I recently got a comment from a stranger, that said 'you are invited to follow my blog'. I noticed the same person had sent this comment to a few other blogs I read too.I struggle to pinpoint exactly why, but for some reason this grated on me a lot.
I received this generous offer about the same way as I would if I found a note in my letterbox from a neighbour saying 'you are invited to clean out the muck and hair from my shower drain'.
I know, I'm mean aren't I. But don't you think that's just so spammy and presumptuous? Why do you want me to read? You don't know anything about me, so it must just be to make up some big numbers in your 'followers' list.
Now, let's face it, everyone who writes a blog wants more people to read it, more people to follow it, more people to comment. I know I certainly do. But blogging is still about community and relationships, not just recruiting people for numbers' sake.
Do it the proper way, or your going to shoot yourself in the foot and send potential readers packing. Want me to read your blog? Then make yourself known by starting to comment (not just one 'you should read my blog' comment), and then as I get to know you I'll be curious and look at your profile and your blog. That's how it works.
No shortcuts.
8 comments:
I'm going to write a post "the art of blogger seduction"...
One day.
You'll have to read my blog until I do...
I couldn't agree with you more, Ben! People who comment just to say "plz read my blog" put me off. I might have a look, but if it's not interesting, then I'm not going to hang around anyway, let alone comment. If people just post comments normally, I tend to look up their profiles when I get around to it and see if they blog themselves and then see if I want to follow it. For you, I followed you because of the Jane Eyre drawings, but you blog about other interesting things too! :) Have a great weekend!
Yeah ben. You tell 'em.
I'm also not keen on people who find me on google, cruise through, drop some comment and then leave. If you are going to join in a conversation with strangers, listen for 2 minutes before you chime in. If I'm whinging about my kids' bad behaviour or headlice or a sports injury, don't offer me a magic solution! Just let me whinge!
I agree with you to a point. It is presumptuous to expect someone to read their blog without actually interacting on your own blog in any other way.
But not everyone writes blogs to get more followers. I use my blog as a way to communicate mostly with family and friends half a world away. I kind of use it like facebk but with longer updates and stories. I like getting comments from people I know, but I'm not wanting to get more and more people to read it (maybe that just indicates that I should make it an invite only blog??)
I agree ben, blogging is mainly about relationships. And consistency - people stop reading if you stop posting regularly. I find that hard because every time I take a posting break, I feel like when I return I almost have to start from scratch again to resurrect the blog. I reckon you partly have to enjoy just posting for its sake, or you could easily become despondent when people don't comment!
Nathan- Nice hook baiting bro
Traxy- Yeah, sorry about the drawings! More on their way soon. I'm up to the bit in the book where Jane has just moved to Thornfield and met Mrs Fairfax and Adele.
Simone- Yeah I bristle at those swooping drive-by bits of advice and solutions too.
Aimee- You make a good point, and I brushed over that in a generalising way. I agree there probably are people out there who don't want a lot of readers, still I reckon they are certainly a smallish minority. And yes they probably fall into the 'I'm wondering whether I should go private' catagory!
Soph- I reckon you partly have to enjoy just posting for its sake, or you could easily become despondent when people don't comment!
So true. I have gotten despondant a fair bit over the years, and realised how unhealthy it was. You have to get to some kind of place where you just write for enjoyments sake, and if people chime in it's just a bonus.
Otherwise the blog is kinda doomed.
Post a Comment