My blogging friend Brenda, who blogs at Curiosities, Castles and Coffee Shops, publishes a series of posts introducing a new blogger and shares some wonderful blogging tips.
In her recent post, Brenda discusses using prompts to generate ideas for blog posts, especially when we struggle to find something to write about. She mentions the daily WordPress prompt, which asks bloggers to respond with a blog post.
I won’t go into all the details of Brenda’s excellent advice, but it got me thinking about comments.
I left a comment on Brenda’s post, which sparked a conversation with another blogger, Laura, who blogs at Keeping It Creative.
The following screenshot is just a small part of the conversation Laura, Brenda, and I had about comments.
Our conversation got me thinking about the broader topic of comments and how I’ve noticed a big difference in the comments left on blogs.
When I first started blogging, most bloggers had conversations and discussions in the comments section about the subject of the post. But over time, that trend seems to be dwindling, which had me asking the question –
‘What has happened to the art of conversation and discussion in the comments section of blogs?’
Gone are the days when many readers left comments that not only proved they’d read the post but also gave feedback that opened discussion and conversation.
Now, it seems, some bloggers leave comments with little, if any, way of responding to them other than with a ‘Thank you.’ Comments such as –
- ‘I enjoyed this.’
- ‘Wonderful.’
- ‘This is a great read.’
- ‘Well done.’
- ‘Great interview.’
- ‘You did a great job.’
- ‘Another great story.’
- ‘Great authors and books.’
- ‘Great post.’
- ‘Thanks for sharing this.’
Or worse, a comment that includes nothing but emojis.
Yes, some of those comments sound encouraging, but as Laura said in her comment, ‘Sometimes a comment is so generic, it feels like the person leaving the comment never read the post.’
None of the above comments mentions anything about the contents of the post.
Why do people leave short, non-engaging comments?
There are probably some genuine reasons for leaving non-engaging comments all over the blogging world, but what are they?
I hope some of the reasons will be left in the comments section of this post. I’m interested in knowing.
Some bloggers claim they don’t have the time to leave longer, engaging comments because they don’t have the time to leave them. Some have too many other blogs to visit. Some rush around the blogging world because they only have so much time to visit and comment on as many posts as possible.
But in contrast, if they didn’t feel obliged to visit these blogs to leave short, non-engaging comments, they could free up some time to leave a few engaging comments that open up discussion and conversation.
Then I got this comment from Janice, who blogs at Mostly Blogging.Com.
I was shocked by what Janice told me. Is it really no longer trendy to leave comments on blogs? Are readers only wanting information, not a community?
The other side of the blogging coin.
It’s not only some of those visiting posts at fault for leaving short, non-engaging comments. Some bloggers respond to engaging comments that clearly show they want to discuss the contents of a post by saying nothing more than a ‘Thank you.’ They instantly cut off engaging with their audience.
What are engaging comments?
- They contain information that proves the post has been read.
- They are written in an engaging, friendly manner.
- They are at least a couple of sentences long.
- They indicate that you want to discuss the contents of a post further with who wrote the post.
- Include any questions about the contents of a post.
And let me reassure you that you should never feel guilty for not leaving a comment or feel obliged to leave one on any blog. There is nothing wrong with clicking the ‘like’ button and moving on after reading a post if you have nothing of value to add.
I don’t enjoy having to reply to any comment with just a ‘thank you.’ I want to discuss the contents of my posts and what led whoever left a comment to say what they said.
For example –
- Why did they think the post was good?
- What was it that made them enjoy reading the post?
- Why was it a great read, story or interview?
- Was it the way the post was written or some of the answers given? If so, which ones?
- Did the post strike a cord? Why?
- What parts did they like/dislike the most?
- Was it something new they learned? If so, what, and how will they use the new information?
I’ve stopped leaving comments on blogs unless I have something of value to add.
And I never feel guilty for not leaving a comment.
I don’t need to prove I’ve visited a blog.
I don’t need to make anyone think I’ve read their post.
I don’t feel obliged to follow and read posts on a blog simply because that blogger follows me and leaves me comments.
And nor should you.
So, what has happened to the art of conversation and discussion in the blogging world? Is it dead, or have I, as a blogger who enjoys discussion and conversation, become a minority in the blogging world? Is it no longer trendy to leave comments? Join the discussion and conversation by letting me know what you think in the comments section.
My post, This Is Why It’s Important To Leave The Right Comments On Blogs: 9 Ways, may also help you to improve the types of comments you’re leaving.
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Feel free to leave a comment. Engagement helps keep blogs alive and forms community.