Are you a new blogger? Have you recently started following my blog or thinking about following it?

I’m honoured that Hugh’s Views And News has gained a lot of new followers. What’s even better is that some of those new followers are already engaging with me.

But it seems there’s a big difference about what engagement is. 

If you’re new to blogging, there’s a long learning curve ahead of you. So allow me to share some advice about engaging with other readers and bloggers in the comments sections of blog posts. 

Don’t leave uninvited links or demands in the comments section of any blog post.

I received that vital piece of advice from some professional bloggers at the beginning of my blogging journey.  

Examples Of Comments You Should Never Leave

I’ve recently had a rash of first-time comments from readers that had me shaking my head. They include comments likes these.  

Hi, check out my blog, follow me, leave me comments and tell all your followers to follow my blog.

Hi, subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Help me get to 50 followers. Follow my blog now! 

I’ve followed your blog, now follow mine.

Follow for a follow?

Then there are the demand comments that don’t include links.

Yes, I’m interested in novels (not so much poetry), but don’t demand that I follow your blog, read your books, press ‘like’ on your blog posts and leave comments when you can’t even be bothered to mention anything about the contents of the post you’ve left your demands on. Did you even read my post?

I never responded to the comment because I doubt very much the blogger who left it would have seen it.

Although the blogger didn’t include a link to their blog, in my opinion, it’s just as bad as the comments that include uninvited links.

What’s worse is that some bloggers tried leaving the same demanding comments on several of my posts. All of them were bloggers who had never left comments for me before and probably wondered why their comments weren’t showing up. 

How To Get People To Visit Your Blog

If you want your blog to get noticed in the blogging world, read some posts and leave comments that add value to what you’ve read. 

However, while people are far more likely to check out your blog if you leave good valuable comments, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will follow your blog. 

My advice has always been to only follow blogs that interest you. Otherwise, you’re just wasting time following them.   

Leaving demands in a first time comment without ever having engaged with a blogger before is like going on a first date and demanding that your date buys you a drink and dinner. 

As for leaving uninvited links, providing you’ve set up your Gravatar correctly, your blog details are left within the comment box when you leave a comment anyway, so you don’t need to leave any links to your blog. It’s already there.

 

Be friendly: Be nice.

Addressing a blogger by their first name in a comment (especially a first comment) goes a long way to getting you noticed. If it’s obvious what the blogger’s first name is, use it in your comment. If their first name isn’t apparent, check out the ‘about me‘ page of their blog and find out what it is.

Or is all of that just too much like hard work? I’m shaking my head at you if you answered ‘yes’ to that question. 

Be friendly and courteous in your comments, even if you disagree with the post’s contents. Don’t come over like a troll or somebody who will always disagree with the contents of every post.  

I don’t expect those examples of poor comments I mentioned to stop coming in. Why? Because many of those who leave them probably never read the post they’ve left them on anyway. 

I’m expecting similar comments to get left on this post, but you’ll never see them here or on any of my posts. Why? Because I moderate all comments before they appear. Comments with uninvited links or demands get marked as spam. You’re wasting your time if you leave me demanding comments or comments that include uninvited links.

Am I being too harsh? 

There is a chance that some of those leaving demanding comments or uninvited links are at the beginning of their blogging journey. They may not know they shouldn’t be doing it. If you’re one of those people, then take some time to check out, read and ask questions on the thousands of free blogging tips posts found all over the internet. 

I’m one of those bloggers that don’t charge for the blogging advice I publish, so don’t be afraid to leave any questions you have about blogging in the comments section of this or any of my other posts. 

I’m always delighted to help. 

Other bloggers that give free blogging advice

Renard at Renard’s World.

Natalie at Natalie Ducey

Janice at Mostly Blogging

Take it from somebody who has learned a lot about how the blogging world works, that you’ll get yourself and your blog more noticed if you read posts and leave good, valuable, friendly comments on them. 

Happy Blogging!

Are You New To Blogging? Do You Have Any Questions About Blogging? Leave Them In The Comments Section.

Looking for more blogging tips from Hugh? Check out these posts.

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