I have a confession. I check the analytics for NielFlamm.com several times a day. Sometimes it's probably more than necessary, but I find the numbers fascinating.
Before writing this post, I checked again.
Here's what I found:
The last 30 days:
13,303 Visits – up 316% month over month.
13,000 Unique Visitors – up 317%.
14,000 Page Views – up 310%.
Bounce Rate: 95.78% – down 3%.
That's a pretty significant jump!
But let me take you back about 12 weeks.
At one point, I was getting approximately 50 visits. Fifty.
I remember thinking: Why am I doing this? Am I reaching anyone? Is anyone actually entertained? Are people reading what I'm putting out there?
It's easy to put something online and wonder if anyone is on the other side of the screen.
To those of you who stuck with me during those early days, I’m tremendously grateful.
If you’re just discovering NielFlamm.com, thank you, and welcome! I'm glad you found me.
Now, let's talk about making money.
As I've shared these numbers with people I know, I've gotten a few questions:
"Why don't you monetize through The Facebook, The YouTube, The TikTok, and all those other platforms? You could be making money!"
Well, that's certainly an option.
Here's my perspective: I think social media platforms shortchange creators when it comes to paying for the likes, comments, views, and engagement that keep those platforms alive.
Without creators producing content, what exactly would these platforms have to offer?
I do use social media to promote my work. I'll post a snippet, a teaser, or something designed to get your attention and encourage you to visit NielFlamm.com.
But I don’t post my full content elsewhere to monetize it.
I want people to visit the website.
That's where the content lives. That's where the conversations can happen, and that's where I can build something that isn't entirely dependent on somebody else's algorithm.
And here's something else I want to recognize.
A large portion of my content lives in The Blog. It's the written word.
It's easy to watch a talking head do their thing, make you laugh, and move on to the next video. There's nothing wrong with that. I enjoy making videos, too.
But reading and comprehending are skills that need to be practiced, reinforced, and utilized.
So, to all 13,000 unique visitors: Thank you for allowing my words to reach you.
Whether you're reading about life as an amputee, dialysis, recovery, dating, travel, technology, movie reviews, or one of my many adventures and misadventures, I appreciate your time.
What's next?
I'd love to hear from you directly.
Send me an email at niel@nielflamm.com.
Maybe you just want to say hello. Maybe you have a question or a topic you'd like me to explore. Maybe you own a business and would like to discuss advertising on the website.
In fact, I'm open to offering businesses a free 30-day advertising opportunity to see what kind of exposure we can generate.
Nothing is off the table initially. Let's have a conversation.
I'm not a big media company. I'm not a marketing agency. I'm one person with a website, a lot of stories, plenty of opinions, and a desire to keep creating.
Twelve weeks ago, I was getting about 50 visits and wondering if anyone was paying attention.
Today, I'm looking at 13,000 unique visitors.
I think I'll keep doing this. 😁
Thank you for being part of the journey. You know who you are, and whether you visit once or every day, I appreciate you.
Now, excuse me while I go check the analytics one more time.
