A tip for blogging newcomers
March 20th 2010 06:17
There are many tips for new bloggers, and they have been listed and discussed in various posts in this blog among many others. A lot of those tips are common sense: choose a topic and stick to it; write clearly and well; use a spell checker; do some research on key words and search engine visibility etc.
But there is one important aspect of blogging that many writers new to the medium may not be aware of and that is the importance of responding to comments.
There are two aspects to this.
The first aspect is that, in the greater blogging world, comments on your blog posts are gold. If the comments are positive and favourable, it is an opportunity to engage with a like-minded individual and, at the very least, encourage them to return to your blog another day. If the comment is negative, it is an opportunity to engage in debate, something which can quickly attract the interest and participation of others.
Negative comments are big growth opportunities for your blog.
The second aspect is peculiar to a community platform like Orble, which is a world within the blogging world. Orble bloggers like to help each other out, and Orble is set up to facilitate this. In the early days of your blog, any comments received are most likely to come from other Orble bloggers. To ignore those comments is to lose the chance to make a friend.
There are some experienced bloggers on Orble and elsewhere who do not understand, or do not care, about building blog hit numbers through reader engagement. For people who blog simply for the personal pleasure of writing, that's fine.
For everyone else, comments are a crucial part of blogging culture. To ignore them is to limit your blog's growth.
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Comment by signals
The Health Fanatic
The Natural Order
Media Piranha
Arrogant News
The Dope Chronicles
Financial Ramble
Guilty as charged. Your advice can be used by old-timers, too, and I have to work on some of your pointers!
Comment by Morgan Bell
Deep Pencil
Business News
Movie Train
every time you comment it increases your exposure to the Orble community and the internet at large
readers of someone elses blog will read your comment and if it is insightful or funny or informative, or even just plain bizarre, it will generate interest in you and what you have written
readers will "click back" to check out your profile and your work
every comment you leave is another link to your blog, the more links to your blog the more highly your blog is rated by search engines
on Orble it is often wise to comment on popular posts or posts within the same genre as your blog, curiosity is an enormous part of the behaviour of internet browsing
a comment is like an advertisement, both in the content of your opinion and just generally leaving your stamp for others to find
Comment by JoeAtHome
Project Management Success
My goal is to share my insights and knowledge that I've gained over the years related to Project Management. I have started a blog on Orble.
Hopefully, it can help people who are new to the Project Management industry, just are your insights are helping me to learn about blogging.
Best regards,
JoeAtHome
Comment by Samantha Elley
Food Journo
The Sandwich Shak
Vintage Foodie
Little House among the Canefields
Good healthy advise for bloggers. Thanks for the post.
Samantha
Comment by Morgan Bell
Deep Pencil
Business News
Movie Train
if you are a Facebook user CLICKHERE for the Orble group, you can post questions for other Orble writers on the discussion board or wall
another useful resource is the Writers Forum here on Orble, members are free to post questions or read over questions that have already been asked
good luck with your blog
Comment by JoeAtHome
Project Management Success
Comment by Chris Champion
Vyoos
Zoomies
Bloggercises
The Blog of Lists
Newly Old
Money Whither
I have been getting the "Error: you have already voted on this post" message a lot lately. In the case of both of you on this post, however, the votes seem to have registered despite the message. Who knows what the Orble gremlins are playing at this week.
Anyway, thanks for visiting.
Comment by Chris Champion
Vyoos
Zoomies
Bloggercises
The Blog of Lists
Newly Old
Money Whither
Absolutely right, as always. Leaving comments on other people's blogs is a great way to spread your name and, more importantly, leave links to the your blog.
Someone once said that a top blog - one which provides a living for the blogger - is 20% writing and 80% marketing. For anyone looking to build readership, a cornerstone of that "marketing" is leaving comments on other people's blogs.
It is important whether your blog is on an Orble or Blogger-type platform, or whether it is a standalone Wordpress etc blog. And it is important whether your blog is new or mature.
Comment by Chris Champion
Vyoos
Zoomies
Bloggercises
The Blog of Lists
Newly Old
Money Whither
Your extended hand of friendship is accepted and grasped.
Many thanks for your comment, and I wish you lots of luck and reward from your blog.
Comment by Real Calligrapher
Comment by Samantha Elley
Food Journo
The Sandwich Shak
Vintage Foodie
Little House among the Canefields
Many, many, many years ago (more than I CAN remember) I had a beautiful fountain pen to use for learning shorthand at tech.
My main problem was that as a leftie, the pen didn't write that well for me.
Sad but true! My bic has been my best friend for many years now.
Sam
Comment by Real Calligrapher
I got a kick out of your old posters... Reminds me of when I was in Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA at a genuine holdout 60's hamburger joint, eating one of an endless list of (you guessed it!) Hamburgers! Behind me was a poster of Ronald Reagan holding up a pack of Chesterfields! Made my day! (Yikes!)
I agree about Bic pens, too. Sure beats a paint brush and papyrus!
"RC"
Comment by Samantha Elley
Food Journo
The Sandwich Shak
Vintage Foodie
Little House among the Canefields
I think if a leftie is good at calligraphy, they are brilliant..it's all or nothing for us social outcasts!!
Glad you liked the posters. I love history for that reason. What was once acceptable can be considered a shocking situation today. Shows the changes in human psyche.
Take care,
Sam
Comment by Chris Champion
Vyoos
Zoomies
Bloggercises
The Blog of Lists
Newly Old
Money Whither
I too enjoy fountain pens. I went through school during a period when it was fashionable to teach "italic" rather than cursive script - square letters with thin upstrokes and heavy downstrokes. As a result I need a nib like the one in the picture. I didn't know it was called a "chisel-tipped" though.
Comment by Lisa Johnson
It's All Geek To Me
Comment by signals
The Health Fanatic
The Natural Order
Media Piranha
Arrogant News
The Dope Chronicles
Financial Ramble
I comment to give Karma. Since my vote can't go through you might as well receive X-TRA points. I'm beginning to think that this is a way to have 'selective' "persons" getting extra points for exposure!
Like someone said and commented, Orble is going downhill as far as us old timers see it!
Comment by Chris Champion
Vyoos
Zoomies
Bloggercises
The Blog of Lists
Newly Old
Money Whither
Thanks for comment
Comment by Wilson Pon
Health 2 Know
Adventure Toes
boxing sound
Business Rope
Fun Places 2 Travel
In this case, I think, it's not necessary to approve the comments at all!
Anyway, thanks for the excellent points.
Comment by Chris Champion
Vyoos
Zoomies
Bloggercises
The Blog of Lists
Newly Old
Money Whither
Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
Such a great post. Commenting on other blogs is great for your reputation, especially as an Orble blogger, and it's great for developing a readership and friendships.
I remember when I first started blogging with Orble... David, who I'm not sure if you remember, commented on my first ever blog post. My first comment! It was such a thrill, and thanks to him and Kateness's loving, brilliant encouragement at the beginning of my Orble career, I've come to love this place and develop great friendships with some of my fellow bloggers.
Great post.
~Dianna
Comment by Chris Champion
Vyoos
Zoomies
Bloggercises
The Blog of Lists
Newly Old
Money Whither
I like your point about friendship. To meet someone in a club is a sharing a space, a physical connection. To meet somone through your blog is about sharing an idea, a mental connection.
And as the ideas are your own, the connections can be powerful and rewarding.
Comment by bloggingamerican
Blogging American
ZENtertainment
Comment by Chris Champion
Vyoos
Zoomies
Bloggercises
The Blog of Lists
Newly Old
Money Whither