Many thanks to all of you who took the time to fill out the survey. I had to close it when we reached the maximum number of responses (100) without having to pay for a Survey Monkey subscription. And apologies for not checking to see if the survey worked on a smart phone (it didn’t). That was one of the important lessons: always optimize for phones. Hopefully this website works on your phone. If it doesn’t please let us know.
Now for the results of the survey:
We’ve set a goal to put out three to six blog posts a week plus a podcast. I have a hard time knowing if we’re putting out too much or too little. There’s a paradoxical problem with a DIY blog. If we’re gardening or in the garage making something we’re not writing and vice versa. It’s been difficult to find the right balance. Looks like you’re all good with where we are.
When we first began this blog ten years ago the standard advice was along the lines of, “people are distracted so make your posts short.” Lately, the common wisdom is that blog posts should be long and footnoted. We decided to split the difference, though we’ve kept posts on the short side. It looks like you agree (though the unscientific part of this poll is that the folks who want them shorter or longer may not read this blog anymore). I am going to try the occasional longer post. And sorry about the typo on the question–I need an editor!
We began the podcast knowing that many of you would not listen to it. I’m fine with this. There are several blogs that I love and read that have podcasts that I never listen to. That said, many more people listen to our podcast than show up for book tour appearances. We’ve been averaging around 1,200 downloads per week, though it’s hard to tell how many people listen all the way through.
But the real reason we do the podcast is that it’s a way to have a conversation with and listen to other people in the movement. Writing can get lonely and solipsistic. It’s easy to lose perspective. The conversations we have on the podcast change the written content on the blog in a positive way. Unfortunately, the podcast takes a lot of time. We have to book guests, conduct the interview and spend, on average, four to five hours editing. It looks like we could step back to one podcast every other week instead of every week. That will give us more time for the blog.
It would be a lot easier for the Root Simple PR department if we just stuck to one topic like, say, chicken health or DIY lotion making. That’s what bloggers are “supposed” to do. But this blog began as a way to celebrate those of us who are “Jack (or Jill) of all trades and master of none.” It looks like you agree. But we do need to do more gardening posts and spend more time building things.
In the “other” category many of you left very kind comments as well as great suggestions (I’ve never once blogged about DIY music in spite of the fact that I have a degree in music).
Again, thank you for your help and support over the past ten years. The eclectic topics we cover attract really nice people who want to make the world a better place. We are fortunate to have you as readers and listeners.
I didn’t get a chance to do the poll, saw it late last night and was coming here to fill it out but I see I’m too late.
I am a podcast listener and my input is that while I do like once a week, I totally get that once a week is hard to do. I started my own podcast late last year and twice a month is all I can handle!
I’m probably one of the people who has known about y’all for several years but it was the podcast that got me hooked into dropping by more frequently.
More gardeners, more DIY, more plant talk!
Thanks for the feedback. And share a link to your podcast!
I enjoy the eclecticism of the blog and podcast. I’m an apartment dweller who will never raise chickens, yet I still enjoy learning from yours and your guests’ experience and ethos when writing/talking about the topic. And to my surprise I found myself seriously considering making cheese after your last podcast.
I love, love, loved Kelly’s podcast essay about bees from a year or so ago. Has she considered doing another one? Many points she’s made through her thoughtful philosophizing have stayed with me over the years and have shaped my own thinking. Maybe some of the longer posts of this type would also work as a podcast.
I want to second this. It’s the eclectic nature of this blog that I find interesting. It doesn’t *have* to excel in any one thing. It has sent me down all kinds of rabbit holes and there are plenty of in-depth topic-specific resources out there once the interest is sparked.
I also love your podcasts. I come primarily for the blog posts but it’s so nice to have good podcasts to listen to while doing inside tasks (cleaning, canning, whatever). I agree with the previous commenter, I really love Kelly’s more philosophical posts. I would love to see more of them.
I was on vacation so I missed your poll. I agree with the general consensus that the blog posts are just right. My husband and I enjoy listening to the podcasts together as evening entertainment and an easy way to broaden our horizons. Thanks for all your hard work and keep ’em coming every other week!