Afraid you’ll kill the conversation on your blog? Do you want more comments on your blog?
Chances are you want and enjoy quality comments on your blog but did you know there are things that can KILL the conversation on your blog. Today I’m going to take a few minutes to highlight them so that you can avoid these comment pitfalls.
Are you unintentionally KILLING the conversation on your blog? #blogtips Click To Tweet
Your post is hard to read
Small font, no spaces between paragraphs, lots of grammatical and spelling errors, and nothing to break up the post (such as photos). If your post is hard to read, then obviously, comments will be low.
Ironic Sans presents a great example of how white text on black is hard to read. Visit HERE for a demonstration.
Action Items
- Choose an easy to read font.
- Pay careful attention to your background colour and font colour.
- Put spaces between paragraphs.
- Add photos to your posts.
- Keep paragraphs as short as possible.
- Use sub-headings throughout the post.
You’ve left me nothing to comment on
In this situation, you’ve written a post that hasn’t provided an invitation for me to comment. There’s either no call to action or the post was talking at me instead of talking with me.
Action Items
- End your posts with a question or a call to action.
- Even if your post is a photo update, offer some snippet or point for someone to comment on, even if this means leaving a “clue” in the title of the post. i.e. “Photo of the Week: Baby’s First Tooth”.
You’re producing too much content
If you have a post being published every day, it’s likely I won’t be reading each one. Readers can get overwhelmed by too much content.
Imagine fishing with a net (no fishing pole in this analogy folks). If you keep dropping the net into the water and immediately pulling it up, it’s unlikely you’ll catch many fish. However, if you entice the fish to swim towards the net and leave your net sit in the water for a while, it’s very likely you’ll pull up some fish. How do you get the fish to swim towards the net? Well, that’s a whole other post.
Action Items
- Evaluate your publishing schedule. How often are you publishing content?
- Leave a day or two between posts, so people have time to read and comment on your posts.
- Experiment with your blogging schedule and see what encourages the most comments.
You never reply to comments
When someone stops by to visit your blog and comments on your post, make sure to reply to them. Also, make sure your replies are thoughtful, genuine, and if applicable, invite further discussion.
Action Items
- Reply to comments left on your blog.
- Make your comments sincere (not blanket statements i.e. “Thanks for stopping by”).
- If possible, ask a question. This may entice your visitor to respond and leave another comment.
I’m not notified that you responded to my comment
You might as well not comment if I’m never notified that you’ve replied to my comment. I comment on 15-20 posts a day… sometimes more. It’s very rare I’ll return to a post to check and see if someone replied to my comment. However, if I receive a notification that you replied, I will definitely make my way back there.
Action Items
- Choose a commenting system that has an automated reply system in it.
- If you’re using a basic WordPress comment system, find a plugin that will send reply notifications to the people who comment on your blog.
You have CAPTCHA
Do I need to mention this? CAPTCHA can be really hard to read and time-consuming to input. If someone enters it incorrectly a couple of times, they may give up on commenting altogether.
Action Items
- Remove CAPTCHA.
- Moderate your comments first if you’re concerned about SPAM.
- Look into alternative SPAM filters.
You have a poor/malfunctioning commenting system
Oh my goodness! You have written the best post I’ve read in a while. I leave an epic 400+ word comment and it disappears into thin air. No notification that it is being held for moderation… nothing. I now have a dilemma: do I try to write the same comment again or do I keep it short and sweet my second time around?
Now I have to admit, this has happened a few times on here on The Deliberate Mom; when a legitimate comment is flagged as SPAM and caught by Akismet. However my awesome commenting system comes in handy with fixing this issue because I review my SPAM before deleting it. So, when I reply to the comment, the person who left it knows that the comment was received.
The worst culprit for this is the default Blogger commenting system. Sometimes a comment will just disappear into cyberspace.
Action Items
- Choose a quality commenting system (if you’re on Blogger, install an alternate system).
- Occasionally test your commenting system (especially if you haven’t received comments for a couple of days).
- If you run into a glitch on someone’s site, send them a quick email to let them know. 9 out of 10 times they will be super thankful that you informed them of the issue you had.
You never leave the comfort of your URL
People are visiting you but you never venture over to others’ sites. This can be frustrating for people who visit you regularly. They may eventually stop commenting or stop visiting altogether.
Also, you will never meet new friends if you don’t go out and socialize! Regularly find new blogs to follow and let them know you’ve stopped by (but please don’t leave your URL in your comment field, use the URL box provided). URLs in comments are often flagged as SPAM.
Action Items
- Take the time to visit the sites of the people who comment on your site. Leave a comment so they know you stopped by.
- Have a system to reciprocate (i.e. Once you reply to someone’s comment on your blog, pay a visit to their blog).
- Venture out and visit new blogs. Try to find a new blog to follow and comment on every 1-2 weeks. Make sure to comment so that they know you’ve been there.
- Set up “profiles” with all the major commenting systems so that bloggers can easily visit your blog.
- Make your comments meaningful. No one likes to see: “Great post!” The more meaningful the comment, the more likely they will be to stop by and visit you.
What advice would you give to help keep bloggers from killing the conversation on their blogs? Has anything helped you get more comments on your posts?
SHARE WITH OTHERS
You’re a commenting ninja, Jennifer, and I’m so impressed by the vigor with which you keep up on commenting! I confess that I fall into waves and bursts of commenting on other blogs, most often due to the amount of time I’m online for work. (Sometimes I need to step away from the computer for my own mental well-being!)
These are smart tips and good reminders!
Aww, thanks Robin! I’m not as much of a “commenting ninja” as I used to be. The SHINE Blog Hop takes a lot of time, so it cuts back on my “recreational” commenting. I can definitely see how commenting can feel like a chore when much of your day is consumed by reading your students’ work.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this.
These are absolutely FANTASTIC tips! Pinning this!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Echo.
Commenting is an extension of our blogs. I realized that in addition to my posts, just how critical that comment box is to my blog. That’s where the relationships are built, don’t you think?
Thank you for pinning. I really appreciate it!
You’re right! I love this post…now do you have tips on commenting itself? Anything more specific than what you have in this post?
Oh Carol… I have lots of tips on commenting. I’ve had a few people ask… so I’m thinking that will be my next blog-related post. I doubt I’ll get it written up before Christmas, but perhaps for the new year.
A few things though:
– be authentic and thoughtful; you want your comments to build a relationship, to get people to want to read more and visit your blog because they read your thoughtful
– be organized; I touched down in this post but devise a system for commenting and stick to it
I have several more but I’ll save those for my post on commenting!
Thanks so much for reading.
Wonderful advice all around on this, I honestly couldn’t agree more with all said here. I think one of the things I did do early on was just post too much all the time. That said, I think sticking to a blogging schedule for your readers is so key and crucial and this one. I totally learned the hard way and am thankful to have learned my lesson on that and more with blogging, too :)
I couldn’t agree more with you Janine. A blog schedule is critical. I never post on Saturdays for example, unless it’s a blogging-related post. This way, my non-blogging followers know what to expect. Plus with a schedule it’s easier to figure out what works/doesn’t work. If you always post on Friday and numbers are really low on that day, then it’s easier to recognize that and make a change.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Janine. Thanks for sharing your insights as well.
I’m definitely guilty of killing some conversations! These are some great blogging action items for improvement. Thanks for the tips! Pinned.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Lisa.
Blogging, as with many things, is trial and error. I learned some of these the hard way and just wish to pass my insights along.
Thanks so much for stopping by and for pinning. I would love to hear if implementing some of these makes a difference to the commenting on your blog.
Have a great weekend!
Duh-Duh-DAAAAAA!!!!
HAVE NO FEAR–COMMENTING MAN IS HERE!
**oooooooo**
**Ahhhhhhhh**
Yes, I am here to help you beautiful people BATTLE the crime of boring comments. With my super-mental-(instability)-powers I shall….
(what?)
………wah-wa-wahh-waah…..
(no.)
……..wahh-wah–waaah-wah…..
(I was GOING to say that, before you interrupted my entrance….)
…..wah-wahh–wa-wahhh?…..
(well it’s too LATE for that now, isn’t it? You can’t just jump out with a cape in red underwear over your jeans and then start again, now, can you!)
….wah-wah—wah-waah-wahhhhh….
(oh it’s ok. I forgive you. Jennifer already thinks I’m a loon anyway. Won’t make much of a difference, I promise.)
*sigh*
So much for the epic entrance.
Well Jennifer–besides the changing my font (which I did just before coming over to this article–you must have been using your telepathy again) and scaling back to once a week instead of my daily posts I’ve been doing for a year…all i can say is HAVE FUN!
Be “you”–and share that with others. Can’t stress this enough.
Yes, I’m silly, devastatingly handsome (wife and daughters words, not mine) and ever-so-passionate about life…but I have a serious side and very protective aspect of my personality that keeps this silliness in check.
Well, most of the time….
Ok, SOME of the time. ANYway…sharing that “you” with others and bring added value to other websites will work wonders. I’m not talking making a, “Hi, great article, loved it, learned a lot. BYE!” comments….
I mean comments like this one.
Thought out. Personal. On point. Focused on the readers and the writer.
They will get you noticed and I promise, over time, the love WILL be reciprocated.
If not, well…they weren’t the kind of people you wanted over for brownies and tea and pickled herring on toast anyway, were they?
Ok, my ankles are swelling up—gonna go take this super suit off now.
Oh. My. Goodness.
What. Was. That?
Was it a bird? Was it a plane? No! It was super commenting man!
Seriously though… get a new superhero costume.
I just popped over to check out this new font of yours… yes indeed, it looks good and is easy on the old eyes.
I’m glad you enjoyed this Jaime. You’re right having fun is important… especially when we’re looking to build relationships with our readers.
I hope the ankles are better by the morning *wink*
All very great tips and oh so true. I’m famous for doing 3-4 posts a day but that’s only because I have deadlines to meet that I didn’t have before. I’m heading out the country in a week and I’m still behind. Hopefully when the new year comes around I’ll be back to posting 3-4 times a week with also less reviews. I also don’t reply to comments left on my blog. I used to but then found that it took up too much of my time, especially when I replied and then they didn’t bother to come back and respond. Ever so often I would reply to a comment that has asked a question. Doesn’t meet that I’m not reading them. :) Here’s to a fantastic weekend!
I imagine with the review you do, you would have to do 3-4 posts a day. I have no idea how you keep up! Then you post recipes, and craft ideas, and toddler posts! Wow!
I would say with your amount of content and comments, it would be virtually impossible to reply to all your comments without the assistance of a virtual assistant. As long as you answer questions, that should be sufficient. Plus, I see you all over the place on the internet, so your comments on other people’s blogs probably helps with keeping you connected.
Thanks for sharing your insights Amanda! Wishing you a lovely weekend as well.
Oh so much to discuss on this topic! I too hate the captcha things – seriously!!!! What a pain! I think everyone views commenting different. For me, I want to build relationships with the people who read my blog and the only way I can do that is if they comment or email me. Clearly, a lot of people visit blogs who never comment! Also, I never understood when people reply to comments on their blog. (unless like your blog you get an email notification). I will NEVER go back to peoples posts to see if they replied to my comment, ya know?!!! Also, it makes me sad when I visit peoples blogs and comment on every post, and they NEVER once comment or reach out to me… it just seems like common etiquette. Ok, I’m done now haha
I seriously don’t know why people are still using CAPTCHA. There are posts everywhere complaining about it. It’s really time consuming and frustrating.
I like my replies to show on my blog because sometimes it starts other conversations with readers as well. I’ve had occurrences when someone has read a comment I made to someone else and then they responded to that comment, rather than start their own thread because my comment either provoked another question or a thought. If the ReplyMe system wasn’t installed I don’t know if I would do it as much though.
I know you don’t have CommentLuv on your blog, yet you’re still able to respond to comments. What reply system do you have Caroline? Do you have a plugin installed?
I have stopped visiting blogs because they never visit back or reply. It’s not out of spite… I realize some people may have huge blogs and don’t have the time to connect with readers but at the same token my time is valuable too. I want to invest my time in bloggers who I know for sure appreciate my comments on their posts.
Thanks for sharing your insights Caroline.
You’ve got some great tips here, Jennifer and definitely things I could improve upon, like having a notification set up for replies!
There are some really great commenting systems you could use with Blogger that would allow you to reply Sanz (like Intense Debate or Disqus). Replies can keep the conversation going and really keeps blogging relationships alive.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this! Thanks for your kind words.
Brilliant and thank you, you have just about covered everything that I think about whenever I comment or reply to one of my comments. I linked up the other day to your party and there you were thanking me for doing so, not on one but both of my posts. Makes me want to come back again for sure. Another is that I may read a post and want to comment, then I go to the comments and see that the writer has never left a reply. If the writer doesn’t care, then why should I?
All of that said, I replied to both of the comments that you left on my posts, did you by chance get a notification of the replies? If not then I will be signing up for the CommentLuv Premium, I love to have a conversation with the people that take the time to comment.
Fantastic job on all the points that you have made, and giving me food for thought with my replies, here’s hoping that you were told about my replies… :)
I am so delighted that you enjoyed this.
Encouraging comments (and commenting) is such a major part of blogging! It’s where the relationships are built and a community is formed.
For my first couple of years blogging, I sat in my own world and wondered why no one ever visited me. I certainly wish I had known then what I know now.
I’m so glad you joined us at the SHINE Blog Hop. I don’t always get to visit all the posts but I had a co-host this week, which allows me to comment on my share of the posts. I’m glad you enjoyed my visits!
Unfortunately I did not get your replies! I just checked my spam folder too, in order to make sure they weren’t in there. I’m glad you asked though!
Have a fabulous weekend!
Thank you for taking the time to look and get back to me on this one. I will look into changing that today with the CommentLuv plugin. Have a fabulous day!!!!
You are so very welcome. It was the least I could do!
I often read from feedly and I’ll leave a great content submit and the page goes blank. I don’t know how else to keep up with ask my boss and still not be aggravated with connecting. Got any answers for that?
Hi Bijee. I don’t use Feedly to organize the blogs I read (I use Bloglovin), so I’ve never encountered what you’re describing here. A few thoughts though:
– try using your Feedly with a different browser system (i.e. if you’re using Firefox, switch to Chrome)
– contact the Feedly support staff
– try using Bloglovin’ instead to organize and read your blogs
I hope this helps. I can imagine how frustrating that must be for you!
I have revamping my comment system on my blog improvement list already! This was a helpful list but I’m surprised you didn’t mention personalizing your comment reply emails. I love seeing the “Aren’t you sweet…” in the beginning of your emails!
The commenting system and processes on our blogs are critical. So much of our relationship and community building is done in the comments. Good for you for already looking into your system!
I’m so glad you like my customized commenting system Amanda! I wanted my comment reply for to be unique to my blog… you’re the first person to share that it’s liked! Yay!
YE S YES YES!!! Excellent advice and I agree wholeheartedly with everything you shared Jennifer!!
Quite honestly?
Nothing turns me off more, than spelling and grammatical errors. And the long text that seems to simply ramble without breaks.
Why are they blogging if they can’t write? I love people’s intentions and hearts, but don’t always love their writing. :(
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Chris!
Spelling and grammatical errors are a biggie for me too. However, I’m extremely forgiving unless I find it on my own posts. Then I just lose my mind and beat myself up for not proofreading better. You can tell the occasional typo or mistake from the ones that struggle with writing.
Thanks for sharing your perspective on this Chris!
I’ve had to change so many of these things since the beginning!
I just didn’t know at first – wish I had read this. The most recent change I made was to add more photos and paragraphs! And to put in a comment reply email system. I love that!
Isn’t it funny how we start out and how far we’ve come after a few years. I really hope new bloggers get a chance to learn these things early on too.
I love all your photos and the layout of your posts. They’re super easy to read.
This is such a great piece of advice! I actually rushed over to one of my recent posts and quickly changed something so that I didn’t kill the conversation. Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this and I’m delighted to know you already applied something to a post… awesome!
Have you been blogging for very long? I’ve been blogging for 4 years, so a lot of these ideas were unfortunately things I learned late in the game.
Thanks for stopping by.
Hi Jennifer! I think this is so useful for new bloggers, and for us oldies who may have fallen into bad habits.
I remember getting several complaints about capcha on my Blogger blog. I did finally remove it. I do have trouble time to time with it on other blogs. I wouldn’t mind if it magically disappeared!
I agree with the ‘never answer’ point. From time to time I don’t answer comments, but it’s very rare. It takes a lot of time to answer, but I am into blogging for the relationships. If I don’t dedicate myself to entering into a dialogue, what’s the point? I like the ‘back and forth’ of comments!
You have a very good hold on what will keep your blog up and busy too!
Ceil
That dialogue is probably one of my favourite parts of blogging. So much can be shared and learned from “conversing” with one another.
Thank you so much for your lovely, encouraging, and uplifting comment Ceil.
Yes, captcha is the biggest pain. I really wish people didn’t use it. And on mobile devices, it is so much worse!
I have found networking with other bloggers takes up more time than the writing itself. Especially, when you think you have developed a rapport with someone and they “blow” you off. It takes time to find your tribe when you beginning blogging. Sometimes you just have to comment, comment, comment, and see what sticks.
This is awesome advice! You always leave such nice and thoughtful comments. I hope you know how much all of us appreciate the time you take for your kind words. You really are the commenting ninja!! Pinned :)
Captcha is brutal. Yet so many people are still using it?! Why?! Why?
You’re so right about networking Katie. It takes up way more time than writing. I can pump out content like crazy but replying to comments and reading blog posts takes lots of time. When I read someone’s post I really want them to know I read it and that I connected with what they said… so my intentional comments take a lot of time. However, I find that it’s like anything else… if I want quality relationships, well, I have to uphold quality and give my blogging friends as much love and attention as I can. I really struggled during NaNoWriMo because I couldn’t keep up with commenting, blogging, etc. Even now with the SHINE Blog Hop, it feels like I get through days of reading and commenting on posts and I haven’t even begun to visit my blogging buddies such as yourself.
Anyway, I am so glad you enjoyed this post… and that you enjoy my visits to your blog. Thank you for pinning… I truly appreciate it!
Oh I totally agree with the Captcha! Cannot stand those things. And I can confirm that if you don’t reply to comments, those comments will begin disappearing. I’ve been so behind in my replying that over the last 4 weeks, comments have slipped BIG TIME.
I could cry every time I encounter captcha – I swear I’m half robot because I always have to enter it 2 or 3 times!
I think the blogging world in general has quieted down. I’m finding my numbers have gone way down. I’m not about to say my blog sucks – so maybe people are just caught up with Christmas preparations.
You’ll get your commenting back – we love you – I love you!
Oh my goodness! I’m totally in the same boat! I thought I was the only one. I’m thinking people are busier around this time of year. November was definitely a slow blogging month as far as numbers are concerned, and this month is looking to be the same. Here’s hoping for a great new year! ;)
It’s nice to know we’re in the same boat… whew! I’m sure everything will pick up again in the New Year!
Hi , am glad am here its my first time and am new to blogging. i really learnt a lot thanks for your advice. i am currently doing a 31 day series perhaps after that i break in my frequency. thanks a lot. i will appreciate if you visit and give some advice. thanks again.
Thank you for stopping by and welcome to the world of blogging.
It takes a while to establish yourself as a blogger and build relationships but stick with it and build a network of bloggers who you regularly visit with.
I hope this post helps you build a blog that others enjoy reading and commenting on.
Love this so much, Jennifer! You are such an amazing blogger, and I definitely look up to you and heed your advice. :) I totally agree with all your points. I have struggled lately with commenting on other peoples blogs, but that’s because of different things going on right now, not because I don’t know better. You are such a great and thoughtful commenter. How much time do you devote to commenting on other blogs? Do you have a system?
I also recently switched to Disqus because I wanted commenters to get a notification when I reply. I was just using the Blogger default. I think I got more comments through that, but the discussion has definitely been better on Disqus. At least I think so.
Thanks so much for putting this together. They are great reminders and such great tips for old and new bloggers alike.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Kristy.
I do have a system for commenting. What I do is after someone leaves a comment on my blog, I immediately visit their blog. Then, in a different browser window I mark their blog as read in Bloglovin. Once I’ve commented that way, then I go back to Bloglovin and try to visit and comment on as many other blogs as I can. I usually give myself an hour a day strictly for commenting. Commenting is definitely more time-consuming than the writing of posts… that’s for sure.
I noticed you switched to Disqus – good for you! You should definitely see interactions increase!
Thanks so much for your kind words – I hope this helps you.
Excellent tips as usual Jennifer! I have had comments disappear when submitting and have wasted time thinking it was me, now I know that it probably wasn’t.
I totally agree with the points you made about the layout and set up of a post. I rarely spend time reading a post of solid text, especially if the text is small. It does not make for pleasant reading, which is a shame as I expect the posts are excellent (I’m the same with books too, if the text is too small and there’s not enough white space I won’t read it).
And as for the spam filter on Blogger! It’s left me scratching my head many a time!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these tips Debbie!
I have my comments go to spam on a few blogs. I usually just send an email and they know to look for my comments in the SPAM folder.
Layout and set up is huge to me. I really struggle with poor layout and small font too.
I’ve been thinking for a while now that I need to switch to CommentLuv. It’s my favorite commenting platform, so I should have it on my own blog, right??
When I switched to WordPress, I budgeted to get CommentLuv Premium because I knew I wanted to invest in building community… that means allowing my readers to share their own posts (through CommentLuv), the Twitterlink so they could share their Twitter Handles, and the ReplyMe feature so that they would get notifications any time their comment is replied to. It is single-handedly one of the best investments I made in my blog. Commenting has increased greatly since I switched commenting systems.
I would say go for it!
YES! Thank you so much for laying it all out there! As I go through the adjustment of blogging FT these will help keep me on track :-)
The disappearing comments is really annoying!! I had one week were I kept replying over and over and MY comments just weren’t staying…on my own site! UGH!
Have a great week :-)
I’m delighted you found this helpful Anne Marie.
The disappearing comments are frustrating. It’s happened here on my site too. If Akismet picks someone up accidentally as SPAM, they repeatedly go to SPAM – other than flagging it NOT as SPAM, there’s not much that can be done. Although I have no idea why it happens on Blogger. Those comments disappear for good. So bizarre!
Wishing you a lovely week as well!
This is great! One of my biggest peeves is bloggers who don’t interact with other bloggers. Blogging isn’t a one-sided conversation. I love to comment on other blogs and to receive comments on mine.
I completely agree. Blogging should be a two-way conversation but not everybody sees it that way.
I love getting comments and I want to make sure that others feel that delight as well!
Thanks so much for these tips, Jennifer. Those of us who are newer bloggers really appreciate it when the seasoned bloggers take the time to share their knowledge. Of course I want to see my numbers increase, but I approach blogging by treating others as I would want them to treat me. I don’t see it as a game trying to get the numbers up, but about building heart felt relationships and hope that the numbers follow. Thanks so much for being a wonderful example of that. I appreciate you!
I used to be very caught up in numbers but I found it frustrating. I get a lot more satisfaction from interactions and relationship building. I truly feel that’s the “heart” of “success”. Plus as a Christian, God would want me to focus on relationships right?!
Thank you for your kind words Heather. Truly, the feeling is mutual. I am also appreciative of you.
I agree completely! If the goal of our blogs is to make money, then the numbers are very important, and there is nothing wrong with that. My blog, however, is a ministry first and foremost, so I need to be very careful to keep my heart in the right place. That being said, if I can encourage others, glorify God, and make a little money, that would be great, too. It is all about relationships and community, though. Anything else is just a bonus!
I don’t even know where to start with my comment Jennifer as I have so much to say…nothing new there. lol Funny you mention the disappearing comments as I had one happen to me today on your site. HA! I just switched over to WordPress and went live last night. I now know I have made several mistakes already. I need to go fix my font color because although I think it looks pretty I just went to read my blog and got a headache.
I am using comment luv on my new site how do I figure out the reply to comments feature? It has always been my favorite commenting system. I absolutely love your reply system as reading the “Aren’t you sweet” at the beginning always makes me smile. Thank you for that.
It took me awhile to catch on to the whole commenting on others blogs, unfortunately, because I am self taught at this whole blogging thing. Now that I visit different blogs and have actual friends I look forward to hearing from, like you, makes this experience so much more than I ever expected.
I am just staring out in the blogging world as I have only been at it for 11 months now so I’m still a newbie and I truly appreciate you and other bloggers like you who take the time to write blog posts like these. For blog posts that offer advice on how to improve are exactly how I learned the ropes. Silly me, I thought that if people were commenting on your posts they would just magically continue to come back and I didn’t need to do much more. Geez what an idiot I was…hahaha!
The thing that bothers me the most is when I do not get a reply when I leave a comment on a blog post. I used to go back and check to see if the blogger responded but not so much so anymore. Some of my favorite bloggers do not have the comment reply so I never know if they have responded or not. To be quite frank, I don’t visit their sites as often anymore as I find it a pain remembering to keep going back to check if they have replied. If being friends with someone means I am doing more than half of the work in real life or in the blogosphere then it just isn’t worth it to me at the end of the day.
Oh and you seriously only spend an hour a day for commenting? You ARE a commenting Ninja then holy cow. I spend hours responding to mine, etc. Could you give me some tips please?
Okay enough of my rambling. Quick question, you stopped by my new blog this morning and besides the font color do you have any suggestions as I’m still trying to figure this whole self-hosting thing out.
Thank you for always leaving a thoughtful, kind, loving, and involved comment. I truly get excited when I receive a comment from you as I look up to and respect you so very much. Thank you Jennifer for just being you!
xoxo
Lysa
I’ve never seen an instance of the blank comment you left this morning… that was really weird. Usually if they “disappear” they go to spam but your comment was there but it was just blank. Bizarre.
The reply feature on CommentLuv is just available with the CommentLuv Premium (Paid) edition. Within the CommentLuv plugin you set the ReplyMe features to the way you like (including your own custom message). I’m glad you like my; “Aren’t you sweet…” I wanted to have something personal that connects me with my readers a bit more.
As for commenting, I’m organized when I comment. That hour a day is focused, commenting time. I don’t allow any other interruptions (tabs on the computer are closed, cell phone is in a different room). I take the same approach when I’m writing too. I achieve a lot when I have focused time. I usually visit my blogging friends at least once a week but sometimes if I’m having a “good” week, I’ll hit up everyone’s blog a second time around. I rely on Bloglovin’ and an Excel spreadsheet to keep me organized (so I know who I visited and who I have yet to visit).
My recommendation for your blog (other than, yes, change the font colour) is to open up your main post area (make it wider). Have a two column layout instead of a 3 column layout. I find by doing this, it “tricks” the reader to believe that the posts are shorter than they are because the reader doesn’t have to scroll as far. You would have to place your page tabs along the top for that to work though.
Have fun with WordPress… play around with settings, make your site your home and don’t be afraid to move “furniture” around until you get the layout you like.
I’m glad you enjoy my comments… as I said to others, I spend more time commenting than actually writing content. The relationships matter a lot to me.
Thank you for your kind words Lysa. I appreciate you taking the time to pass along such warm thoughts.
Hi Jennifer,
I must agree that was pretty bizarre the way it was just blank like that. I swear these things only happen to me ALL OF THE TIME! I don’t make up the My “Blonde” Problems at all! ;-)
I looked into CommentLuv Premium but I really can’t afford that with Christmas right around the corner. I found a free plug-in that sent you the message earlier…not sure what it says though so that is kind of scary! :/ Besides I’m rather thrifty, just a nice way of saying cheap, and have a hard time justifying the cost when I am not making any money blogging. It just seems rather frivolous right now. The whole purpose of my decision to create a self-hosted blog was with the intent of taking my blogging to the “next” level” and looking into writing reviews, etc. If you have any info on how to get started I would greatly appreciate it.
Bloglovin’ and Excel Spreadsheets are excellent suggestions for managing comments. Since I participate in Blog Hops and Linky’s all week I’m all over the map. I do keep a calendar of where I need to be everyday and what I need to accomplish. I just recently started poking around bloglovin’ so I’ll check into it this weekend for sure. Thanks for that tip.
It took me a few hours but I finally figured out how to change the font and background colors, etc. on my blog and it looks a lot better…so glad I read this post today. I agree about widening the main post area but can’t get it to cooperate. lol I know basic HTML and found where I needed to adjust it but it went all wonky on me. I think I need to find another theme as I don’t like the three columns after all. Hahaha As for the menu being on top that is what I would prefer but haven’t found a theme that I really like with that feature yet.
I plan on playing around with WordPress a little more over the weekend when my blog is generally quieter. I’m not afraid to move things because I always take note of what exactly I’m doing so I can restore it if need be. ;-) It’s just learning the ins and outs of it along with the shortcuts. Despite getting frustrated every once in awhile it is rather fun all the creative freedom I have now.
I also spend more time commenting than I do creating as well. I have made some lovely friends over the past 11 months and truly enjoy the relationships. Since becoming disabled and unable to work I have missed having co-workers who were also friends to chat with so the relationships mean a lot to me as well.
You are very welcome Jennifer. I never say anything I do not mean and tell those who I appreciate and treasure what they mean to me often. Those two things are very important to me.
Wishing you a very Happy Birthday again! The BIG 40 is a great milestone and you will find that your 40s are even better than your 30s. I will be turning 43 next month…Eeek! Where has the time gone?!?!?!
xoxo
Lysa
Bloglovin’ is great! It keeps my blogging contacts organized (and I have customized lists for my blogging friends).
I’ve written a bit about monetizing your blog. Check under my blog page for that post. The best way to monetize is to have a variety of sources (for instance with me, my ads are a combination of BlogHer, Google Adsense, Share-A-Sale, and VigLink. In 2015 I plan on selling ad spots too. Multiple sources means multiple chances to increase income.
Thanks again for the kind words and birthday wishes! I’m looking forward to the day… and year!
Thanks for the info Jennifer and I plan on looking more into Bloglovin’ this weekend.
xx
Lysa
these are great tips. its so lovely to have ppl comment on your posts and i can see all the points you’ve made being massive barriers to ppl commenting. captcha is so annoying that it should be banned off blogs! font and text size is major for me too, i don’t want to feel im straining to read…it should be a pleasure not a chore to read posts! #Shine
I’m delighted that you enjoyed these tips.
I am in complete agreement… CAPTCHA should be banned. It’s so frustrating.
Text, colour, font size, and spacing are huge for me. I read a lot of posts… I want to be able to do so with ease.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this as well.
These are great tips Jen. I also like how you included actions to fix those errors. Not something I see a lot of in blogging tips. Pinning so I can remind myself when I need a brush up. (Stopping by from SITS Girls Sharefest.)
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Jennifer.
I like to use action items when I can in posts – people like to know what alternative approaches they can take to improve things.
Thanks so much for stopping by (and for pinning)!
This is fantastic. I get very frustrated when I feel like I write my heart out and I get crickets and tumbleweed in response. Thanks for the great advice.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Lynne. We all have had bouts of crickets and tumbleweed. I hope these tips help you break through the barrier of silence and draw out the conversation on your blog.
I just visited your blog and I just loved your post on Being a Better Lorax. Beautifully written and such critical thoughts you shared there.
Thank you for stopping by and connecting.
Awesome tips! I HATE when bloggers don’t bother to respond to commentators. I’m fine with not commenting on every comment but none! I won’t revisit.
And I am an education blogger. One truth about many of us ed bloggers is we like to use colorful and fancy fonts. That’s cute for a hard copy version of a letter or newsletter, but it is difficult to read on a computer screen. Main text shouldn’t be cursive or comic sans.
I’m digging your blog. I’m glad I found you on Twitter.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these tips!
If I go to a blog and I see that there’s no response to comments, I’m wary about commenting. I still do but if I hear nothing back, I may not ever leave another comment. I just feel that comments should in some ways periodically be acknowledged. I don’t expect it every single time but at least occasionally.
If I go to a site and see a font/colour I can’t read, I will leave (unless I’m obliged to read – like when I’m visiting posts that link up to the SHINE Blog Hop). I don’t like getting a headache after reading blog posts and that’s what happens to me if I spend too much time reading small, poorly coloured fonts).
Thanks for stopping by… I’m glad we connected and that you’re enjoying my blog.
I’m guilty of a couple of those. I’m long-winded, so big blocks of text? Yep. I review books on my blog and read a lot. So, too frequent posts? Yep (or sometimes). No question at the end? Yep. Probably more to boot. Thanks for a great reminder to be more mindful.
I’m glad you enjoyed this.
I used to be long-winded but I became more mindful of breaking text up and found that my engagement improved and my bounce rate decreased.
Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts and approaches to blogging. It’s a process and we’re always changing, that’s for sure!
You can’t believe how timely this is for me. Wonderful stuff here! Thank you so much!
I’m delighted that this is a useful post for you Carol. I hope some of these tips help you out.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
This was so incredibly helpful…thank you so much for posting this. I blog through blogger, but I’m looking to install a new commenting system. Right now, I reply to all comments via email, but I’d love a platform that allows me to reply directly underneath a comment with the assurance that they’ll read the response. Do you know of any system that allows that WITHOUT having to sign up for an account first? For example, disqus makes you register (I believe), which I would think would be a deterrent for some people who don’t want to bother with that.
I’m so glad you found this helpful.
Those conversations on your blog are so valuable. Have you looked into Intense Debate as a commenting platform? When I visit blogs, I actually prefer Intense Debate over Disqus because sometimes Disqus doesn’t load properly.
Another option is Google+ comments but the bad side to Google+ comments is if you ever switched commenting systems, you would lose all of your past comments.
I hope you find something that works for you.
I really loved this post Jennifer! It’s all so true! I get especially frustrated when I don’t a notice that the other blogger has replied to my comment. I’m with you – I’m not going to go back and check unless I get an email saying they have replied. There just aren’t enough hours in the day for that! And it’s so hard sometimes when all the commenter says is “Great post!” I always reply, but it’s hard to come up with anything other than “Thank you! Thank you for reading!” You know what I mean? I love every time I get a comment from you – they are always so thought out and your replies are always so timely and nice.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Chelsea! I agree, I always reply but when someone says “great post”, it takes a bit to dig out a response. I usually try to reiterate what the post was about so that I don’t simply give a “thanks”.
So for instance, if someone responded to this post by saying “Great post”, I would say:
“Thanks so much! I hope these tips help you improve the commenting on your blog. It is, after all, an extension of the conversation. Have a great day!”
I’m glad you enjoy my comments. I really do spend time thinking of how I can best edify the blogger. The relationships is a huge part of the reason why I blog – so I want to make sure that I’m writing my best intentions here AND on other people’s blogs.
Awesome tips! I dislike it when there is Captcha on a site. I try to reply on everyone’s comment but I need to make my comments more meaningful.
Captcha is so frustrating. I swear I’m part-robot because I get it wrong 2 out of 3 times!
Yes, meaningful comments really help to build relationships; it’s an important area to focus on.
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts on this.
These are all awesome tips! I really need to go check to see if people get notified when I respond to comments! :x
And yes, CAPTCHA phrases need to die.
Captcha is brutal. Although I recently read that Blogger is converting their Captcha to check boxes – YAY!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this – yes it’s good to see if people are getting your replies. We’ve got to keep the conversation flowing!
Thanks for stopping by.
Hi Jennifer. Well how about that. You’ve elicited a lot of comments with this post. I agree with everything. For a few months, I had no idea people weren’t getting notifications about the replies I left when they commented on my blog. It was a reader (a fellow blogger) who pointed it out. Goes to show, be helpful to other bloggers and they’ll be helpful back. Great post. Hope you have a nice weekend! Keep the conversation going IRL too:)
I’m so glad you enjoyed this post Ashley.
I love the reciprocity aspect of blogging… I’ve never encountered so many sincerely caring individuals all at once like I have in the blogging “world”. I know I’ve run into glitches on other blogger’s sites and they are so thankful when I let them know what I encountered. I know I appreciate the same.
It took me a while to catch onto commenting on the posts on my site. When I started blogging almost 4 1/2 years ago there wasn’t nearly as much help and tutorials as there are now.
Thanks so much for your kind words and thoughtful comment.
Wishing you a lovely weekend as well.
Yes! These things seem like common sense– but so many bloggers still have so many hoops to jump through to leave them a comment. There are bloggers I love, but I don’t even try to leave them comments anymore because it takes too much of my time.
Since I started hosting my weekly blog hop, I encountered so many troublesome commenting issues. I like to leave comments on peoples’ posts (especially since they’ve taken the time to link up) but when it’s too time consuming, I sometimes have to leave it.
Thanks for stopping by Michelle.
Ooooh Jennifer, I love your action items! Seriously loved all the tips you gave on here and yes, they’re all so true!! Man, I really hate when I lose a loooong comment into thin air. It always makes me want to cry a bit. If I REALLY care, I’ll attempt it again, but sometimes I just exit out totally frustrated. You hit the nail on the head with this post!
I’m glad you enjoyed this Jessica. I get a sinking feeling when I lose a big comment I’ve written. I put some thought into the comments I leave, but it’s unlikely I’ll be able to recreate the glory that was my first comment. Sometimes I’m so frustrated, I move on as well. I’ll often email the individual too.
I’m delighted you were in agreement with the action items. I know for myself, I like something to work towards and the clearer the examples, the better.