On Blogging
On Comments, part I
There’s nothing as magical… or addictive… as your first comment. Comments show that people are reading your blog (can it be true?!) and that what you’ve written makes them want to respond (glory glory hallelujah!)… There’s nothing more gratifying than THAT. I often suspect that it’s the comments that keep us blogging.
As a blogger, the way that you handle your comments can go a long way toward establishing a loyal readership, building a sense of community, and making you out to be an all-around nice person.
Of course everyone reads (and loves) their commenters. But the question is, do you respond to them? And if so, HOW? And more specifically, do you have a strategy for responding to comments?
Because the truth is, the approach that works for you in the beginning, when you have just a handful of these precious comments, may not scale to work so well when you’re getting comments in the double or even TRIPLE digits.
First, let’s talk about the different ways there are for responding to comments.
1) Email. This is simple. You respond to the comment in email with a witty remark, kind words, or clarifying answer to a question. It’s personal, direct, and relatively fast and easy. Obviously this only is an option if the blogging program that you use requires commenters to leave their email address along with their comment.
2) In-line response. You respond to your commenters in the post on your blog where they leave the comment. The obvious downside to this is that it’s a waste of your time unless commenters have either subscribed to your comments or actually come back to see if you’ve responded. The advantage is that subsequent commenters see how diligent you are about reading and responding to comments. And questions that you answer or clarifications that you make are available to ALL readers, not just the one who left the comment in the first place.
3) Return the comment. The last option is to visit the commenter’s blog and leave a comment for them there. This is the most time-consuming option, as it requires that you visit many blogs, read the posts, and think of a comment to leave. But it’s probably the most appreciated. Sure we all like to get email, but what blogger doesn’t LOVE to have someone new visit their blog and leave a comment?
Ok, so before we move into talking strategy, I want to hear from YOU.
How do YOU respond to comments on your blog?
And, as a reader commenting on other blogs, which response do you prefer- Email, In-line response, or Return the Comment?
Catch more of Jenny Blackburn’s humorous anecdotes on being a mom, a woman, and a whole lot crazy at Absolutely Bananas. You can also find her blogging for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer in Adventures in Parenting. If you have questions, anecdotes, or topics for “On Blogging,” email jenny@seattlemomblogs.com.
I used to respond to EVERY SINGLE COMMENT, because I like that rudecactus did that. But then I read that some bloggers HATED being responded to. I was like “what?!” So I don’t do it as much anymore.
I’m trying out responding to comments in the comments section. But, as a commenter, I don’t like that. I never go back to see if a blogger responded in her comments to me.
I don’t usually respond with a comment on their blog. I know that’s bad blog karma…but it’s the truth. (I rely on my reader too much.)
Great post!
I email responses to most of my comments. I try to always email a first-time commenter, and after that I only email if I have something more to say than “thanks for the comment!” Which is usually the case, because I like to ramble on far past the point where people are interested. If a question is coming up repeatedly in the comments to one post, I will leave a comment on that post to clarify for all future commenters.
I prefer emails or return comments in response to comments I leave. I rarely check back to see if there’s a response within the comments of a previous post, so chances are I won’t ever see that form of response. I feel like I just said “response” about a thousand times.
I’m currently struggling with this same issue. I like getting an email back because it means I know they read my comment, but it’s also nice to be recognized in the comment section (and if I realize that bloggers comment in their own comments section routinely, I’m much more likely to go back).
Right now, because I don’t have tons of readers, I usually just go post on their blog (but even that’s a bit weird because I’m trying to respond to THEIR comment on my post on THEIR post. . .a little hairy).
I usually respond in kind with a comment on their blog, but I don’t read many people’s blogs. If I know the person (really know them in real life) I’ll often e-mail or call on the phone, but it seems that most of the people who read my blog are family and friends I already know. Sometimes I’ll post a comment on my own blog and try to keep the conversation going, but I don’t do that often.
I wish Blogger gave an easy way to get e-mail addresses or to directly edit comments to respond in them. I try to e-mail first time-commenters (if I can find an e-mail address) or visit their blog if they have one but don’t always have time to get to everyone anymore. Guess that’s a bad and a good thing!
I will usually email first time commenters if possible. I have been surprised by those I consider The Big Bloggers emailing me directly when I’ve commented, so that encouraged me to do the same. I think commenting in line (if you don’t have tons of comments) shows you’re participating and valuing the comments.
I tried the email thing, but I always thought I was being “intrusive”, so now, I don’t have a clue. I will thank on a post, or comment back on their blog… But I don’t know how well that works, lol.
I already read and comment regularly on the blogs of the people who usually visit me, but if I get a comment from someone new, I make sure to check them out and leave a comment in return.
I guess that’s what I do! I have been trying to respond via email when I post here because it is so easy.