I know of some smart people in social media who “get it” whatever the hell the “It” really is. Everyone has their own style of blogging, which is fine. No.. I’m full of crap. (Been sitting on this a while, forgive the old links.)
Is it really just me? I don’t get it.
- Not allowing comments. If it’s not open to comments, it’s a column, a newsletter, not a blog. If it is a blog, comments should be turned on. Sorry but if you’re not open to comments, you’re just in love with the sound of your own typing. BTW I do enjoy reading Seth Godin sans comments on occasion; he offers some value but he’s the exception, right?
- Not replying to comments. You publish, you get 20-50 replies from loyal readers who took the time to read, reply and perhaps share. So why open to comments if you aren’t going to engage? More than bad form, not replying to comments could damage your business.
- Not acknowledging pingbacks and trackbacks with comments. Technical difficulties aside, I don’t care if you are some muckety muck, if someone uses your posts in a blog, drop by once in a while and say “Thanks for linking to my post.”
- Not commenting on other blogs. Blog comments are supposed to be where the magic happens, so it makes no sense to me, not to step outside our own blogs once in a while to comment on others. Or at least not mine and that hurts my delicate, baby feelings. 😉 That or my SEO and/or blog plain sucks, not ruling it out. FWIW I’ve never been tempted to close comments, just motivated to improve my own blogging and build my community.
I am sure you have plenty of reasons you refuse to comment on some blog posts, as do I.
Maybe it comes back to the “lies” about blogging: Be yourself. Write for your readers. Write for the readers (target audience) you want. Write for sharing. Don’t write for the reader. Write for your passion for all things lavender, tree frogs, movie soundtracks, Hummels, pool cleaning- or blogging will make you miserable.
Months ago I stumbled onto a #sbt10 chat by Danny Brown when the topic was blog comments. There was an interesting discussion and some truth came out: we really aren’t typing just for the hell of it, we want traffic and comments on our blogs.
Care to comment?
Photo credit: The user Someecards are awesome, so go ahead and tell me I’m a geek.
Well Davina, we are certainly on the same page with the commenting subject 🙂
This was great info Davina… I learned something very valuable here:
“Not acknowledging pingbacks and trackbacks with comments.” That’s lame!
Well I didn’t know this, now I do thanks to you 🙂
P.S. Feel free to link any of your content on my blog that can help bring understanding and clarity to the conversation. Thank you for that 🙂
Mark Harai recently posted..Not Commenting or Answering Comments on Blogs Is Lame
I lurked and learned enough to be confident and comfortable to start commenting, tweeting and blogging more. I’d read all the pundits on community and relationship blah blah, that it’s not about status, the comments matter blah blah. Yet once I got going, I’d hear crickets on many of my posts, tweets, comments.
For the longest time Mark, I thought I was doing it wrong.. the technical stuff on the pings and tracks. I’ve got Google alerts set up in case I miss any incomings, I’m so scared of missing real pings on other blogs.
I totally get it may take a while to answer every comment, acknowledge every ping. I’ll get tagged for this but .. ain’t that something to staff out to the intern? Identify the good posts worth comments, tweets so you do reply … then at least thank the rest with a ‘glad you liked my post, thanks for using it.’ Seriously, how much time does it take copy and paste that on 20 blogs? Hell Chris Brogan just commented on an older post of Marcus’ b/c he wasn’t sure if he should, then it was too long, then apologized for not acknowledging the ping or blog sooner.
I keep coming back to YES it’s a ton of work and NO you do not need to answer them ALL. But if a decent enough blogger uses your stuff more than a few times IDK.. maybe one ‘thanks for the trackback’ is in order.
Glad you didn’t mind my link.. I share other posts more than pimping my own, but felt it warranted in this case. Always feel free to share anything you think may add to a discussion.. or at least get a good laugh. 😉
I want comments!!!!! There. I said it. I do enjoy writing, but I also seriously want some traffic, some comments and some RTs. I also leave comments because I also happen to think everyone else wants that, too! If I leave a comment, it’s because I wanted to or felt compelled to do so. I may RT without a comment, but I try not to, or at least return later to comment. Commenting and saying thank you are part of good manners and they also build community. Thanks, Davina for creating a place where we can comment and say thank you! 🙂
You are very welcome Erica. I’m the same way about comments.. I’ll add if I have something new to say, something that hasn’t been said by others. There are times I reply to the comments as much as the original post, just depends on the discussion. I want comments and RTs and hopefully some traffic with some biting, hungry fish. There. I said it. 😉
ITA that saying “thank you” is just good manners, professional courtesy. So when I see the flipside: not replying, no real interaction, not visiting other blogs, I wonder what’s the point. So thanks for the comment!
I agree with everyone’s “what, no comments?” The point of yours I feel most strongly about Davina is “not commenting on other blogs.” If you’re not reading & participating on other blogs, why would someone read & participate with yours? Blogging is very much a community, and communities need participation. While I don’t leave a comment on every blog, I do try to participate as often as possible.
Thanks Davina!
That’s the thing Jenn, or even only commenting on some blogs. I’ve developed friendships based on reading, commenting and sharing posts with those who’ve done the same with me. It does build community and I am not sure I’d still be at it were it not for the support of readers like you.
I get you can’t be everywhere, but to never reply or respond to a comment, a tweet, a link? NEVER?! So when I offer what I hope are valuable insights on someone’s post, share it, link to it.. and hear crickets, it does sting. What pisses me off even more is when some of those bloggers then post, tweet, sing about such engagement and community.
Like my Twitter unfollow meme, there are some bloggers who are going, going, gone from my reader. Not that I want to shut out other voices – certainly don’t want to just be talking to ourselves 😉 – but if you’re not commenting, it’s just a one-on-none conversation.
I’m with you all the way Davina. The idea of not allowing others to comment makes no sense to me. To me, this is all about community, so why would you want to be a community of one? I like opening myself up to others. I love dialogue. I really dig it when someone makes a point that makes me scratch my head and come to a new way of thinking.
As far as not responding to comments, I do hope I’m always able to do this, but it can be tough. Especially when there are 30 or 40 on a post and you don’t want to just say ‘Hey, thank!’ to everyone kind enough to stop in and leave their thoughts. But I knew this going into blogging and most people would kill to have that many comments, so I’ll always take this part of my blog very, very seriously.
Anyway, a big thanks for the link love my dear lady and always appreciate you hard-hitting perspective, especially on Mondays, as they set my early-week tone 😉
Marcus
Marcus Sheridan-The Sales Lion recently posted..Awesome Restaurants- Expensive Food- and What Makes Us Fork Out the Big Bucks
Marcus, “Community of one” is a great way to describe the push, no-comment approach. I get that some posts may offer value to the reader whether there are comments or not, but for me it’s all part of it which as you say, I knew going into it.
“Most people would kill to have that many comments, so I’ll always take this part of my blog very, very seriously.” And there you have it: comments are a gift. If someone takes the time to write a comment on my post, I’ll read and reply. If there are 20+ comments on a post, then I show the courtesy to at least scan them before I post my own. Again, part of it.. and half the fun. There have been times the conversation within a blog post have been better than the original post.
So glad to have met you, that we’re part of this community of Monday morning ranters. 😉
Davina, I LOVE your rants. Really. Some of your best posts are the rants.
I, also, am sometimes late catching up on comments. (I blame work + 4 kids + Pacific time) But I always get to them and almost always respond, unless it seems like the comment doesn’t warrant a response. I almost always check trackbacks/pingbacks as well. I hope I’ve been diligent with regards to you! You certainly practice what you preach, including commenting on my blog a lot. Which I appreciate.
Thanks!
Neicole
Neicole Crepeau recently posted..Websites and Email are Back!!!
Neicole, If I don’t like a post, I don’t share it or comment; if I have nothing to add other than a RT, that’s all I do. At the same time, if someone gives me the gift of their time and a thoughtful comment, I make a point to not only reply, but someday return the favor. May take a while to find a post on which I can contribute something of value, but I do try. That’s building community, relationships, practicing all that “being social” crap we’re preaching. 😉
Pings and tracks scare me, never sure if mine work. So if anyone has ever linked back to one of my posts and I have not replied, PLEASE call it to my attention. Anyway, thanks for commenting. Ooh and your new post looks interesting.. but no time, so it’s on the list for tomorrow.
“Just in love with the sound of your own typing.” Hah!
I’m with you. Sometimes I’m late replying to comments on my own blog, but I do try to catch up.
I posed this question on Twitter a while back, and some folks thought it was ok for “big” bloggers not to reply to comments. I.e., if they get hundreds of comments on a post, how are they supposed to reply to each and every one of them? I see the logic, but am not fully convinced… maybe do a comment in response to a few of them at a time, that are similar in nature, or something. But I do think it’s important to show you’re reading and acknowledging what people are saying to you.
FWIW, that’s the #1 reason I DON’T comment on some of the “big” PR/SM-related blogs. I don’t think the blogger is really interested in what the rest of us have to say, though s/he might have been at one point. So regardless of what their Klout score is, or which top list(s) they’re on, I don’t care.
Shonali Burke recently posted..Injecting The Valentine’s Day Spirit Into Social Media
Hee. I tweeted that months ago, finally just decided this was “publish ready” enough. I too fall behind, but it’s also another reason I don’t blog daily: if I get a great conversation going on one post, I don’t want to lose it having to jump to another.
I’m not convinced it’s ok for anyone to not reply, or reply only to others in their circle or whatever. One of the good things about some comment systems like Disqus and Livefyre is the “like” button; you don’t even have to reply, just like. I am with you that it does not take THAT much time. Hell even weak “this was helpful, thanks” comments.. if you are leaving that on there, it takes seconds to type “You’re welcome.” If you are that BIG for 100s of comments, get an intern who can filter the best comments, point you to the ones in need of YOUR reply.
FWIW (heh) Big or small, don’t care. I still read and comment on anything – “Klout” or no – that catches my eye, if it’s something scalable that interests me, that doesn’t read like academia-meets-business babble. If I think it will add to the conversation, I’ll still drop in my two pennies.