Friday, July 9, 2010
Comments- Just a Comment
I recently read an excellent blog piece from Jen at Redhead Ranting, How Can I Get More Comments. Her main points are:
Dispense with Word Verification
Write Shorter Posts
Post More Than Pictures
Make it Easy to Figure Out How to Comment
Cut Down on the Reviews and Giveaways
Cut Down on the Memes with Many Rules
Ask Questions that Invite Responses
Respond to Comments
Don't Overdo the Ads
Don't Use Too Much Offensive Language
Don't Be a Bore
Really, you should read it... whether you agree with her or not. (And I don't necessarily agree that all her points are hard and fast rules... after all, Jen rants!) But, I would like to just add another thought to that list.
When people regularly visit your blog and make comments, make a point to return the favor. Really. There are at least three blogs on which I comment almost every post, and the writers have yet to make any comment AT ALL on my blog(s).
My most personal blog is My Quality Day. Now, I already know that what brings quality to my day is not what interests a lot of people. I learned that in kindergarten, eh? But, surely I offer enough diversity that there would be something of marginal interest to drop me a note once in a while if I'm commenting every day on your blog.
I'm a little guilty of this myself in a couple of cases. I can't think of a think to say to respond to celebrity or clothing or beauty blogs. OK... maybe I should work harder at this and take my own medicine. But I can rant a little bit too, can't I?
So to get comments, you need to be a commenter. But if you get those comments, and find them encouraging at all, please comment back.
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7 comments:
You make a really good point about commenting back. I struggle with it too especially when people don't leave their blog URL. I have quit EC so I can't get back to them unless they leave the URL in the comment section when they comment.
I also struggle leaving comments about certain topics though I can usually find something to say about celebrities.
Thanks for linking to my article!
Getting comments and generating traffic onto my website is the biggest problem I have come across. These are great points of advice that I'll take into consideration for my blog. I'm still fairly new to blogging so hopefully I can work on getting traffic onto my site. More traffic will mean the possibility of more comments!
Jen- yes, sometimes finding them is a problem. But usually if I click on their name I get a Google ID page which shows me some blog of theirs.
Jason- generating traffic is a huge issue if you really want readers. Despite how many issues many of the traffic generators/ advertising platforms have, I think using them is required to some extent for visibility.
Good point - I do hard to reply to comments and comment back, but it can hard to keep on top of everything at times.
Excellent points, and an excellent post. Even if it gets hard to keep up, like it has been for me lately, I try to at least return the favor of a comment. And many people don't know that comments can sometimes be as entertaining as the post. I love reading them. They really add a lot when someone makes a good comment.
Mark- it sure is hard to keep up, especially with multiple blogs, isn't it.
Ratty- yes, those who regularly answer comments can keep a nice little conversation going... as you know.
It is true that you should respond to comments left on your blog. I try to do so.
Occasionally, I get comments, perhaps from someone that English is their second language, that I can not grasp what they are saying and am not sure how to reply.
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