I’m still sort of scratching my head, trying to figure out what went right, but the blog set a new traffic record in June — actually, it blew the old record away.
The old record was 272,417 page views, set in January. That was understandable. It was the month of the SC Republican presidential primary. The record month on my old blog — the one I had at the paper — was set in January 2008. Interestingly, that record was only about 85,000 page views. I continue to marvel that my readership is so much greater than when I had my name on the masthead of South Carolina’s largest newspaper ever day. Such is the power of social media, I suppose.
It took me three years to log my first million page views. Now, I’ve done better than that in the last four months (1,023,091, to be exact). Or perhaps I should say, we’ve done better. Our growing community of regular contributors are a solid part of the blog’s appeal, based on anecdotal evidence.
News that draws in readers from outside SC — such as presidential primaries — always means a bump in traffic. For instance, the first time I drew a quarter of a million page views was the month that Alvin Greene and the allegations against Nikki Haley broke nationally — June 2010. It was a long time after that — August 2011 — before I exceeded that mark again.
Now, it’s well on its way to becoming routine.
So what was the number in June? It was 282,271, which beats January’s record by almost 10,000. Actually, it was more significant than that, because it was a 30-day month going up against a 30-day record. The daily average page views in June was 9,409, as opposed to 8,787 in January. In other words, if there had been 31 days in June, the total would have been more like 291,680 — closer to 20,000 over the previous record.
So what’s causing this? I don’t know, other than that readership is just steadily ratcheting up. Looking back, I see nothing in June that would have drawn much national attention — in fact, nothing much at all out of the ordinary.
So all I can say is, thanks for reading. And please keep it up.
Related Posts
ProTip – The more you post, the more hits you are likely to get. Stop slacking.
Well, that’s what puzzles me. I don’t think I posted any more in this past month than in the one before.
None of the usual explanations are working for me. I’m happy, but puzzled…
Time to raise your ad rates!
Now why didn’t I think of that? 🙂
You do seem to have a pretty good mix of liberals and conservatives who regularly post. Perhaps folks like to tune in to a good debate rather than merely watching folks who always agree with them.
I for one like to tune in to see what “facts” bud has made up each day. Also, to see what nonesence Steven is spouting, or which celebrity he hasn’t ever heard of.
I definitely relish a good debate.
Brad,
I’ve recommended your blog to several other people who run blogs for the same reason bud listed.
Well, apparently it hasn’t hurt even if bud still insists on posting his comments since there are other very sensible liberals to offset his remarks!! 🙂
Does any other blog come close to Bradwarthen for solid facts and substantive opinions in SC politics? FitzNews has traded on its name too many times to command as much credibility as a blind squirrel finding an acorn.
Keep it up, Brad!
Y’all stop hatin’ on bud. He does not make up facts. Just because you don’t like what he is saying, doesn’t mean he’s making it up. There may be context you’d like to add, and so on, but I have no doubt that bud gets his facts from reputable sources.
and, yet again, I agree with Juan Caruso!!
Juan – The big difference is that Fitsnews uncovers stories whereas here it’s old news by the time it hits your screen.
@Kathryn, it was all in fun – get it? Therefore the reason for the 🙂 after my remarks.
No, I have no doubt that bud does get his facts from reputable sources. However, sometimes opinion and facts seem to be indistinguishable in some of what all of us post at times. Facts can be used for or against an argument or position, depends on what the subject matter is and who is interpreting the facts.
FITSNews uncovers stories and fabricates some–therein lies the problem. The National Enquirer uncovers stories and is right a fair amount of the time, but I wouldn’t look to it for news….
I agree that it’s a good blog, best one in Columbia, for my money. I do wish that Brad would update more. I guess if he didn’t have to spend time doing that pesky work-thing.
@ ‘Kathryn – Yup, bud makes “facts” up. Or as I’m gonna start calling them, “budisms”. Like June 29, 2012 at 3:56 pm when he said that the left has given up on efforts to restrict gun ownership among law abiding citizens.
Sometimes, he gets really upset and has a budgasm – and then Brad has to censor him, like on June 27, 2012 at 3:56 pm.
Now, now. We all need censoring sometime.
And we’re all OK with that, because we all love Big Brother, don’t we?
I said, “Don’t we?”…
@ Brad – we love Big Brother!
@ ‘Kathryn – what has FITS fabricated? I read him, but I don’t bother to post there. The general level of discourse and discussion here is a lot higher.
A budgasm?
I stand by my contention that the left has given up on efforts to restrict gun ownership but with one small caveat. On ANY issue you can find SOMEONE that continues to fight against an established situation. So there may very well be a few diehards that still want to ban handguns. But for 99% of all of us on the left we accept that legal handgun ownership is here to stay. Given the sharp increase in gun violence in Chicago I’m not sure that’s a good thing but that’s just the way it is.
Besides June 27 was my birthday so I’m entitled to a “budgasm”.
I think bud makes assertions, like about the left, that are so general that they can neither be proven or disproven–who the “left” is, say, depends on your definition. Can be true or false, depending.
That’s not the same as “making it up.”
Fitsnews is fine. Its a good mix of cheesecake, scandal and bile. No one reads straight political news. You have to make it yours and brand it to make it interesting. Dude has to eat. Will has a really cute family too he sometimes puts out on twit pics of. It puts a face to Fits.
I don’t take anything I read there as gospel but his conviction has swayed my opinion.
I don’t consider myself a libertarian. I do believe in a free market though and he is the voice pushing that in Columbia.
In the end its entertaining hearing the politico gossip. If I didn’t find political hyjinks interesting I certainly wouldn’t be blogging myself.
For the record I read the palmetto public record as well. I enjoy Logan’s work alot. Not as much discussion there but hes a good guy.
Here is exactly why I follow brad. He is one of the blogs in the city that will cover city and county issues. That’s what I really want to hear.
It compels me to add my opinion since i’m more knowledgeable than most on these issues from my work.
When I started my blog I knew I wouldn’t be able to sit on the sidelines. I would cross the line and end up an activist for something I currently believe in.
To do that you have to build a reputation. I do that mainly though social media since I’m just ridiculously busy in real life.
Its a win win for all. Brad gets compelling material on his board. I get recognition. The trackbacks boost both our SEO scores.
Here comes the sappy part. I think of brad as an mentor. I model many of the ways I do my own publishing around him as he does it right.
@ tavis – you are a sap!
I think we can all agree that Brad’s blog needs more cheesecake. It is also a bit short on bile.
@ bud – Yes, may you have many happy budgasms on your birthday. You are entitled that day!
@ Kathryn – I’m still waiting for an example of a fabricated story on FITS.
For what it’s worth, y’all are comparing apples and oranges. Actually, I’m not even sure they’re both fruit.
I guess the point of commonality is that Will and I both publish blogs, which deal largely with SC politics (although neither he nor I are limited to that).
There the resemblance ends. Will constantly strives to break news, and often succeeds. Of course, he does it within the context of grinding his various axes.
I don’t even pretend to try to be a breaking news site. Mine is about taking a step back and commenting upon information already available.
That’s because I know what it would take to do news and do it right, and I’m not in a position to do that at this point. To do that, I would have to be able to support myself and my family on blog revenues, which would include paying for medical coverage, and I am a long, LONG way from being able to do that. That’s where I’d have to be just to be free to do actual legwork and post as often as Will does.
Then, to be able to publish a news cite that met my own standards for quality and thoroughness, I’d have to be able to hire several other people, and pay THEM enough to do it full-time.
My blog is what it is — a place to gather and have civil discussions about what’s going on in the world. I haven’t figured out how to pay for making it something other than that.
Umm– I don’t read FItsNews, but the most obvious one is the Nikki Haley business. If it’s a thing, come out with the whole story. If it’s not, well, he made it up.
@Kathryn
Folks is coming out with the whole story. He’s saving it for his book that is in the late stages of development right now. Wouldn’t want to give that away for free, would he?
I tend to believe him on the Haley affair with one caveat – he has always been careful in the words he used to describe the physical aspect of that alleged relationship. I would think that if there was no incident, she would have tried a whole lot harder to prove it in court.
@Kathryn – You admit to not reading FitsNews but state that it’s a blog full of made up stories? How do you know this if you don’t read it? Heresay? How does that stand up in a court of law?
Hearsay
I have read it, just not very often. I’m also not testifying in court. If Brad’s blog were held to evidentiary standards, I think it would pretty much only be Phillip’s comments.
Nikki doesn’t sue for defamation for one of three reasons: (1) she’s a public figure, and the standard–actual malice, is very hard to prove, (2) she doesn’t want to further publicize it, or (3) it’s true, and truth is an absolute defense to defamation claims.
‘Kathryn – and my comments. Don’t forget Silence’s comments.
I tend to believe Will about the Haley relationship. I also believe that he’s a cad, cause he’s certainly not a gentleman. A gentleman keeps his mouth shut about a ladies’ indiscretions.
Indeed. To speak of such things is… insupportable.
Please forgive me for the strong language. I was merely saying what Mr. Darcy himself would say…
“Umm– I don’t read FItsNews”
“I have read it, just not very often”
You’d make a great politician.
Does anyone read Ted’s ColumbiaClosings.com? The folks who post there are amazingly civil. I guess news about a favorite restaraunt or clothes store is more sad than controversial.
I’m still waiting for an example of a FITSnews fabrication. I also hope this is the last time I ever defend Will Folks, ever.
@ bud – you want to start battling over at Columbiaclosings? It’d be fun. I can be like: “The Elite Epicurian closed because of Obama’s healthcare mandate.” and you can respond that: “In fact, it closed years before anyone ever heard of Barack Obama.” and we can go from there…