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Five Ways to Lose Your Commenting Virginity
We clearly have a pretty active and vocal community here at Spin Sucks. But I look at our analytics every day and see it’s a very small percentage of visitors who are doing the majority of commenting.
That’s natural, and I have no problem with that. It doesn’t mean, however, that I haven’t always been curious about the rest of you.
There has been much discussion on blog commenting in the past few weeks.
Check out these other resources if you haven’t already:
- Erica Allison wisely suggested that you Comment Before you Blog
- Mark Schaefer discussed The Surprising Impacts of Comments on Your Blog
- Marcus Sheridan gave advice on How to Get More Comments
That’s when I decided the time was right to blog about first-time commenters.
Then Monday John Falchetto must have gotten access to my hard drive and taken a draft of the post because I echo his thoughts completely. So lets talk about HOW to Lose Your Commenting Virginity.
I’ve been thinking about what it takes to make your first comment and how we like to save ourselves for the right moment. But what does that moment look like? And how do you make that big first step?
It hasn’t been that long for me and I know the reasons why we don’t comment well:
- I was too busy. It takes time to comment. Maybe you’re reading it on your phone which is even more difficult and time consuming. I like to read, learn, and click on.
- I feel stupid. Seriously, sometimes I look at the comments section and it’s a clique of people who are busy whipping each other up into this intellectual frenzy. I am way too intimidated to pop in and say hey y’all, really? WOW, this is great, thank you!!
- No value to add. This sort of hand in hand in with the “I feel stupid” point. I just don’t have anything of real value.
Well, you do, believe it or not (have something to add). I can understand if you are too busy. That’s going to happen – I read plenty of blogs every day and don’t take the time to comment on each one. Like an NPR listener, if you’re reading something regularly, you should at least take the time now and again to jump in and “pledge” - just let us know you are out there, sign the guest book so to speak.
Five Ways to Comment (aka Guide to Jumping Boldly into the Conversation):
- Introduction comment: I’ve been reading your blog for a long time (X months), this is my first time commenting, and this made an impression on me because…
- Where have you been all my life comment: Wow, this is my first time reading your blog, how have I not known about this? Thanks for the great info here, this in particular had an effect and here is why:
- Ask a question: Still have a question? Absolutely do not be afraid to ask. All these other know-it-alls in the comment section, (whom I love dearly!), represent a small percentage of the total readership here. You are in great company with others who have the same question.
- Life/work application: Share the idea that hit you as you read it. Copy and paste the statement that made you think of it and do something like, I love this because: Tell us how you are going to use this information to solve your problems, so others can benefit from that. This is part of what makes the comments section a beautiful place.
- Share your reaction: Agree, disagree, learned something new, have something to add. Share a bit about yourself and why you had that reaction.
Many bloggers claim they don’t write for their readers. So then, why a blog? Why not just write in your diary on your bedside table?
Getting more comments is not the goal of this post. Getting to know you is. And yes, I’ll still respect you in the morning! So go on, tell us about your first time.
Photo credit thanks to Tech n Blogging
I was led to your blog, and this is the 2nd one I've read... I love it!!! I can't wait to read more! Also this specific post inspired me, hence my response :)
Hi, Lisa.
This is the first time for me to read your post here at Spin Sucks and I am glad I picked out your post of the many that came up on my Google Reader for this site. This is a very entertaining read for me even of it has been a while since I lost my blogging virginity.
It made me remember the time when I decided to do blog commenting. I was already stalking some blogs for a while but I did not do any commenting because I was afraid of saying the wrong things. The worst thing for me was that I did not want to be ignored.
But, when I did get over my initial hesitation, I was hooked. Although I was basically a two-sentence commenter at first, that changed a number of comments after when I discovered that there is nothing wrong in sharing your voice in the blogosphere.
So, kudos to you for writing this article. Who knows someone might have the courage to start blog commenting after reading this? ;) Have a great Easter celebration!
Ahem,
Hi, My name is Brieanne and I read your blog.
I'm a newbie commenter but I have been reading your blog for many months so I just wanted to say thanks for the great posts. I enjoy learning from them and sharing them.
Howie, I totally agree and the goal isn't to get more comments here at all. We love comments, don't get me wrong. But the goal is to help people to come out of the woodwork - on any blog. It's not as intimidating, and we love it. Also, I tend to gauge who our readers are by the commenters and it's a small percentage and not at all representative. That's actually the real issue.
ps, i miss livefyre too.
Wow, you won't believe this! :) This is my first time reading your blog, but you really hit the nail on the head with this post.
Nice. : ) thanks for stopping and commenting.
Part of my 'strategy' if you want to call it that is to leave at least 1 comment on another blog every day. I dont really remember how I found Gini and Spin Sucks (I am not even a PR professional) but I really enjoy her voice and I love the interaction with community whether I jump in or not. Hope to see more commenters here and on all blogs. As a blogger myself, the fact that I have little or no active community means I am either giving all the information they need or I have an audience of virgins. So please comment here and anywhere you read - you can do it once per day at least. It helps the blogger get ideas and lets us know that you are reading and paying attention.
You were my first AND my second! Saw this post right after making my first comment EVER on your post about hating Twitter. Ahhhh, it all seems so worth it now. I don't regret a thing.
Thanks for the comforting words here for the first-timers. Now, just don't want to turn into a "Comment Flousy".
Just wanted to comment. Thanks for encouraging us virgins to comment. I have commented on other blogs but this is my first one here. Thank you for the information and the ideas on how to comment. Greatly appreciated. I'm learning.
I've been reading Spin Sucks for a few months now, ever since I attended the InsidePR panel discussion at PodCamp in Toronto. I really like this post in particular since it shows how important it is to get involved in social media, and not just sit on the sidelines. Thanks for the tips!
Shelley Pringle Thanks, Shelley - (delayed response to you). It's great just to see who else is out there and reading this.
Commenting on a number of blogs is an effective way for me to engage with others on social meda, so this isn't "my first time," but I love your "Five Ways to Comment" list. That's really useful, and I plan to pass that along to some of my friends who have felt too shy or too new to jump into a comments section yet.
@MargieClayman had a wonderful post recently about why some blog comments suck. Sometimes it's clear people didn't read the post and they're just trying to schmooze the author. Sometimes people comment mainly to "advertise" for their own blog posts. Before you comment on a post, read it thorougly so you can add to the conversation.
Don't just run over to a bunch of blogs each day, say "Great post!" and leave. I heard recently that leaving just a "Great post!" comment is like showing up for the date, telling her she looks nice and then leaving. Of course you can say "Great post!" but when you do, tell the blogger why you thought the post was great. Maybe there's a piece of information you will take away from it that will help you in your life. Maybe you love the blogger's unique writing style. Maybe the blogger made a joke that cracked you up. Those things add value because it gives the blogger more direction about what the readers want and like.
Thanks for encouraging more people to engage with blogs, Lisa. @kamkansas
Now to play devils advocate. If Spin Sucks had say 20000 readers and 10000 commented each day. What would this community be like besides Chaos? Have you seen the comments on Yahoo News? They get sometimes a few thousand on hot button topics. All one way posts with sometimes in fighting replies. Would comments then become white noise? Does anyone scroll down pages of comments on the Huff Post or Yahoo? I don't but I do here. Curious anyone's thoughts.
HowieSPM I agree sir, quality over quantity. I've seen the madding crowd comment on Yahoo and it's a free for all of crazy. Pass.
Now I'd of course welcome and love to see fresh faces, learn from different voices. Those who have something good to share like maybe the secret to wearing white w/out getting it dirty, summer is right around the corner. FWIW.
This is a GREAT post. Let me tell you why. FACEBOOK IS NO DIFFERENT! There I said it. Last April I crunched the Facebook Stats page which at the time gave the gory details of the network.
They claimed 200million log ins per day. 35 million status updates. 60 million comments/likes pertaining to those status updates. If Facebook can not figure out how to get the 75% of their log ins to do anything more than read do any of us bloggers have a chance. We have been trained to be passive consumers. We read and watch. We are not used to 2 way participation. This is human nature we are passive with media.
And until recently 1 way consumption was a big money maker. Somewhere along the way came click through rates. Recently I have thought is it fair for Digital to be judged on that vs views. And for Blogs the same. isn't gross readership numbers important if someone was to place ads to monetize it?
Facebook is different. They have sold a $50bil bill of goods based on 2 way participation and 75% of the people who log in today will just read (I am being generous with the 25% being active). Maybe that is why their click through rates are so horrible for ads and brand page posts etc?
I am getting in my easy chair. Turning on the wind and bubble machine so I am in gale forced winds and then flipping the Spin Sucks Strobe Light. Call me when its dinner time. Until then I am absorbing Spin Sucks.
Well, looks like you got your comments! : )
There are many other important reasons why people don;t comment. Maybe there are no comments and they don;t want to start. Maybe there are too many comments anf they feel it would be a waste of time because it would get lost. Perhaps they are prohihibited from commenting due to social media policy restrictions. Or, maybe they are just shy. Viva human diversity.
That's why in most cases comments are not a reasonable sign of progress for a blog -- especially a corporate blog. The engagement may be occurring elsewhere.
Thanks for the great post Lisa.
markwschaefer Out of curiosity, where do you think? Other social channels like FB and Twitter, maybe a community/forum/BBS? Or in private via email or DM? I'll chat up certain things in certain places, but all of that seems very niche per the subject. Some of those arenas allow some anonymity which at times does encourage comments or per HowieSPM comment on Yahoo, brings the nutty.
ITA w/ the reasons on not commenting... forgot that some folks aren't allowed to comment per their jobs. I don't always comment for a host of reasons: time, interest, too many comments, not enough, maybe I didn't think the post is all that, clicked a headline expecting one thing, got something elsee. List is endless but usually when I DO comment, somethings compelled me. Topic or interest, some rant that I must add my pennies to the fray; community and friendship, networking which is all part of being social - which admittedly serves my own interests too.
More for Lisa Gerber On the shyness and/or not commenting thing.. If you really want to know what someone thought, wonder if you saw someone RT the post but didn't comment, why not ask or invite them to comment as you thank them for the RT? FWIW.
Ummmm...I have a few things to say here. But my eyes have been open for almost 48 hours so I'm gonna come back when I can make a little more sense.
After all - you did kinda talk about one of my favorite topics (comments - not virginity lol) and YOU WENT THRU MY FRICKIN' DRAFTS didn't you?!!! Admit it ;)! Gini spend the weekend hacking my blog and gave you the password!
Loved this Lisa.
Eyezzz be back! :)
Griddy how was the rave party Ingrid?
HowieSPM Rave party? Moi?!!!! the only party I had was in front of my computer :(. Oh well, just as good - cause a pretty neat guide came out of it :).
I write for food, not readers; fortunately I don't need to worry about being overweight.
I'm shy about commenting, maybe I'll give it a try before long.
My mantra to people who don't get twitter is: sign up; search & follow; and engage by commenting on their posts. It's that simple; just jump in and then find out what works for you.
I'm not a stat guy, but I did figure out how to see the # of people that visited my blog. It was 5:1 visits to comments; being on a much, much larger scale, do your stats show the same percentage? Maybe it was my content, or lack thereof that was scaring them off..........I did find it interesting however.
I guess some people just don't have anything profound to say like I do on a pretty regular basis, huh? Maybe they need to hire a ghost writer.............I'm pasty like Casper, I think I could pull it off.
bdorman264 I'll write for wine. WDW vacations. A decent seat at the ball game. Casper, the friendly blog comment ghostwriter? It could work until you overcome your shyness.
3HatsComm Hey, that's the ticket; if I'm not eating anyway maybe I can rustle up enough wine to be deliriously happy........and then I would really be creative.........
bdorman264 Hi Bill, we've pretty much communicated on all the online channels today! I did a quick, very unscientific test on the percentage of commenters. I got 5% on Monday's post compared to unique page views. It varies a lot, of course.
Lisa Gerber bdorman264 3HatsComm I am launching a conversation campaign with the Antarctic Penguins. They supposedly have very high participation rates. If the livefyre server breaks its because you wanted more participation and I gave you more participation. But can you handle more participation. Oh and Bill I have Mac and Cheese and half of a Deep Fried Oreo which do you want for compensation?
Gini, I've heard the respect line before... not so sure you will, lol
So here is my question when providing a comments section for your readers, it seems like across the board having a retweet and FB share/ like buttonare popular/important to have. But what about Digg, Reddit, Stumble etc etc etc. There are dozens. I am not up on the latest trends so which of the others are important to have. Obviously you think digg is important but why?
Thanks, Rajka
ExpatDoctorMom Hi Rajka, really great question, actually. We actually do have the other share buttons up high on the website, but I've been doing a bunch of research on these social bookmarking and social news sites (Digg, Reddit, StumbleUpon, ect) and will be blogging about it, but yes, they are important to help bring you backlinks which help you with your google ranking and to help bring you qualified traffic. They are definitely less mainstream than the others (FB and Twitter) and they take time to start to see results, but it's a good idea to have the buttons available. AddThis and ShareThis give you widgets that include all of the latest sites, so you don't have to worry about which ones to offer. Lisa
Lisa Gerber Seattle, small world! My practice was in Seattle. My heart belongs there. There from 97-03 and again for most of 2009. That is where I met my kiwi husband, went skiing up in BC endlessly, trips all throughout the area. Well you know. With all these comments I can't find who wanted to know about the hot spots.
Restaurants: Le Pichet (casual french) on 1st ave, KingFish Cafe (southern home cooking east of Capital hill), there is an asian place right across the street from Kingfish (blanking on name). For coffee we loved Cafe Javiste it is in Maple Leaf adjacent to Green Lake (best crepes and we knew the owners) So many more
For the ladies: Best Hair colorist: Walter at Marco's 2 Union on the corner of 6ht and Union. I have been to many many over the years and he is the best, could easily be the colorist to the celebs. Fly to see him no matter where I am in the USA when I return. Best Stylist (for cuts) Elizabeth at Marco's 2 Union: immaculate cuts. Same could easily be the stylist for the celebs
Email me if you any other tips are needed.
ExpatDoctorMom Hi Rajka I am just curious and this is unrelated to this blog topic but are other Expats like John Falchetto required to go to Expat Doctors for healthcare? Always been curious.
HowieSPM John Falchetto Ok, I am not certain if you are being serious. So here are two answers
serious: no John could see anyone he wanted even a woman in the ME
Not serious: he wouldn't want to see anyone else after seeing me. Too bad he is in France and I am in Qatar (for now...)
Lisa Gerber does "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash" count?
JustInTheSouth yes! you're IN.
Hi Lisa - My name is Jk and I'm a new member of the awesome community here. I hate being late to the party - but it's the story of my life. Anyhow!
Today marks the first time that I've been here to Spin Sucks. I've seen my buddy Marcus mention it over and over, but never took the plunge until today. I'm happy I did too, because all the cool cats hang out around here. I just hope to fit in!
Question...when you get comments that tend to lack substance; would you rather not get that comment, or do you accept it? I ask because some people would prefer not to get a "that was an awesome article" comment. Some only want the value adds. Me, I see all comments as gifts. I appreciate the fact that someone took the time to read and say thanks. Just my thought on it.
This post hit me in a special place (that sounded wierd..sorry!)
Commenting for me has been a staple of my brand. I didn't intend for this to happen, but when I read something that I really like, and learned something from, I sometimes have a lot to say after the fact. And, I like making sure that the message is clear that I appreciate the information shared. I'm sure people look at my comments all the time like: "what is wrong with this guy...does he have a life". Sure I do - it's commenting! Joking! But for me, the reality is that I believe in giving value back, when people give it to me. This post was valuable me to me...so hopefully my comment is valuable to you. As you can see - I can get a little cheesy at times. I'm aware!
I agree that when I was brand new to the blogging game (9 months ago) - I didn't want to comment because I didn't want to feel stupid. Also, because I was busy! But I disagree with the notion of people not accepting one-liner comments. They may not add value - but they are gifts of appreciation (as I stated before). They surely won't get recognition...but they to serve a purpose.
---
SOOOO - if you didn't catch the undertone of this comment, I just gave 5 examples of how "I" boldly jump into a conversation, based on the FIVE WAYS you shared in your post!!! I may turn out looking like a fool - but at least I "try" to be bold!
PEACE
Jk Allen Right on with you here, any comment means someone took the time to read the post and write a few lines. We don't all have either the time, or the self confidence to write long comments, so I respect any comments. Thanks for repeating this, there are a lot of bloggers out there who criticize comments who are too short, not constructive enough or simply not long enough.
You're never a fool bud, and this is a great place to comment, just watch out for ginidietrich
John Falchetto Jk Allen ginidietrich Hi JK ! I am very happy to see you here.
first of all, we don't moderate comments so we don't accept/decline comments at all.
But more importantly, i would NEVER not accept a comment. We value every single one. It's not just about the comment, although that adds a ton of value and contributes to the conversation, but it's also about my getting to know you. so I'll click on your name, check out your blog and now I know one more reader of our blog. So yes, they serve many purposes. Purpii? ha.
John Falchetto Jk Allen ginidietrich i just come for the livefyre points myself.
Great post, Lisa. I try to comment on blogs when I can. Usually the issue that will keep me from making comments is that I feel that the post is about something I'm not knowledgeable about or it's way over my head, so I don't feel I would offer much value to the comment stream, other than to show how much I don't know. :) And I think I sometimes show that anyway. :) oh, and John Falchetto's post about commenting was a great read too.
KarenBice oh yea, that happens to me too. I often think if its way over my head, it's not my fault. It should be written in a way that I can grasp. But if it's an area of which I know very little, then yes, I'll likely just move on.
Very clear.
I always liked the idea of hiding behind the entire web, so that no one could get me. That allayed any fear or intimidation I was feeling about jumping in.
benyehudahI've often thought about that expression: "he has a face for radio." - many of us have a personality for social media. :) hide behind the web and we can be more outgoing.
I can't decide if my first comment was here or on Grow (Mark Schaefer), but it was undeniably the catalyst that resurrected my passion for writing, and ultimately, learning. I remember the initial feeling of being like a kid in a candy store once I committed myself to blog participation; there were just so many outstanding blogs and each carried its own unique, tailored message. Each post shared invaluable nuggets of information, and by opening myself to interaction (via commenting) I actually felt like I was adding to it (even if in such a miniscule way).
But it wasn't easy. I was so awkward at first. My hands felt like foreign objects. I trembled so much I could barely control myself. My heart raced and I'm not sure, but it absolutely felt like being on a roller coaster free fall with my stomach in my throat. But like any first timer, I just did it, and let me tell you, it felt great. Sure my palms were sweaty and I nearly threw up and passed out simultaneously when I finally closed my eyes and clicked "Post Comment", but to my surprise, 'twas the best decision that made in many, many moons.
To anyone on the fence, get off, it's so uncomfortable sitting up there. Plus, you might get a splinter, and those hurt. I'm young, inexperienced, and rarely have any insight to impart, but the simple act of commenting and becoming acquainted with many of the folks on this and other blogs has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my young life.
JamesDBurrell2 James, wow, that was its own little awesome blog post. VERY well said!
JamesDBurrell2 Don't agree with the "rarely have any insight to impart', I think that is the whole ideas of comment, different opinions and perspectives, irrespective of age, experience. We all bring something and should loose our commenting virginity
John Falchetto JamesDBurrell2 Well that's it... we all THINK we may not have something to add but we really do. Even just admitting that we don't always know what to write, how to comment is part of this connecting and learning thing.
3HatsComm John Falchetto JamesDBurrell2 Lisa Gerber I always have something to add and usually it involves Tequila.
JamesDBurrell2 omg, i started to feel really awkward as I read that middle paragraph. really well done. LOL!!!
JamesDBurrell2 and another thing! it's been awhile. great to have you back!!
I agree with all 3 reasons on why people don't comment. I'm just begging to blog and I have commented on a few blogs here and there but as a younger professional who has never blogged it's intimidating, especially on Spin Sucks. There are so many successful and intelligent people here. Maybe I don't feel stupid but sometimes I feel that my comment will be regarded as irrelevant to the blog post and people will disregard it as soon as I hit publish. Woah I really just put myself out there, well I guess commenting more starts to take away your fear. Thanks Gini ! : )
jennimacdonald Trust me we are not all successful and intelligent :0
jennimacdonald Hey Jennifer, it's sooooooooooooo not intimidating once you get started. But don't listen to John Falchetto you're all successful and intelligent. sheesh. But here's exactly why I'm glad to hear from you - for example, I'm so happy to see someone from Seattle!! I lived there for 10 years. love love love Seattle.
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