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Why Your Comments Are Important

Every time Laura goes to check her blog and sees no new comments, this happens:

Sad face. :(
I don't have that large of a following, but I like to think you guys read my posts every so often. However, pageview counts don't tell me what you're thinking. Comments, on the other hand, do! I assure you, my eagerness to read your comments is not born from a narcissistic need to see my opinions and thoughts affirmed by random people on the Internet. I really value your comments because...

- you do things like correct my grammar/spelling/facts when I have a brain derp
- you give alternate opinions and perspective
- you share your own experiences
- you give feedback
- you click the little "subscribe by email" link to get follow-up comments, and respond to what others are saying
- you leave links to your own blogs/profiles
- ...which lead me and other commenters to your own blogs, there to read and leave comments and maybe become members and consistent readers. So you see, commenting helps everyone!

Mainly, comments turn this from Laura yammering to herself into something that resembles a dialogue. And dialogue is great. Dialogue is fun. Dialogue is, in my opinion, the whole point of social media. Even if you're out to sell a product, you'd better engage potential customers in some kind of dialogue, or you're just another spambot tweeting links into cyberspace.

Notice, I'm not trying to sell you anything. I blog about my wips a lot, but I don't have a finished book. The purpose of me blogging about writing, reading, and whatever comes to mind is to engage in a dialogue with interested people. I genuinely want to hear your thoughts and opinions. I see no comments = I think I'm doing something wrong. As a blogger, I constantly wonder if I'm writing new and interesting content (or if I'm just being boring), and what you think about it.

I know you're busy and I know my posts occasionally get a little long (like last week's YA Friday, which definitely needs some comment love) -- but even if it's just a "this was great!" or a "this sucked!" it will probably make my day. (Yep. I'm that bored.) Remember: Laura loves opinions. All opinions. She also loves talking about herself in the third person. 

Ultimate irony: this post will get no comments.

Comments

  1. SarahTue Feb 07, 10:43:00 AM CST

    I am removing the irony from your post by commenting! (Although I feel that by commenting on a post about commenting the sentiment is a bit hollow...)

    I do enjoy reading your posts, and have commented a few times in the past when I have something to say.

    I'm in the same boat as you though with the constant lurk of '0 comments'. I am however taking part in a blogfest, and have gotten a lot of supportive comments on my blogfest 'entries' or whatever you want to call them!

    Your post is a bit of a kick up the butt for me to comment more, not just on yours, but on every blog I enjoy reading!

    On a side note: your cat is adorable :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LauraWed Feb 08, 06:22:00 PM CST

      Thanks! Out of curiosity, what blogfest are you doing?

      Delete
    2. SarahSat Feb 11, 05:56:00 PM CST

      The 'I'm hearing voices' blogfest. I've gone from having about 3 comments on my whole entire blog to 21 comments on my first blogfest post! It felt so good, but I'm not expecting it to continue. I've got a few new followers from it too, and have enjoyed writing the post! All around a good experience :D

      Delete
    3. LauraSat Feb 11, 08:41:00 PM CST

      That's great!! Blogfests help people find you, even if participation does drop off afterwards. Some of them stick around, and you make some new Internet-friends. :)

      Delete
  2. Carrie ButlerTue Feb 07, 07:13:00 PM CST

    That's okay. Sometimes Carrie talks about herself in the third person, too. ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LauraWed Feb 08, 06:24:00 PM CST

      Those people who talk about themselves in the third person sure are crazy. ;)

      Delete
  3. JessWed Feb 08, 04:46:00 AM CST

    Feedback and interaction is always great, that's why we blog isn't it. I often feel that blogging lacks the interaction of Twitter though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LauraWed Feb 08, 06:23:00 PM CST

      Maybe Twitter spoils us. It's so easy to tweet a reply to someone that commenting on a blog seems so much harder by comparison. *shrug* Or maybe it's because Twitter gives that instant gratification of seeing someone reply almost immediately -- usually -- where on a blog, you don't know when you might get a reply. Hmm.

      Delete
  4. JeannotMon Feb 13, 09:56:00 AM CST

    I'm equally eager to receive comment on my blog. I really like when my hit stats goes up but the pleasure doesn't last. I'm like "Wahoo! people came to see me....... but..but why? was it for my original story or my clever opinion or did they just click the "next blog" button on the Navbar. Comment do on other hand proves that they stopped by and took time. and by taking time it gives me the satisfaction that my time wasn't wasted into the oblivious void of cyberspace. but even if i don't get comment or page view i consider that my time wasn't wasted 'cause i do it for my own selfish(and not shellfish) pleasure and sense of accomplishment

    So here you go Laura. A new comment just for you

    p.s. BTW sorry if my english sucks, english is not my mother's tongue.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LauraMon Feb 13, 11:20:00 AM CST

      Thanks for stopping by. :) I do get confused when my highest pageviews are for posts with no comments -- I guess they're just popular with random search engine keywords, or something.

      Your English is actually pretty good, for not being your native language. Just keep practicing! That's what I tell myself with my Spanish...

      Delete
  5. James C DuckettTue Feb 14, 11:06:00 AM CST

    I'll promise to do better. I just figured my comments wouldn't add to the awesomeness that this blog is. Wait, that made sense, right?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LauraTue Feb 14, 11:54:00 AM CST

      Hahaha, don't worry -- your comments will only make this blog more awesome. :)

      Delete

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