Active fans??

[Lianweijun086]

Hello fellow artists and otherwise comicists! I had a question for all of you. My comic has been back up for about 5 months now, a little over 30 strips, and I've actually noticed a pretty substantial increase in viewership (through google analytics). Many of them are frequent visits from cities and countries in which I have no known acquaintances. So, judging from GA, I can say I have about 20-40 fans that I don't actually know. I keep a blog on my site, where readers can comment, and I also have a Cbox where they can interact. The problem is, everyone just seems too shy to ever post!

So my question is, how often do you guys come across an active reader. That is, one who openly engages in chatbox/forum communication. I love forums, and, obviously, I love my fans. I'd really love to talk to them and really get to know them. That all said, I've been wanting a forum for my own comic, but I suspect that no one will use it besides me. I really feel that a forum has to have a certain amount of activity to thrive, and if it doesn't meet that level, it will just push other potential forumites away. Thoughts? Thanks!

[Randyraven]

Well, I also use Deviant art to post my comics strips and I've gained many fans that way. Recently I've been thinking (and I've told my DevART followers) about only not posting some updates there on certain days in order to draw more people to the site. I'm also currently attempting to make more features that'll make viewing my comic a little more... um... exciting? for the reader and hopefully gain more active readership as well as a more vocal following.

[Lianweijun086]

Actually, about that whole Deviant thing. I recently signed up for an account there. Since I really had nothing else to post, I just decided to post the first 5 episodes of the comic. But then I started thinking that it might be a good idea to post every 3rd or 4th comic up, just for the hell of it. What do you guys think?

[McDuffies]

Why not try to blackmail them? "I will not upload the next comic until someone posts something in my shoutbox."

[Cope]

But then everyone will spam the word "something" just to be smartarses.

[Killbert-Robby]

Hello fellow artists and otherwise comicists! I had a question for all of you. My comic has been back up for about 5 months now, a little over 30 strips, and I've actually noticed a pretty substantial increase in viewership (through google analytics). Many of them are frequent visits from cities and countries in which I have no known acquaintances. So, judging from GA, I can say I have about 20-40 fans that I don't actually know. I keep a blog on my site, where readers can comment, and I also have a Cbox where they can interact. The problem is, everyone just seems too shy to ever post!

So my question is, how often do you guys come across an active reader. That is, one who openly engages in chatbox/forum communication. I love forums, and, obviously, I love my fans. I'd really love to talk to them and really get to know them. That all said, I've been wanting a forum for my own comic, but I suspect that no one will use it besides me. I really feel that a forum has to have a certain amount of activity to thrive, and if it doesn't meet that level, it will just push other potential forumites away. Thoughts? Thanks!

I've got multiple hits from Iran... <_<
I got most of my hits from Malta - I got linked on a Maltese comic and took their traffic. Then comes the US, then Canada. For a while, I had regular visits from people in the US and Malta, but not updating for a couple of years does things to one's popularity. I still get the odd bot once in a while though.

I should really overhaul the site and start again...

[MoonFreight3]

From people I DON'T know? It's only happened once, when they sent me an e-mail. But people I do know but haven't seen in a very long time do comment on a semi-regular basis on my Twitter feed.

[RobboAKAscooby]

I get the odd email from time-to-time.

Including some little hate mail (my schoolgirls anonymous joke wasn't taken well by some).

[Phact0rri]

back when I was regularly doing my comic I got emails from time to time and one guy I didn't know who recognized me as "The guy who does decypher" but having been slow on actually comiking for the last little bit needless to say I'd be surprised if I had any visit coming to my site aside from bots.

[Lianweijun086]

Yea, aside from the States, I have a regulars in the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, New Zealand and the UK. Some of the ones that really surprised me were like, Latvia, Estonia, and Cyprus. :/ It's all cool, though. The more the merrier, right?

[Redtech]

Nah, don't get any direct comments, it's odd, my stats say I get either newbies, or hardcore readers, with nothing in between!

[Derek Dragomir]

Yea... I don't have any comments at all. I wonder why people don't bother leaving comments. It's like...

C'mon, people! Let me know what you think! I need your feedback! It keeps me alive inside! AAUUGGHH!

[Inshue]

I rarely get any comments, even from people I know. Something that did work, however, was to say hi to a specific country or region I was surprised to see people visiting from (in my case, Norway). You might try it, see what happens.

[Berg]

I rarely get any comments, even from people I know. Something that did work, however, was to say hi to a specific country or region I was surprised to see people visiting from (in my case, Norway). You might try it, see what happens.

Norway? I'm from Norway!

*checks out Inshue's comic*

[Fishies]

Most of my regulars come from the US or Australia. A few people comment regularly, maybe 4-5? I know most of my RL friends read it, it's just they don't like it...

[Inshue]

I rarely get any comments, even from people I know. Something that did work, however, was to say hi to a specific country or region I was surprised to see people visiting from (in my case, Norway). You might try it, see what happens.

Norway? I'm from Norway!

*checks out Inshue's comic*

See? Mentioning peoples' countries works!
What'd you think, Berg?

[Lianweijun086]

Haha, So I guess I'm not the only one with a lack of vocal followers.

Haha, and yea, most of my real life friends who have read the comic don't really like it. I have a weekly poll on my page, and one of the questions was how they found it. 9 said that they were forced to read it... by me. Interesting thing, even though my readers don't give me any comments, they do vote in the poll! Pretty cool.

Oh, and I think I'll try giving a shout out to people in those countries. Maybe even a pinup for foreign readers!

[Berg]

I rarely get any comments, even from people I know. Something that did work, however, was to say hi to a specific country or region I was surprised to see people visiting from (in my case, Norway). You might try it, see what happens.

Norway? I'm from Norway!

*checks out Inshue's comic*

See? Mentioning peoples' countries works!
What'd you think, Berg?

Don't know. I'm still reeling from the mention of my country.


Okay, honestly, I only took a quick glance at it so far and it looks like something I'm gonna have to spend some time reading before I can make heads or tails of it.