How To Measure a Blog's Success Without The Numbers

I've talked about numbers and statistics a few times on Nellie and Co, from how to get more of them, to tracking them, to trading them in for more consistent, loyal human beings, but there was one particular issue that alway seems to creep into view when posts like these are written, and it's this:

There are few other ways to measure success than with numbers, and without them, it's not fun.

For the first time in a long time, I was well and truly stumped, because it's true. There aren't a lot of ways to measure somethings success that aren't with numbers, and those that are tend to look and feel a tad insignificant, which is a shame, because believe it or not, as much as I like them, numbers aren't the special snowflakes we all make them out to be. They're just numbers, and like everything in life, they can get a bit excited and shoot for the stars, and sometimes they have really bad days and binge watch netflix in an electric blanket of shame.

We have to find other way to measure our blogs success, especially when statistics are so unreliable.

So, how do we do that, and what are these 'other ways'?

Are you hitting your blog goals? If so, you're succeeding

I had a pretty surreal moment last month. Out of nowhere, I surpassed one of my quarterly goals of getting a minimum of 3,000 pageviews a month, by a third. In the shortest month of the year, I smashed my goal 133%, and do you want to know how I rewarded myself and celebrated? I treated myself to a yummy order in, a super beautiful chinese takeaway, and enjoyed every moment.


It's important to reward yourself and share your achievements with other people too, and especially so when it's a goal or something you've wanted to do for a while. In terms of measuring success, if you've managed to nail something you've been working hard on, and seen results that make you happy, then you're damn well succeeding, and you should be pretty proud of yourself.

Measuring your own success based on your own achievements will spur you on. Keep going.

Are people sharing your content? If so, you're succeeding

During last months surreal few moments, I saw an increase in the amount of people sharing my content, and that to me was something to celebrate, because not only is this great for me and my blog, but it's great in terms of making contacts, and it means my content is reaching it's intended audience. For somebody who's reason for blogging is to teach and share my knowledge with others, knowing that people are learning and want to spread that knowledge for me, it's awesome.

If people are regularly sharing your content, be it on social media, or through their own content, then trust me, you're doing something right, and you're creating success. You've thrown your content frisbee out into the vast internet world, sharing, promoting, marketing and directing it to it's audience, but it's in that moment that somebody catches it that you deserve to smile and be proud of yourself.

Followers are more than just numbers, they're people, so be human and thank them. Make friends.

Are people interacting with you? If so, you're succeeding

Even now, two and a half years in the blogging business, a comment, at least a genuine comment, still has the power to brighten up a dull day. Somebody has taken 3 minutes out of their busy day to interact with me personally, and let's face, finding time in the day to blog is tough enough, but visiting other people and saying 'hey, this post? I like it!' is on another level of lovely, and it shows you're doing something right. That certainly isn't to say that not getting many comments means people aren't liking your content, it's more a case of, the more interaction you receive, the better you're encouragement was. That's success.


It doesn't just have to blog comments either. Interaction can be anywhere, on social media platforms, via email, even through real-life situations, and you really can measure success on how much people want to talk to you and make conversation. Connections, friendships and relationships are vastly important in the blogging community, no matter what genre or sector you find yourself in, so interaction is super important.

Social media is called that for a reason. Don't forget to actually interact with people.

Are you achieving what you set out to do in the first place?
If so, then trust me, you are succeeding.

Success is so much more than numbers, and it's important that we remember all the other ways we can measure out own success. I set out to teach people how to achieve great things with their blog, how to design a space that matches their values, their aims and their goals, how to become better social media schedulers, how to become better photographers, how to become more positive people, and every time I create content that helps me achieve that, I'm succeeding, and so are you.

Every time you achieve something you're proud of, forget about the numbers and celebrate.

No matter what your reason for blogging, whether it be to teach, to share, to promote, to show off, to make money, if you're achieving that if you're teaching and sharing and promoting and showing off and making money, then your numbers mean nothing, because you're already succeeding, and no amount of numbers are going to make that fact any less true. Well done you.

How do you measure your blogs success?