Being a Good Host to Your Blog Readers
Tuesday, August 8th, 2006Liz Strauss has posted a great piece, “10 Reasons Readers Don’t Leave Comments,” at successful-blog.com. It’s a worthwhile read for all bloggers! The article leads us in considering the perspective of our readers, and that’s information that’s more valuable for blog improvement than any batch of blog stats.
I think we all need to remember that when people comment they’re taking part in a conversation that WE INITIATED by posting. It’s as if, when we blog, we’re welcoming visitors to our home. We’ve put out a welcome mat, opened the door, and started talking to our neighbors.
Blogs are, by their nature, public and interactive. So, if you don’t want to engage others in your writing, perhaps you’d be happier putting your thought into a private journal. That’s great, too.
If you do decide that a blog is right for you, ask yourself these questions about whether you’re a good host to your commenting visitors :
Would you expect people to keep trying to have a conversation if you ignored what they were saying? To build relationships with your readers (or with anyone else), always respond when they talk to you. Answering comments doesn’t just reach out to the person saying hello, it also sends an impression of friendliness to those who haven’t commented yet.
Do you make your visitors feel welcomed and valued? Don’t pick and choose who to reply to. If your comments section looks like a closed society, it soon will be (whether you like it or not).
Do you make it very easy for people to drop by and say hi, or do your guests have the hassle of logging in? Sometimes, when a day or evening seems too busy already, one more little form to fill out just seems like too much bother.
For more ideas to ponder, be sure to read Liz’s article.
Overall, I think if we all extend to our blog visitors the same courtesy that we show to our “real-life” home visitors, we’ll build a friendly and strong community.
As for this blog, I’m keeping the welcome mat out and the door wide open — I’d love to chat with you!
August 8th, 2006 at 6:20 am
Wow! Cuileann,
Thank you for the wonderful words. Thank you for even noticing. I think your advice is so insightful and well spoken. You are an other-centered writer — a darn good one.
August 8th, 2006 at 5:52 pm
Hi Liz!
You’re welcome for the praise — your article is so deserving of it! Indeed, your entire site offers so much to bloggers!
I’m glad you thought I added some worthwhile words to the conversation. I appreciate your compliment about my writing as well!
Thanks for your encouraging feedback!
Cuileann
August 15th, 2006 at 2:19 am
Hi Cuileann - I’ve written a few posts already on this subject, but I don’t think I put it down as well as your ‘welcome mat’ comparison. Great post =)
August 15th, 2006 at 10:07 am
Hi Yvonne!
Thanks for the compliment and for dropping by!
Prompted by your name/URL with this comment, I clicked over to your blog — what a wonderful discovery! I suppose that brings up another benefit of commenting: by doing so, you’re also inviting new visitors to your own blog. Another way to put out the welcome mat
Nice to meet you!
Cuileann