Blogging Basics: Comments

January 6th, 2010 · 24 Comments

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Comments are very important to bloggers. It doesn’t matter if you are giving them or receiving them!

Ever noticed that you don’t get comments on your posts? Let me tell you why…

#1 – you don’t respond to the ones you do get

and/or

#2 – you are not commenting on others.

Remember our Rule of Five? The first set of Blogging Basics posts told us to set aside a time to respond to comments and to leave comments. Today I am going to go a bit further.

Responding to Comments: When I respond to a comment on my website, an email goes to them letting them know that I responded. That kills two birds with one stone. Plus, it usually sparks a bit more conversation! I use Word Press and have added the following Plug In: Comment Email Responder. You should be able to find it for a Blogger version by simply doing a Google search “Comment Email Responder for Blogger.”

Leaving Comments: Do you follow bloggers that are in your niche? Do you check in often? Are you clicking over to leave comments to show your support? I learned the most useful information the other day to find blogs with Comment Luv Enabled (which, BTW I use Comment Luv).

1. What is Comment Luv? It allows users to leave a link back to their last blog post! So, readers of my blog may be interested enough to click it from you comment AND you get a link out there!

2. So, how do I find blogs that interest me but also help me by supplying Comment Luv? Go to Google and do a search that looks like this (remember to replace the ****** with your search term. EX. I did one for organizing, one for homeschooling, and one for giveaways.)

****** Title=”CommentLuv Enabled”

Keep quotes and all! Happy searching and commenting. Just think, if you leave 1 comment a day you will be increasing your links in by 30 each month, just by doing that!

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Tags: Blogging Basics

24 responses so far ↓

1 Melissa // Jan 6, 2010 at 12:16 pm

I wasn’t able to find a Comment Email Responder for Blogger, which is not to say that it doesn’t exist. (BTW, the last email you sent me from that system had no sender name. The from: field was blank. Kind of weird. :0 )

Great tip about CommentLuv. I’ve noticed it here and on other blogs, but never thought about seeking out blogs that use it!
Melissa´s last blog ..DaySpring After Christmas Sale

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2 Jyl // Jan 6, 2010 at 12:27 pm

Great post! Comments are so important to all of us. Can’t wait to see you at Blissdom…and WeBlog!
Jyl´s last blog ..Chatsvegas

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3 Kelli // Jan 6, 2010 at 12:44 pm

Ain’t that the truth, Jyl!? I am super excited to meet you IRL, too!!!

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4 Kelli // Jan 6, 2010 at 12:46 pm

Melissa,

Oh yeah, that is VERY weird! I wonder how I go about fixing that… hmmm

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5 Kelli // Jan 6, 2010 at 12:50 pm

Melissa, I think I fixed it.. will you let me know?

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6 Kelli // Jan 6, 2010 at 12:50 pm

Jyl, I think I fixed it… thanks for the tips BTW!

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7 Karie // Jan 6, 2010 at 12:56 pm

Comments rock…I think you are right…in order to get comments you have to give. All about giving in order to receive.
Karie´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday: Guilty Use of the Blackberry

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8 Crystal // Jan 6, 2010 at 1:47 pm

I just found your blog yesterday (I think while I was on Org Junkie looking at menus) and I want you to know the information I have found on your blog has helped me more in the last two days that I could ever imagine.

How awesome that you are so willing to share this info and help others prosper as well.

I’ve been posting meal plans on Org Junkie for a few months now and knew that was getting me traffic, but I just started following your Five Blogging Rules yesterday and I have more comments already!

You’ve got this figured out. Thank you so much!

Crystal

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9 Natalie A. // Jan 6, 2010 at 1:08 pm

Thanks for the tips! Great post!

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10 Kelli // Jan 6, 2010 at 2:10 pm

Thanks so much for this Crystal!! I am so glad that my little tid-bits is helping someone.

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11 Amy // Jan 6, 2010 at 3:40 pm

Thanks for this post. I am fairly new to blogging and am learning the etiquette and rules of having a successful blog. I respond when people post to my blog in the comments but it never occurred to me to email them. From now on I will do that Thanks for helping out this newbie

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12 Heather @ Marine Corps Nomads // Jan 7, 2010 at 12:26 am

No luck on the email responder for blogger as of yet. It’s something that I’d really like to have. I try to respond to comments, but I’ve found that many people do not have their email address enable, so I’m unable to respond via email.

Thanks for the great information!
Heather @ Marine Corps Nomads´s last blog ..Word Filled Wednesday: Two Shall Become One…

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13 Badger Momma // Jan 6, 2010 at 11:57 pm

I’ve searched for a Comment Email Responder for Blogger too to no avail. Most threads I’ve followed all claim that there isn’t one yet.

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14 Ellen Christian // Jan 7, 2010 at 5:39 am

I really appreciate you sharing all your tips with everyone. I love the articles you post about improving our blogs. Comments are very important and I love when people stop by and leave them. I always make sure to reply to their comments too! Thanks again
Ellen Christian´s last blog ..The winner of my Primarily Practical Knits Giveaway is

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15 Kelli // Jan 7, 2010 at 8:24 am

Karie… my new friend! Thanks bunches for coming by my blog.

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16 Kelli // Jan 7, 2010 at 8:26 am

Oh yeah, emailing works wonders sometimes! I leave comments but I never click the “email me follow up comments” button. So, unless the person emails me I just might not be back.

I got an email the other day that just said, “your comment has been responded to” with a link. It felt very impersonal, but I clicked the link to see what someone had said to me! LOL!

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17 Kelli // Jan 7, 2010 at 8:27 am

Oh Badger Momma! I am so sorry to hear that Blogger doesn’t have it yet. Another reason I am so glad I moved to Word Press. LOL!

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18 Kelli // Jan 7, 2010 at 8:29 am

Heather, yeah I noticed the same thing before I moved (not being able to respond to comment). People simply HAVE to get that email put into their Blogger account.

Hmmm guess I need to run with that concept for a Blogging Basic posts. LOL! Thanks! (Scribbling it down in my BBB.)

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19 Kelli // Jan 7, 2010 at 8:30 am

Thanks so much Ellen! I can not respond to every comment that comes through, but I do try to respond to all non-contest comments. If I responded to contest comments, I would be here all day. ROTFL!

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20 shannon flora // Jan 13, 2010 at 11:42 pm

Thanks for sharing all your great tips!
Im learning alot from you

thanks,shannon
shannpf1977@yahoo.com

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21 Kristy@MyPetSavings.com // Feb 10, 2010 at 1:48 pm

Great tips!
Kristy@MyPetSavings.com´s last blog ..Breeder’s Choice: Rebate for FREE dog or cat food!

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22 Kicker // Feb 11, 2010 at 8:43 pm

Greatings, Interesting, did you plan to continue this article?

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23 John // Feb 12, 2010 at 7:39 am

Hi really enjoyed reading your post keep it coming.
John

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24 one cluttered brain // Jun 16, 2010 at 8:29 pm

Check out this parody video if you haven’t already by Telling Dad.
i make an appearance in the end. Crazy light up glasses…:)

http://www.tellingdad.com/2010/say-the-things/
one cluttered brain´s last blog ..Interested in Getting Your Pictures done?

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