Since so many of our readers are also bloggers, I thought you might like this topic as much as I did. I follow Kathy Teman's Writing and Illustrating blog, and she had a great post based on Brian Wallace's post. The subject? Why people don't comment on your blog. Here are some of the highlights.
People don't comment your blog because:
1. You're boring. 'Nuff said.
2. You have no call to action. Ask readers to answer a specific question.
3. You're greedy. You don't link to anyone else. Or, worse yet, you are your own most fascinating subject. (I think we writers can do this a lot. Writing is an introverted, introspective action. I joke sometimes about blogs that document what the blogger had for breakfast, but writers can be just as self-absorbed about our writing.)
4. You're haphazard. People like a regular posting schedule.
5. You're slow in responding, or worse yet, you don't respond.
6. You aren't making it easy enough. Readers shouldn't have to jump through a million hoops to comment. I get that this can be difficult sometimes with spam, though.
7. You don't comment on people's blogs.
8. You haven't found your following ... yet. Haven't we all been there. Remember waiting and waiting for that first comment?!?
2. You have no call to action. Ask readers to answer a specific question.
3. You're greedy. You don't link to anyone else. Or, worse yet, you are your own most fascinating subject. (I think we writers can do this a lot. Writing is an introverted, introspective action. I joke sometimes about blogs that document what the blogger had for breakfast, but writers can be just as self-absorbed about our writing.)
4. You're haphazard. People like a regular posting schedule.
5. You're slow in responding, or worse yet, you don't respond.
6. You aren't making it easy enough. Readers shouldn't have to jump through a million hoops to comment. I get that this can be difficult sometimes with spam, though.
7. You don't comment on people's blogs.
8. You haven't found your following ... yet. Haven't we all been there. Remember waiting and waiting for that first comment?!?
These reasons were taken from Successful Blog:
9. What you write is so complete, I don't know what to say except, good job.
10. I need to think about what you wrote before I even have a question.
11. You only respond to a few friends who mostly share inside jokes.
12. I'm too tired, busy or any number of things that you can't control. Boy, I understand this one!
13. Your content wasn't fresh and exciting, and I couldn't find anything YOU inside it. I struggle with this as well. There are so many stellar writing blogs. It takes work to present a new take on common subjects.
So... what do you think? What of the above reasons stand out to you? What other issues keep you from commenting on a blog?
12 comments:
I've become so accustomed to people not replying to my comments that I don't actually comment unless I have something to contribute to the conversation.
I tend to do that as well, Christi. I rarely comment if I don't have something very specific to add. And if I do leave a well thought comment, and no one replies, I feel a bit silly.
I too agree with Christi and Sarah. I don't comment unless I have something to contribute. Sometimes I'll just post on a blog to say hello or comment on the overall blog. I feel that if you read my blog and have nothing to input, then that is okay. We're all busy in our daily lives, especially if we're writers. Wow, is that time consuming - (I know first hand). I adore all of my followers and commenter's. I try to offer up my experiences in my writing life as well as other things in the writing world that others have asked me about to help them out or maybe show them what has worked or hasn't for me.
I'm with ya'all on this one ;)
Great post. Since aspiringnovelists has only been up a few months, I'm still learning my way around the blogger's world. Also, haphazard postings, and difficulty with establishing a following has not helped anything. Despite my best efforts to post threads that are insightful and thought provoking, maybe I'm too vanilla. It's hard to be objective about my own writing. Eventually I'll figure it out.
I really enjoy commenting on other blogs, regardless of how many comments I get on my own, because I like to be part of conversation. Plus, I like to give others that little excitement I get when I see a new comment on a post. :)
When I don't comment on a blog post, the main reason is usually lack of time. I tell myself I'll get to it later, and then when I come back, there are 50 more posts to read!
Besides time, if it's a popular blog (I'm talking 30, 40, 50 comments on one post) and I have nothing to add that hasn't been said, I just don't bother.
Whew, is that long enough? ;)
Noelle, I think you're right not to worry too much about why or why not folks comment.
I know a lesson I needed to learn when we started Slushbusters was that it was a conversation with really great folks- and not a journal entry. I think most of the reasons posted have something to do with that.
Andrea, it took us a while to get this blog up on its feet. (We've been at this over a year now.) You're still establishing your blog, so I wouldn't be concerned about being vanilla. : )
I know one of the biggest reasons that I don't comment is time. I'm only able to follow a few blogs closely. And then when I add the time to come up with a comment that actually means something...
Shelley, I agree about the huge comment list. If there have been tons of comments, chances are there won't be much left for me to say.
I truly love reading comments on my blog, so I try to comment on the blogs I follow. That does take time though.
I find I do get more comments when I pose a question. Interesting topic.
I agree, Terry. I think the comments are my favorite part of blogging. I love the community I've found among the writing blogs.
Feel I should leave a comment here!
I like to leave comments to show I have read someone's post, so they are not blogging into the wind. But at the same time I am quite shy, I get even shy replying on my own blog sometimes (doh, how silly is that!) and I worry about my words. I have to really 'work' at writing - none of this comes easy to me (grammar etc) so while I redraft and revise like crazy on my stories, I obviously don't put in the same time on comments so then I worry whether I sound really dumb! But commenting and being part of the community is part of the fun, so.. *takes plunge* :)
Jayne, thanks for commenting!
I want to make sure that my comments don't embarrass me as a writer: good grammar, well-written.
I wonder if non-writers put so much effort in their comments or if writers really are more conscientious?
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