the same: No glitz. Just the work. New to the blog? Start your journey here to see the blueprint and the ‘Tricorder’ perspective behind the rebuild.
Thanks for stopping by Rebuilding Rob. Be sure to like 👍, comment and subscribe below. It’s greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to follow me on social media and check out my recent posts!
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AI art created by Google Gemini.
The article “The Beacon in the Digital Dark: Why I Write to Breathe”
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