Comments. Bloggers love to read them. But did you know that the type of comments you leave can attract people to your blog?
On the flip side, the comments you leave can also have a negative effect and prevent people from visiting your blog.
When I wrote about how blog communities can help grow you blog, I touched on the fact that part of blogging is community and connecting with others. The easiest way to connect with others is by reading posts and sharing your thoughts in the comments section. If you leave a thoughtful, helpful, encouraging comment, chances are the blogger will read it, smile and click over to view your blog in return.
Blog tip:
If you are not accustomed to returning comment love, it is a valuable way to gain loyal readers and friends. When someone leaves you a comment, take a moment to click over to their blog and leave one as well. Merely replying to the comment via email, while a wonderful gesture, does not mean as much as if you go to their blog and comment.
If you are commenting for the sole purpose of receiving traffic to your blog and your comments show it, chances are you will not get the reciprocity you are seeking. Comments like this one, “Hi! I am your newest follower, follow me back, thanks!” or “Visiting from XYZ! See ya round!” do more to turn off the reader than interest them in your blog.
Blogging is about making connections with other people. You share a heartfelt post and desire to hear what others think, and perhaps get some support or agreement. A thoughtful comment can really peak someone’s attention and build friendships (which can turn into new followers and readers).
Blog Communities are as rich and rewarding as you make them
You can either go into a community with the mindset to grow in numbers – “Follow me, I follow back!” – or you can try and connect with a small group of people. Engage in blogs, find bloggers that engage in return. Thoughtful, kind, friendly comments also speak volumes for you and your brand. The more personable you are the better people will think of you (and naturally) your blog.
What about those “Get new followers” blog hops?
Oh this is a tough one. I have some good blog friends that run blog hops like this. Essentially, you put your blog on a linky and then comment on like 50 blogs saying you are following them hoping to get those 50 blogs following you back. I don’t want to say those are a bad thing cause they can introduce you to some new bloggers all at once. In fact, I think the idea is a really great one! But if, during this blog hop, someone puts a comment like this, “New follower! Follow you back!” on a post about their struggle to lose weight, I doubt that blogger will follow back. So while these hops can be a good thing, leaving relevant comments on posts during them is a wise idea.
Blog Tip:
Even better than the “get new followers” blog hops are memes. Memes are blog hops where you link up at the host site and follow the blog prompt. With so many memes in blog world, you are sure to find one that matches your interests and introduces you to blogs you have something in common with. I host Wordless Wednesday, and there are food memes, question memes, vlog memes and photography memes, just to name a few! Soon, I’ll post about my favorite memes – if you host one let me know in the comments!
So glad to see someone talking about this. i really hate the whole “hey i am your newest follower, follow me back!” cut and paste comment.
i host a few link parties/memes
Wed: We Want to Know Q&A…we ask 5 questions,you answer in a post and link THAT post up.
Fri: Friday Confessional…go ahead, confess…lay it all out there, link up THAT post.
Weekends: My Happy List…write up what is making you happy this week and link up THAT post.
i also host an Etsy giveaway EVERY Monday and host Blogging 101 where guest bloggers share blogging tips, like you just did here.
Thank you for your thoughts! And thank you so much for letting me know about your memes you host. I’ll be posting again next week asking for ppl to list their memes so I can compile a lovely post with all the fun memes people can join. I LOVE memes. They are a wonderful (and easy) way to meet new bloggers. Just gotta keep those comments relevant LOL
Oh, yes, a meme “cheat sheet” is a great idea. I keep a running one on my computer but am always looking for more!
I agree with you on the blog hops. I do them every now and then, but when the only comment I receive is “follow me back!” on something personal I wrote, it makes me wonder why they are following me to begin with.
Great article Annie – It had lots of good tips!
Thank you Kate!
Yes, some people follow blogs only to get a follow back. Sometimes you can make some really good friends through that way, but it is so much easier to gain readers by writing excellent content and bonding over shared interests!
I’m so tired of the “visiting from…” and “following you now.” I don’t care. Really, if you can’t take the time to read the post (like, I had a miscarriage and you put come follow me?) Sorry, that makes you an a$$ and I won’t visit your site at all.
I’ve never done one of those follower hops for the same reason..I don’t get it.
I hope no one actually put “come follow me” after your miscarriage post! That is way past rude to just selfish and almost block-worthy 🙁
Have you been reading my mind?? 🙂
I have really been struggling with this lately. I have been struggling with the while comment/follower ratio lately.
Thank you soo much for posting.
LOL Amy! From the looks of the comments here I must have been reading everyone’s mind! And ironically I just had someone tweet at me today, “please join our get more followers blog hop!” Um no thanks. Unless ppl learn to leave good comments from them I won’t be joining LOL!!
“Hey follow me back!” I get that a lot on Twitter, and recently on my blog too when I participated on a blog hop. I’ve never been a big fan of auto replies/comments. I agree with you, it’s far more fulfilling to approach blogging in an organic manner. Otherwise it’s a waste of time.
I got more comments than tweets with it. Although I noticed this week I got some tweets. Now twitter is different. I have to write another post on twitter etiquette – like if all your tweets are only giveaway links or links to your blog post, I probably won’t follow you back.
I have gotten a few “following from yadda yadda” posts….on stuff that is personal. NOT attracting me to your blog people. Now, I have also got comments that say, things such as “I found your blog on Bloggy Moms, and I really enjoyed this post.” They then went into details about the post and said they would enjoy if I would stop over to give them a read. I don’t really mind that, because they actually bothered to read my post. I usually reciprocate by reading a post on their blog and leaving them a nice comment.
and see, I got so into writing that comment I forgot to change my blog link as I switched my blog to a different service. #blogfail
You got it right! I really do not mind if people leave a thoughtful comment and then at the end say, “I’d love to see you at my blog.” So that is really cool and fine with me, long as you show that you are interested in what I had to say, not just in how I can increase your stats.
Well said! Commenting on blogs is a huge part of making connections with other bloggers. And it is through those comments that friendships are made. Wouldn’t it be boring if we just blogged and had absolutely no interaction?
You have that right Michelle! That is the entire point of blogs – the interaction! Without the interaction a blog is just an article 🙂
I *hate* the “stopping by from XYZ please come say hi back!”, it’s so impersonal.
While I was at the Disney SMM Conference, I learned a ton from Chris Brogan. Comments are like currency in the blog world, and you have to give a little to get a little. Blogging is like a cocktail party, raise other people up and you will reap the benefits. I think it’s SO true.
I used to be SO bad at returning comment love and I’ve been trying to get better at it. Also, if I’m on a blog and someone leaves a nice, thoughtful comment, more times then not I’ll click through to check out their blog. And, I love the wordless wednesday meme, that’s the only one I participate in (at the moment).
Great post!
Thank you so much for sharing what you learned from Chris Brogan. I love that guy!! His analogy is so dead on. You really do have to give a little to get a little. Returning comment love is so time consuming and I get behind at times too. I have noticed than when I return comments on their blog instead of just replying via email I get more dedicated followers on my blog back!
Great post! You’re absolutely right about the memes. I participate in TopTenTuesday at ohamanda.com & Wordless Wednesday at a bunch of different blogs, and then host FunnyFriday on mine, and those are the days I get the most traffic and I’ve met some wonderful people that way!
I think I’m going to go as far as to say I think a meme is a form on blog hopping because most of them use linkies, so you can link up your post and visit all the other people that have linked up. Leaving comments that way brings in the most traffic for me.
Again nice post. 🙂
-Samantha
http://www.kreativekaring.com
Thank you for the Top Ten Tuesday idea. I’m going to add that to my list of memes people can participate in. I’ll be compiling them all in one post so people can easily find a meme just right for them and their blog!
Thanks for stopping by Samantha!
Thank you.
I so enjoy getting to know other bloggers and I sincerely make an effort to really leave thoughtful comments and to try and connect with those I like. I would rather someone not follow me at all than to have them on GFC just to boost my number count. I want readers, not just followers. I agree with your opinion of the blog hops–I’ve participated in several and I don’t think any of the people who said they were my newest fan ever came back!
Well said.
I am like you Rach! I want readers – make that friends – that I can have a conversation with, not just a big number on my sidebar 🙂
I love leaving comments on posts that I read and have something to say about it, but I don’t really get many comments on my posts unless they are giveaways.
I would love to build my bloggy community.
Lyn, I have another post about blog communities and listed a few of them you can get involved in. Let me know if you want some more recommendations, there are so many out there and communities are where you make the friends 🙂
I recently received a couple of comments that just said, “Following you! Follow me back!” I’m sorry, but I didn’t return the favor. I started joining blog hops where you follow people on GFC when I first set up GFC. That was because I thought followers were readers. I’m quickly learning they’re not. Followers just want numbers. I actually want readers. And even when I was blog hopping almost everyday, I always made it a point to leave relevant comments. It’s just insulting not to. I saw a post where the blogger was talking about grieving over a loved one’s recent death. And one of the comments? “Hi, following you! Follow me back!” It’s so insensitive, and you’d think people would know that. So yeah, I don’t join many blog hops anymore. Maybe a couple, but I’m realizing now that numbers don’t really matter. Content and real connections do.
Btw, sorry for returning the favor so late. I was way in over my head after being featured on Comment Hour, I’m slowly going through the people who dropped by. I noticed that you’ve got a dialect vlog meme going on, and I’d like to join the next one. Have a great weekend! 🙂
Someone actually left a “following you” comment on a grieving post? That’s just so awful to me. It doesn’t take very long to skim through a post and realize how tacky it will be to say that.
LOL and no worries about returning comment love late! I am late too lots of times. I think it is so cool that you were featured at comment hour! And wow, that was a way to get some really awesome comments – I read a few of the ones some gals left and it wasn’t just “hi from comment hour.” I think part of that is due to the awesome SITS leaders that during the hop say “go and check out her yummy food” so ppl say “wow, yummy food” it’s all in the leaders and the SITS leaders are awesome aren’t they?
I love participating in Wordless Wednesdays! It is so fun to see some of the adorable, funny, inspirational pictures that different blogs post. Happy weekend!
Also, totally agree, can’t stand those “I’m following you, now come follow me” comments!
I love WW too!! I have hardly ever missed one. Since it is just a photo, coming up with a relevant comment is not hard at all 🙂
Annie you hit the nail on the head! Like so many others who commented on this post I too hate the “follow back”comments! You pour your heart out into your post only to get comments like that lol! I tend to feel like these people don’t mean to be rude so think it’s great that you brought attention to this. I feel like more bloggers should write on this topic to create awareness. Thanks for posting!
Thank you so much Andria! I hope this post is spread out and people realize the harm in those insensitive and selfish comments!
Thanks for writing this. I get kinda bummed out when people say, ” following from…follow me back stuff, too! When I participate in a meme or a blog hop, I try to leave thoughtful comments, and never ask them to follow me back.
-Hannah
So glad this post helped so many people Hannah. Memes and blog hops can really bring people to your blog, good for traffic, and if you leave great comments you can make some good friends.
I’m not a fan of the “follow me back” comments either. It so much more fun to get to know one another through comments. I know it was one of my favorite parts of blogging when I first started.
You were one of my favorite blogs to comment on when I first started too, cause you always returned the comment love – even on silly review posts! And you left such thoughtful comments too. Thank you for all the comment love Tesa!
This is such a great tip. It’s much more satisfying as a blogger to read a well thought out comment than a: “Oh cute!” or “That’s great!” This is one thing I appreciate about you especially, you always take the time to leave a nice, well thought out comment. I also agree on the comment love thing. I’ve gotten to the point where I know that there are other bloggers who will comment on a regular basis if I’m commenting on their blog. It’s rewarding and also a great way to build relationships. Thanks for this post, you had a lot of great points. 🙂
Aw, thanks Tiff! I do try to think my comments through. Doesn’t a heartfelt comment just make you smile? It does me!!
I’ve actually found that when I leave comments on other blog reviews that the company will then contact me and ask me to review their product. Leaving comments is one of the best ways to grow your blogging brand. Of course, like you said people need to leave enganging thoughts, not just follow me back!
Great Post!!!
That is a wonderful point Louise! I think I left a comment on one of your posts and the rep read it and contacted me! Yes, leaving comments is a wonderful way to also get your blog out there and noticed – not only by other bloggers but reps too. They read posts and the comments.
This is a great post…I agree with those non-relevant blog hop comments. I don’t think they read a thing.
I have to admit when I first started blogging (and it wasn’t that long ago really) I did the whole I’m following you, follow me too thing. But then I got to thinking and realized I wanted relevant comments and a dialogue with my readers and others probably wanted the same thing. I’ve since stopped doing the GFC hops because a lot of them are just trying to make their numbers go up but don’t want to interact or go that extra step and leave a real comment.
Sometimes I get comments where I am like, are you sure you read my post? It can be irritating! Sometimes I don’t have a lot to say about anothers blog post, but I always try and be thoughtful and say something pertaining to their post. I really enjoyed this post, we all need a good reminder!!
I always thought blogging was interesting and insightful. Now there are so many good blog sites that I find myself jumping from ones on couponing to kids, to other topics totally away from either of them. I’ve also found ones I will never go back to. It’s interesting how many blogs are on the internet now compared to say 10 years ago. Amazing!
Thanks for the great tips about making the most of comments in building relationships and community! I agree about taking time to leave a thoughtful comment and have always felt that was a good practice, just to show sincerity. I’ve never liked being around people IRL who are fake, so I don’t like it in blog land either!
I’m off to check out more of your Blogging Basics…. new to the blogging world this year so this type of info is especially helpful for me.
I do host a weekly Monday meme… Make a Food-“e”-Friend Monday as well as an ongoing one, Star Recipes.
It’s madness out there (in the blog world)! It’s nice to read a conversation about this to sort of provide some structure for it all in my head.