Does Anyone Read the Flyers Blog? -- Update and Findings from Flyers Survey Results

Dave K

This blog entry is an update of one I wrote nearly two years ago, which you can read by clicking HERE.

Before providing exciting, enthralling, and enlightening new information that will keep you at the edge of your seats for sure, I'd first like to mention that as Flyers Blogmaster these past few years, I like to think that the Blog:

• Provides Flyers with interesting and useful information,
• Enables the many Flyer bloggers (more than 100 different Flyers since the blog's inception) to let us all get to know them better, read about their adventures, make us smile, and to share their stories for their non-Flyer family and friends to enjoy, and
• Helps bring Flyers closer together as a community of runners, friends, and members of a fantastic running club!

If you haven't ever written anything for the Flyers Blog, it's something you might consider.  It needn't be long (or it can be a little long if you've really got a lot to say) and you can write about most anything of interest to you (or I'd be happy to suggest a topic) that's remotely related to running, triathlons, or the Flyers.  If you look down the left sidebar, you'll see a very broad range of topics from a long list of bloggers.

I've seen first-hand that Flyers who've provided a blog entry are glad that they did, and as you'll read below, yes, the Flyers Blog is both read and enjoyed by several million viewers, or something in that vicinity.

Do Flyers Read the Blog?

I am an avid reader of the Flyers Blog, and I await each new post with a fervor and, yes, a longing, that might more appropriately be reserved for my wife. --Barak Obama, President, United States of America

• Pageviews are on the Rise.  As noted in my prior post on viewership, back in February 2011, the Blog had received more than 25,000 pageviews during the prior two years.  Since then, less than two years later, the Blog has received more than 35,000 more pageviews for a total of more than 61,000 pageviews since the Blog's inception.
• Top 10 Blog Posts.  A couple of years ago, the Top 10 most-read posts had pageviews ranging from 173 pageviews for #10 to 285 pageviews for #1. Now, the Top 10 starts at 320 pageviews for #10 and reaches 760 pageviews for the #1 pageviewed blog entry (the post that promoted the Laurie Harris Hope and Dreams 5K). The most recent 10 blog posts averaged 230 pageviews each!

Why is Blog Readership Rising?

I dunno.  One factor is likely that I finally joined  FaceBook and have since promoted each blog entry on Flyers Facebook in addition to continuing to post an announcement and link for each entry on the Flyers Website Homepage. During a recent month, the "referring sites" that led readers to the blog included 300+ pageviews from Facebook vs. 130 pageviews via the Flyers website. Also, Flyer Leslie L tweets about new entries on Flyers Twitter.

Do Flyers Like The Blog?

The NY Flyers Blog has changed my life. For the worse.  But I still like reading it anyway. -- Wilson Kipsang, World Marathon Record Holder, Sept 29, 2013 Berlin Marathon.

In the survey that the Flyers Executive Board (EB) undertook this past winter, they thought to include a few questions about the Blog for Flyers to answer. Recently, the EB shared the findings with me, which provided some insights.

Of the 152 Flyers who responded to the question asking them to rate the Flyers Blog:

• 85% reported that they liked it including 45% who liked it "very much" or "a great deal."  
• Only 7% replied "not much" and no one answered that they didn't like it at all.  
• On the question of whether the blog provides useful information, the responses/percentages were nearly identical to what's in the first two bullets here.

Some of the comments about the Blog that Flyers noted on the survey were: "inspirational!" "entertaining" and "interesting to hear fresh voices."

Of course, other comments were less flattering.  One person suggested: "dump it."

But that may have come from my wife, who'd probably prefer me to spend less time on it :)

-Dave K, NY Flyers Blogmaster