Blog, Inc. by Joy Deangdeelert Cho

Author:Joy Deangdeelert Cho
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC
Published: 2012-06-22T21:00:00+00:00

COMMENTING 101

Comments allow you to know what readers have to say in response to the content you’re bringing to them. It gives your audience a place to interact with you and with one another. While it’s also a good idea to list your e-mail address on your blog so that followers can contact you, most readers will respond to your content via comments rather than e-mail you directly. When your blog is fresh and new, you’ll probably sit there, eager for your first comment to appear. A comment from a complete stranger can be an exciting experience and shows you that people are slowly, but surely, finding your little Web home. As your site grows, the number of comments you receive will also grow, and you’ll find that you can start to track the growth of your site by the increased number of comments you get daily. So, remember to engage your readers and ask them questions in your posts every so often that elicit their interaction and encourage them to add to the conversation.

MODERATING OR REMOVING COMMENTS

Some people feel as though readers should be able to say anything they want in any public space, like a blog. If you find yourself with comments that are less than ideal, you can choose to moderate comments, but remember not to remove comments simply because they are negative. Think carefully before removing any comments. If it’s a justified opinion, your blog may be attacked further for overly censoring your comments. Even negative comments are a part of the conversation you’re creating (see more on negative comments on page 100).

While some may feel strongly about their First Amendment rights, you have the right to try to keep your space on the Internet as positive as possible. One way to help steer comments toward the positive and constructive is by adding a guideline that appears in every comment section; for example: “The Oh Joy! blog reserve the right to remove comments that are self-promotional, rude, personal attacks, or not contributing to the topic at hand.” This can set the tone for your blog and hopefully gives readers a bit of protocol when commenting.

CLOSING COMMENTS

Closing comments after a certain amount of time is usually best for giveaways or contests. If readers need to leave a comment to enter your contest, specify how long entries can be posted, and know that you’ll eventually have to close comments when that deadline comes to an end. Or if some pages on your site are meant to be more informational (like an FAQ or About page), you may choose to close comments since it’s not a typical post where a conversation would take place.

RESPONDING TO COMMENTS

Responding to comments is a great way to build your following and show readers that you are active in the conversation surrounding your blog’s content. You don’t need to respond to every comment, but if a reader asks a question about a post, you should either respond to that reader directly through e-mail, by commenting in the post, or both.

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