How many blogs do you follow?
How many of those blogs do you regularly visit and comment on?
How many of those blogs do you never visit? I bet most of you never visit at least a few. Yes? Then why are you still following them?
I used to follow over 500 blogs! I merely followed many because they followed me first.
What a big mistake that was!
New blog posts were continually dropping onto my WordPress reader and email box.
It wasn’t long before I started to feel overwhelmed by it all and realised I couldn’t possibly read and comment on every new blog post. Only fools try doing that.
Then, I started feeling guilty about not having enough time to visit and comment on every blog I followed.
Something had to change.
I decided to go through all the blogs I followed and unfollow some of them – gulp! Shock horror. Wouldn’t that upset somebody?
Today, I’m following 55 blogs, and I’ve set myself a target of never exceeding a total of 75.
For some, that may seem like a lot of blogs to follow. For others, not enough. But it’s the perfect balance for me.
But what mistakes did I make when following blogs?
1. Following blogs that publish content I had no interest in
Seems obvious, doesn’t it? But look through the list of blogs you follow and count how many of them publish content you’re not interested in reading.
Then, ask yourself why you are following them.
Many of the blogs I unfollowed were blogs that followed my blog first. I felt it polite to follow back even though I had no idea what content they published.
It was like buying a car without having test-driven it first.
Before following a blog, check out some of the posts and ask yourself these two questions.
Does the content interest me enough to keep me coming back?
Does the content motivate me enough to leave engaging comments?
If you answer ‘No’ to the first question, then don’t follow.
Some bloggers you unfollow may unfollow you but don’t get yourself all worked up about it. It’s no big deal.
My blog loses followers almost every day. If readers no longer find my content interesting, they have every right to unfollow me.
2. Following unfriendly blogs
Two things that I dislike in blog posts are lots of swearing and belittling others. Even worse is swearing in blog post titles. There’s no need for it.
I’m adult enough to know that most adults do swear, but when there’s too much of it in blog posts, or there isn’t any need for it, then I won’t follow.
The same goes for bloggers who publish content that belittles other people or criticises them for how they live, look, write or talk.
By all means, warn readers at the beginning that a post contains swear words or may offend, but never swear at or criticise others in the post or comments section.
If you think you’ll be offended by the content on a blog or in its comments section, don’t follow it.
3. Following non-engaging blogs.
While reading blog posts, remember to check the comments section to see if the blogger responds to them. If the comments are all one-way, think seriously before following and commenting.
If they don’t respond to comments (especially on their ‘about‘ page), ask yourself if the blog is worth following.
If the content is interesting, then, by all means, follow, but think hard about whether it’s worth trying to engage with the blog host.
If they do respond, look at the way they respond. Are they lazily interacting with their readers? Do they respond to all comments in the same dull, non-engaging manner (e.g. ‘Thanks for reading!’)?
Even though a blogger may respond to all the comments, if they are not engaging with their audience, ask yourself if it’s worth leaving comments and following their blog.
4. Following blogs that could damage your health
There are lots of things that can damage your health when online. For example, too much screen time, addiction to social media and reading too many negative articles or comments.
One of the worst things that can happen to a blogger is feeling overwhelmed, stressed or guilty. This usually occurs when they can’t keep up with reading blog posts or leaving comments. It also happens when a blogger feels obliged to read and comment on other blogs simply because that blogger follows and comments on their blog.
Don’t feel obliged, guilty, or stressed because certain bloggers comment on your posts.
If you’re following blogs that you believe publish too many daily posts, think about unfollowing them or turning off notifications for those posts when they are published.
Of course, we can ignore all those posts, but don’t fall into the trap of thinking you could miss out on something if you don’t read or comment on them all.
Remember to make the most of setting up to receive notifications on a daily or weekly basis rather than every time somebody publishes a new post. This gives you the power to pick and choose which posts to read.
5. Following ghost blogs
I’ve mentioned it many times before, but the first thing I now do before deciding whether or not to follow a blog is to visit its ‘about’ page. If there isn’t one, I consider it a ‘ghost blog.’
If there isn’t an ‘about’ page, it isn’t easy to find, is outdated, or doesn’t contain any interesting information, I won’t follow.
Why? I want to find out about the person behind the blog before deciding whether to follow it.
If the site owner doesn’t care about having an ‘about’ page or updating it, the rest of their blog could also be outdated and not worth your time.
A blogger who does not care about their blog won’t care about their audience.
6. Following uncared-for or neglected blogs
If a new blog I’m visiting is eye-catching, well-organised, easy to navigate, has excellent content, feels friendly, and seems a great place to be, I will press the follow button.
After all, if it looks and feels good and the content is interesting, I will likely read posts and leave engaging comments.
If a blog’s design is poor, it takes too long to download, it uses a font that is too small to read, it has a brightly lit background that produces stars in front of my eyes, it hasn’t been updated in years, or it has lots of broken links, then I’ll move on quickly.
If a blogger doesn’t care about their blog, they are unlikely to care about their audience.
7. Following the blogs of trolls
We talked about checking out responses a blogger leaves to comments on their posts, but are those responses written in a friendly manner? And do they leave unfriendly comments elsewhere?
Because we blog or leave reviews, not everyone will agree with what we have to say.
I’ve witnessed many rude comments from the host and readers on many blogs.
I’ve been the victim of rude and unfriendly comments on other blogs where I’ve left a friendly comment. If the host of a blog responds to me in an unfriendly manner, I’ll unfollow their blog.
If a blog host allows other followers to attack readers without taking action, I will unfollow them.
I always respond to comments in a friendly, courteous, and professional manner, even if a reader disagrees with my words.
If there’s evidence of a blogger attacking somebody because they have not agreed with all or some of the content in a post or in the comments section, consider whether it’s worth following that blog.
Blog hosts should do all they can to prevent trolls from commenting on their posts. If they don’t, they probably don’t care much or have any concern about the welfare of their audience.
By all means, if the content of that blog still interests you, you can still follow and never leave any comments, but be careful when reading negative responses to comments, as they can often affect your mood.
Whatever you do, though, never respond to unfriendly comments by attacking the person who has left them. Leave the trolls alone. They’ll soon get fed up with not getting the attention they crave and will move on.
I’m looking for 20 new blogs to follow. If you’d like to recommend any, please leave a link to that blog and a couple of sentences about why I should follow. Please do not just leave a link as it will be deleted.
How many blogs do you follow? Is that number the right balance, or do you need to reduce the number? What factors are important to you when deciding whether or not to follow a blog? Join the discussion by leaving a comment.
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Excellent tips, Hugh. I used to follow a lot of blogs (over 600) and almost quit blogging because I just couldn’t handle it. The tip I used most to get my blog under control was #3. I like engagement and the friendships that result. I’m down to 285 blogs and I feel like I know all those bloggers well. I also gave up trying to visit every blog and read every post all the time. I value their posts and friendships enough to keep the “follow” connection and touch base when I can. Thanks for the great tips!
285 still seems like many blogs to follow, Diana (well, to me, it does). But it’s good to hear that you do not stress about not reading all of their posts and just touching base when you can. Too many good bloggers quit because they believe they must read and comment on everything. Otherwise, they may upset someone! (which isn’t the case). I think only reading posts that interest you (instead of everything) is also a sensible approach.
Engagement is essential, but many bloggers who follow too many blogs get stressed by them and only leave those short, non-engaging comments that aren’t helpful to anyone. If only they had left one engaging comment occasionally, it would have made all the difference.
Thanks, Hugh. 285 is a lot, but I value all those bloggers and don’t want to let any go. You’re one of them. You can see that I don’t swing by often, but I always enjoy the visits and learn something when I do.
Thank you. I’m glad my posts are helpful. It’s not about how often you visit a blog but the quality of the comments you leave. That’s what makes all the difference, Diana. You can always tell when somebody has read a post. The comments they leave speak volumes.
Your blog was one of the first I followed when I got started, recommended to me for the help I would find here about blogging and managing WP, as well as some fine flash fiction. That’s as true now as ever. Thank you for all you do here!
You’re welcome, D! I enjoy writing all of this stuff. Even if the tips I publish help just one person, my work is done. Thank you for following my blog and blog adventures. I spoke with Charli a few weeks ago and hope to see you back at the Ranch once she’s ready to return.
Great points Hugh. I think I need to start unfollowing a few. I was like you at the beginning and being polite by following everyone back but it’s far too many to even check in with and enjoy.
Agreed, Wayne. Plus, all those blogs are not going to publish content you’re interested in reading.
Hi Hugh – earlier this week I read you were interested in finding new blogs to follow. I have followed Ari for a while – she lives in Ireland now, originally from England. I have never participated in her Advent Train, but you like writing flash fiction. Might you be interested in this? Here is the link to Ari’s post:
https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/75381178/posts/5355771154
Hi Linda, thank you for the link. I had a quick look and unfortunately there isn’t a lot of time left to get a story in, and I hate rushing my story writing. I also saw that Ari writes and publishes blogging tips, but that series seems to have stopped in 2020. Thanks so much for thinking of me, though.
Hi Hugh – You’re welcome. I think Ari has gone to podcasts mostly now … if you are interested in the Advent Train for next year, let me know because this is something Ari does annually and I’ll send you the link when she puts out the request for people to join. She did give plenty of leeway for that initially but this was because someone couldn’t do it this year.
Thanks, Linda. That seems like a great idea. Thank you.
I’m not a podcast person. I tried listening to them, but I’ve never been able to just sit there and listen. I need something to watch that is related at the same time.
You’re welcome Hugh. I’m not a podcast person either. I listen to an AM radio station for all my news and that is about it. I don’t even listen to music as much as I used to.
I am going to mention a post I just published because it is about a fellow blogger from Wales.
Zena is blind and I have followed her since she started writing about life with her guide dog Munch. Unfortunately Munch must retire this year and Zena will be without a new guide dog for about a year and will return to using her cane to get to/from work (a school counselor) and/or out and about in the interim. I had no idea that there are a shortage of guide dogs and trainers. She will keep Munch as a beloved pet. Zena does not post a lot and uses a special device to write her posts and read other’s posts and/or comments. She has very little eyesight, but is legally blind. Her blog is “The Secret Blind”.
Thank you for that information about Zena’s blop, Linda. I’ll certainly check it out.
You’re welcome Hugh.
I actually have no idea how many blogs I currently follow, but it’s manageable. I’ve been able to unfollow some that don’t produce content that interests me. And I’ll keep doing this in the future.
But… one of the reasons I follow certain blogs is because I care about the authors of them, because I know them personally or we’ve created an online friendship. These are the tough ones for me to unfollow, even though I don’t always have time to read their posts or I can’t relate to them. In these cases, I swipe away certain posts from my inbox and I read (and comment to) others that keep me in touch with them and their activities and experiences.
It’s good to hear that you do unfollow blogs that no longer interests you. As for the blogs you continue to follow simply because they are online friends and you don’t read their posts, are there any other ways you could keep in touch with them? Of course, if you need read some of their posts, then no need to unfollow unless what you’re reading does not interest you.
Yes, there are other ways to stay in touch with the bloggers I know. But, I like to read their blog posts once in a while to see what they’ve been up to. Those are their posts I read and comment to. It’s quicker, easier and in more detail than if I were to exchange emails, texts, or messages. :-)
So, reading someone’s blog often tells me how people I care about are doing, because they are personal stories and not necessarily interesting adventures or information.
If you’re reading and commenting and are interested in what they have to say then I agree there is no need to unfollow a blog. It’s when it becomes a chore to read posts that don’t really interest you that unfollowing is a sensible thing to do. I wasted so much time over the years reading blogs I had no interest in and which I felt obliged to read because they read and commented on my posts.
It’s time for me to go through my list and delete some bloggers.
Have a great time doing it. It always makes me feel like I’m decluttering.
Will do, and I feel the same way.
I do tend to feel guilty if I don’t respond to a post. And I use the like button to show I’ve read the post.
I only follow those people I am interested in, or who have online personalities I like.
I notice, though, if regular commenters don’t comment on my posts for a while.
Can I ask why you feel guilty if you don’t respond to a post. There must be a reason or reasons why you feel like that, and I’d be interested in knowing.
I also notice if a regular commenter hasn’t left a comment for a while. More often than not, they are still active in the blogging world, so it’s good to know they are well.
Haha. You’ve asked a question I don’t fully understand the answer myself. As I tend to only follow blogs of people I think could be my real friends if I met them in person, I guess it feels a bit like ignoring a friend I see in the street.
I hope you don’t another question – how to think they would react if they knew you were not reading and commenting on all of their posts?
Well, Personally , I realise people have lives and sometimes don’t have time to read posts. I would hope that those people I follow also realise that and if I don’t respond it’s not that I’m not interested, just that I don’t have a lot of time at that moment.
Your answer shows that nobody will be bothered if you don’t read and comment on all of their posts. So, no need to feel guilty about not reading every post of the blogs you follow. Enjoy the blogging experience rather than getting stressed or feeling guilty about it.