Imagine having a blog where nobody wants to engage. It’s a thought that’s hard to fathom. After all, what’s the point of writing and publishing blog posts if there’s no one to interact with?
As bloggers, we can spark curiosity and questions in our readers, even when publishing informative posts. And that’s where the actual engagement begins. It’s our responsibility to set the stage for meaningful interactions. One way to do this is by asking open-ended questions at the end of your posts or inviting readers to share their thoughts or experiences related to the post’s topic. It can encourage more in-depth and meaningful discussions.
Those bloggers who blog to make money will only care a little about the interaction. For them, making a living out of blogging is more important. Good for them if they are successful, but take your readers seriously, especially if they want to engage with you. Consider removing the comments section from your blog if you’re going to refrain from engaging or responding to questions.
What’s the right way to engage with readers? Is there a right way?
I’ve always craved engagement, but over the ten years I’ve been blogging, the type of engagement I crave has changed.
I’ve become more of a ‘discussion’ blogger. By that, I mean a blogger who likes to discuss the subject of a post rather than just leaving a comment that only confirms I visited. It’s about sparking a conversation, sharing different perspectives, and learning from each other. This type of engagement is more valuable than a simple ‘I agree’ comment, as it adds depth and richness to the post’s content.
Over the past year, I’ve made a conscious effort to reduce the number of non-engaging comments on my blog, a decision I’m proud of. I’ve aimed to break free from the cycle of leaving comments solely to prove a visit or just for the sake of doing so.
This shift has decreased the overall number of comments I get but has made me feel like a more thoughtful and influential blogger. It’s not about the number of comments but the quality of the interactions. This change has helped my personal growth in writing and blogging.
Should we always try to engage? No!
Of course, just because I don’t leave a comment on a blog post does not mean I’ve not read it. Likewise, I know many people read my posts but want to avoid engaging. There’s nothing wrong with that. These silent readers are still part of the blogging community; their support is as important as active engagement. So, let’s recognise their presence and continue to create content that resonates with them.
If you’re new to blogging, leaving an engaging comment every once in a while is far more beneficial than leaving short, non-engaging comments on every post you read in an attempt to get noticed.
Are you approving spam comments without realising it?
Imagine my concern when I came across this comments section on a recently read post.
I was appalled to see these comments and could not understand why they’d been approved. Given that the blog’s posts would probably be full of these types of comments, I also decided not to follow it.
Spam comments not only detract from the quality of a blog but also discourage meaningful interactions. Let’s keep the blogging community free from such spam and focus on producing meaningful engagement. Your thoughts and ideas are too valuable to be drowned out by spam.
Other examples of spam comments.
Some may look genuine, but they’re not. Spammers and spambots are getting cleverer at fooling us into approving their comments, so beware.
Thank you
I want to express my deep appreciation to all of you who support and interact with me here. Your engagement is not just a number on a screen but a vibrant testament to the joys and value of blogging. I especially want to acknowledge those who actively interact with me, as your contributions are the lifeblood of my blog.
Remember, it’s not just about the numbers but the profound connections we build through interactions. For instance, when a reader shares a personal experience related to a blog post or when we engage in a thoughtful debate about a controversial topic, these are the types of interactions that genuinely enrich the blogging community.
Let’s wrap it up.
This post delves into the importance of engaging with readers and other bloggers, offering insightful strategies to spark meaningful interactions.
Avoid leaving short, non-engaging comments on all the posts you read. Instead, leave a thoughtful comment every now and again.
Don’t leave a comment just to leave a comment or prove you’ve visited.
Never feel obligated to comment because they always comment on your posts.
There’s nothing wrong with not wanting to engage. Some readers are more comfortable reading a post without saying anything.
Take your readers seriously by responding to or acknowledging their comments.
Never approve spam comments. Mark them as spam and delete them.
Consider closing comments off if you do not want to engage with your readers or respond to any questions.
If you crave engagement, ask open-ended questions at the end of your posts or invite readers to share details of their experiences with the subject you’ve discussed in the post.
Do you enjoy engaging with your readers and other bloggers? What type of commenter are you? How do you deal with spam comments and the spammers? Share your knowledge and ideas in the comments section.
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Hugh's Views & News 
Hi Hugh. Great Post, as always. I agree about engagement and meaningful comments- it’s how we have meaningful conversations online. I wonder if modern society, with fast social media, makes it more difficult for people to take the time to leave meaningful comments. Taking time to reflect, think about what we read, means we’re more likely to respond with ‘decent’ comments. We can spend so much time online, we should want to build relationships rather than seeing how many times we can say “great” or offer s simple happy face 😄. I know we’re all different, but as social animals, don’t we crave engagement?
I agree, Brenda. I’ve seen posts from bloggers who leave short non-engaging comments on all the posts they read, who say that they don’t have time to leave engaging comments. It’s a no wonder then that the comments sections of their own blogs are full of boring short non-engaging comments. They seem to concentrate more on writing and publishing lots of poor quality posts as if their blog is some kind of a factory.
I don’t see the point of leaving a comment if all you have to say is “nice post” or something equally banal. Every comment takes time to type and I’d rather use the time to say something substantive. Maybe the people who don’t say anything meaningful have more time on their hands than I do
From what those people say, many say that don’t have time to leave meaningful engaging comments. That’s probably because they’re spending too much time proving they’ve visited all the blogs they follow by leaving short non-engaging comments. If only they spent that time leaving a genuine engaging comment once in a while, it would make all the difference.
You are so right, Hugh!
I love to engage with commenters (even if it takes me a few days to respond) and also try to reciprocate by visiting their sites as much as possible. Sometimes, time does get away from me though, and I will do a like and share to X instead.
Akismet has been doing a great job putting bogus comments into the spam folder. There used to be occasional false positives, but it has improved a lot in the last year.
Providing comments are responded to then it doesn’t matter how long it takes to respond to them, Debbie. After all, life can sometimes get in the way.
I do visit the sites of those who do leave meaningful engaging comments, but I will only follow if their content is of interest to me and I know I can leave engaging comments. I’m not a fan of following blogs that I know I’ll probably won’t visit again. I used to follow over 500 blogs, many because they followed me, and became very overwhelmed by it all. Now I’m down to around 70, which I can manage without feeling too overwhelmed.
Yes, Akismet has been doing a brilliant job. When WordPress updated it last year, there were many doubters saying it would not be long before all that spam returned. How wrong they were.
I love engaging with other bloggers through comments. I try to take time to leave a thoughtful comment to engage in discussion. When I don’t have time to do that, I’ll simply leave a “like” to let the blogger know I was there.
Is it just me or have spam comments increased in recent months? I seem to always be deleting them.
I’ve not witnessed a huge rise in the number of visible spam comments, Michelle. However, spammers are getting cleverer at trying to fool us into approving their comments.